France Embassy Of Ghana Holds Seminar For Judges And Magistrates


The Embassy of France to Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Judicial Service and the Judicial Training Institute, has organised a training workshop for judges and magistrates for the fight against human trafficking. The seminar, which came commenced from 24th to 26th September 2014, was opened by the Honourable Chief Justice Georgina WOOD, and H.E Frederic Clavier, Ambassador of France to Ghana.

The workshop brought together 25 participants, faced in the course of their duties to situations of trafficking. A French expert ,a judge in Marseille, came over alongside with Ghanaian experts to share her experiences and develop operational means to suppress human trafficking in Ghana.

Human trafficking is considered as the third most common form of crime in the world, after arms smuggling and drug trafficking. It generates an estimated profit of more than 32 billion euros per year,which threatens the stability of states,due to underground economy generated by the profits related to these crimes.The number of victims who are annually recruited and exploited worldwide is estimated at over 22 million, undergoing all kinds of violence and violations of basic human rights on a daily basis.

The most common forms of exploitation in the world are forced labor and sexual exploitation, but other forms of exploitation are also identified, such as slavery, servitude and organ trafficking.

Ghana is a country of origin, transit and destination of victims of human trafficking,who suffer severe operating situations and endure different kinds of violence. Ghana ratified the 2012 UN Protocol to Prevent,Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (known as the “Palermo Protocol”), and adopted measures to strengthen enforcement of this crime, but also the prevention and protection of victims.However, these measures would be reinforced soon by a new legislative instrument.

This workshop is part of a regional project to support in the fight against human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea, funded by the French Cooperation. This project,which is also implemented in Benin,Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, aims to support national capacity building(including support to the judiciary and civil society)and the consolidation of regional cooperation mechanisms. It is also to encourage the exchange of good practices and the establishment of joint actions between recipient countries to strengthen prevention, effective prosecution of acts of trafficking and adequate protection of victims.

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