Speeches

Grant Signing

Statement by Ambassador Hull
Trafficking in Persons Grant Signing
September 26, 2006

US Embassy, Freetown

Deputy Minister, Representative Cappelaere, TIP Taskforce Chairperson and members, members of the media, all protocols observed;

Over the past two years, Sierra Leone has made great progress in recognizing and combating trafficking, and Sierra Leone’s rating on the Department of State’s Annual Trafficking in Persons report has improved from Tier 3 – the lowest ranking – to Tier 2 watchlist, and finally in 2006 to Tier 2, which is the highest level currently held by any African country.

Much of the credit for Sierra Leone’s improved tier placement goes to the government for passing the Anti-Trafficking in Persons act.  The law not only defined trafficking as a crime, but also established the TIP Task Force to oversee the government’s efforts at combating trafficking.  I am delighted to see that the Task Force is now a working body that is thinking strategically about how to make a difference in the lives of Sierra Leoneans who are victims of trafficking.   I know that some of the Task Force members are here, and I want to thank you personally for the good work that you are doing.

There are still many challenges ahead for the Task Force.  Many Sierra Leoneans do not understand the risks associated with sending their children away from the village and children become easy prey for traffickers. Children sent to the capital for an education can end up being forced into full time labor or sex work.  At times, it is not easy to detect victims of trafficking apart from other children involved labor or prostitution.  However, unlike those who choose to work on the streets and therefore have the option to leave, trafficking victims are forced, lied to or coerced into their situations.  Police and the judiciary now have an anti-trafficking law on the books, but have little experience in detecting, investigating, or prosecuting trafficking crimes.  Victims of trafficking still rely on the good will of police and ministry officials, because there is no formal system in place to provide support for them.

          We cannot just look at trafficking without addressing the fundamental cause: poverty.   Children are frequently not in school or attending vocational training because their parents cannot afford to send them.  The need to scrape a living for children or their family is responsible for the involvement of many children in street vending and commercial sex, and accounts for the numbers of children living on the street, some of whom come into conflict with the law.  These combine with other factors making offers to take children to the capital or overseas appealing and some of these offers may not be genuine benevolence.  There is often a lack of awareness amongst many communities on the importance of protecting people from trafficking.  The legal system also works against the protection of the vulnerable at risk of trafficking.  Processes are extremely slow and police and judicial officials are often unaware of how to deal sensitively with victims of trafficking in persons.

          This grant we are about to sign will help UNICEF to help Sierra Leone to combat trafficking in various ways: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Response, and regular Monitoring.

UNICEF’s strategy developed with the TIP Task Force to respond to Trafficking in Persons will be to assist the Government of Sierra Leone and other stakeholders to:
           •       Strengthen capacity through policy and legislative reforms, and training of personnel, especially in the criminal justice system
           •       Establish an effective and coordinated mechanism to respond to issues of Trafficking in Persons, including prevention and rapid response
           •       Promote family practices and community responses that better protect persons, especially children, from being trafficked
           •       Create a greater awareness among policy makers, community leaders, civil society, parents and communities on the dangers of trafficking in persons.
In the next year the TIP Taskforce supported by UNICEF will reach out to several ministries, the Police Force, NGOs and civil society groups.  Through training sessions on how to identify victims, establish standards of care for victims, and general sensitization, participants will be better equipped to deal with issues at hand and know what resources exist in the country.  The TIP taskforce will have a database to record and monitor cases in the country.

This grant of $100,000 will not solve the problem of trafficking in this country; however, it is the hope of the American people that this grant will help prevent Sierra Leoneans from falling victim to, or, from allowing their children to become victims of trafficking.  Despite the feeling of hopelessness that often accompanies poverty, this country’s greatest asset is its own people and we must protect and uplift the children so they may continue to live in a country of peace.