OAS to Assist Officials from St. Kitts and Nevis in Combating Trafficking in Persons

ZIZ News…May 22, 2011 – The Organization of American States (OAS) will train, on May 24 and 25, in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, 40 consular and diplomat officials, and personnel from the Ministry of National Security, Immigration and Foreign Affairs with the goal of increasing their awareness of the crime of trafficking in persons and strengthening their efforts to prevent it and fight it.

Trafficking in persons is a modern form of slavery and a violation of basic human rights involving coercive sexual exploitation, forced labor and involuntary servitude, among others. The OAS program, “Capacity Development to Recognize and Address Anti-Trafficking in Persons within the Foreign Service in the Caribbean Countries” has been implemented in 11 Member States throughout the Americas.

During the two-day training seminar, led by OAS anti-trafficking in persons experts, officials will look at areas such as the distinction between trafficking and smuggling of migrants; gender and human rights; victim identification, assistance and protection; and how trafficking in persons affects men, women, boys and girls in different ways.

The OAS is working to strengthen the capacity of consular and diplomat officials to recognize and identify victims of trafficking in persons and increase the exchange of information among Caribbean agencies working to tackle this threat, and improve their capacity to protect the victims.