Sixty persons have receiving special training in aspects of direct assistance to victims of human trafficking.

This was done under a joint initiative of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Ministry of Justice, and Sharedhope International Limited. The training will last for four days.

The participants included representatives from several government and non-governmental organisations, whose functions can bring about stricter anti-human trafficking measures, and create better response mechanisms in Jamaica. Some of these organisations include the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of National Security, among others.

Several measures

At the opening of the course, held at Family Life Ministries on Cecelio Avenue in Kingston, recently, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer noted that Jamaica had put several measures in place to improve its status since the United States Department of State published its last Trafficking in Persons Report in June 2006.

"As a developing nation, I am satisfied that we have taken this crime seriously. We are doing all that is in our power, subject to the resources that we have, to ensure that we are in a position to protect and safeguard our citizens and to warn persons that it is illegal to do that crime in this country," she said.

The permanent secretary pointed out that anti-trafficking legislation had been brought into law, while an intensive public education programme had been undertaken. "We have had two major public fora and we have had several presentations to citizens and school groups as we seek to raise the level of awareness."