By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tamale, July 24, GNA – Stakeholders in Ghana’s public justice system have been urged to embrace stronger inter-agency collaboration and trauma-informed approaches to enhance the fight against human trafficking in the country.
The call was made at this year’s Northern Sector Public Justice System Leaders’ Summit, held in Tamale on the theme: “Trauma-Informed Care and Cross-Agency Collaboration Against Human Trafficking”.
The summit, organised by the International Justice Mission, brought together regional and district leaders from the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Office of the Attorney General from the Northern, North East, Upper East, Upper West and Savannah Regions.
Participants were equipped on Ghana’s human trafficking laws, legal perspectives on plea bargaining in trafficking cases, understanding trauma and its effects on survivors, trauma-informed care, and managing vicarious trauma among justice sector professionals.
Madam Shirley Dungu Issifu, the Projects Manager, International Justice Mission in Tamale, said effective justice delivery required coordinated action among institutions to protect vulnerable people and ensure perpetrators of human trafficking were brought to justice.
She said although each institution had a distinct mandate, justice could only be achieved through collaboration, mutual understanding and strong partnerships across agencies.
Madam Issifu said experiences from countries where justice institutions worked closely with social services, regulatory bodies, victim advocates, survivor groups and community leaders showed that crime rates reduced significantly when responses were trauma-informed and well-coordinated.
She said the summit was designed to strengthen communication and collaboration among key institutions while developing practical action points to support frontline officers handling human trafficking cases.
She said: “Our hope is that these sessions build the foundation for a multidisciplinary and trauma-informed approach that leads us to better outcomes in tackling the issue of trafficking sustainably.”
She noted that strong justice systems were built not only on laws and policies but also on trust, effective communication and shared commitment among institutions.
Madam Issifu said significant progress had been made in the fight against human trafficking and expressed optimism that the summit would further strengthen efforts to create communities free from trafficking.
Mr Livingstone Ameevor, Presiding Judge at the Circuit Court in the Savannah Region identified poverty, income inequality, inadequate employment opportunities, false advertisements and bonded labour as some of the major drivers of human trafficking.
He urged stakeholders to intensify collaboration to combat the menace and said effective action against human trafficking would deter the crime and help break cycles of violence and injustice.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Wisdom Lavoe, the Northern Regional Police Commander, commended the International Justice Mission for organising the summit.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Northern Regional Police Command to combating human trafficking and called on all stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable persons and prosecute offenders.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Wisdom Lavoe, Northern Regional Police Commander, commended the International Justice Mission for organising the summit.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Northern Regional Police Command to combating human trafficking and called on all stakeholders to support ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable persons and prosecute offenders.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
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