Matters regarding the steps Barbados needs to take to get off the United States of America’s Tier 2 Watch List for trafficking in persons were among the areas discussed during the National Task Force for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons meeting recently.
During the meeting at the Office of the Attorney General, Webster’s Industrial Park, Wildey, St. Michael, Attorney General Dale Marshall, in his opening remarks, said human trafficking was not a major issue for Barbados, but cautioned that the island stood to lose some of the bilateral gains achieved if it did not improve its rankings.
“We have had an action plan started since 2015 and although we are proud of our achievements, there are still some issues that need to be addressed,” he stated.
Following the opening statement, Permanent Secretary, Yvette Goddard, chaired the second half of the meeting where committee members decided on the future schedule of meetings and the make-up of sub-committees structured around the four pillars: prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership.
The Committee is expected to meet in a few weeks to review proposals on the draft National Action Plan.
Members of the National Task Force for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons are drawn from the Royal Barbados Police Force, the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Jabez House, Immigration Department and the Welfare Department.