Africa has moved forward with its commitment to eradicating the practice of human trafficking.  In a recent conference that lasted from the 24th to the 26th of March, several government organizations came together in the largest meeting of its kind to discuss ways of preventing gross violation of human rights throughout Africa.

Human trafficking is a wide-spread problem in Africa, though how wide spread is hard to determine.  The practice of luring both adults and children into exploitive and indentured service is, by its nature, a hidden economy as it preys on the most vulnerable and poorest faction of a population who struggle for representation.  Large numbers of people are tricked into working in such industries as prostitution or manual labour, lured by illegitimate business owners who claim to offer legitimate work or a chance to live in a different part of the world.

The undetectable nature of this horrible practice is exactly what prompted the creation of the AU.COMMIT campaign, launched in the ECOWAS  (Economic Community of West African States) region.   The AU.COMMIT campaign is designed to unite member nations in co-operative practices and relationships designed to more fully understand the scope of the problem and create solutions.  The need for governments to address human trafficking and launch initiatives that will investigate the hidden marketplace was also suggested by the National Development and Poverty Reduction Strategies and Programmes (PRSPs).

In an intensive 2-day workshop, members of several governmental organizations came together to develop strategies and trans-national relationships.  In attendance was the African Union Commission (AUC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); International Organization on Migration (IOM); and The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  The conference outlined the need for co-operation at the institutional level in preventative measures and more uniform prosecution of offenders.   The dialogue is meant to bring about partnerships between countries of origin, transit and destination throughout Africa.

The joint political and legal commitment of the AU and the EU was touted as an example of such relationships.  The AU and EU afford unique legal protection to women and children, the populations who are at greater risk of being pulled into trafficking situations.  The ECCAS spoke about the gap in information regarding the number of people who are victimised annually as well as the manner in which they are moved through the different countries.  An ECCAS report showed that the majority of persons taken are children from West Africa living in post-conflict states.  With little infrastructure children have no one to protect them if left on their own and are highly vulnerable to involuntary relocation.

Another example of this practice was seen in post-hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and there are concerns that children in post-quake Haiti are similarly at risk.

This highlights that as well as changes at the policy level, it is imperative that support be on the ground helping these vulnerable populations, providing homes and data pertianing to population as this can provide a measure of protection.  Schools, shelter and food create community and render unparented children safer as they belong to a group and are less easily displaced or coerced away into indentured servitude.

The changes at the governmental level are underway and organizations such as SOS Children’s Villages and Plan UK continue to provide person-to-person care at the individual level to support the changes to come.  Plan and SOS are currently operating in several locations throughout Africa.

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