Human trafficking, a fight for everyone

Combating human trafficking in Papua New Guinea should be everyone’s business, Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) Deputy Secretary (legal and policy) Roselyn Gwaibo says.
Gwaibo told The National at the human trafficking training attended by lawyers from the offices of the public solicitor and public prosecutor in Port Moresby this week that it had been conducted since February.
The current training marked World Day against Human Trafficking and Smuggling (Dec 12).
Steve Harvey, an independent international specialist and adviser on human trafficking showed lawyers how to detect human trafficking and people smuggling, and techniques of interviewing victims and offenders.
Gwaibo said DJAG, in partnership with International Organisation of Migration (IOM) and Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee (FSVAC), had organised a series of training sessions as awareness since February this year targeting relevant stakeholders such as police, PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority, PNG Customs, PNG Forestry, Department of Labour and Industrial Relations and provincial governments as well as non-governmental organisations.
DJAG Secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe, said: “When DJAG partnered with IOM to initiate the PNG Counter- Trafficking in Persons Project in 2010, there was no firm government response to combating human trafficking.
“Stakeholder agencies that formed the national human-trafficking committee have been raising awareness, assist with cases and coordinate with implementing agencies to ensure effective implementation of the trafficking in persons provisions in the Criminal Code.”