Under the framework of the project “Support to the free movement of persons and migration in West Africa” (FMM West Africa), a Demand Driven Facility (DDF) for national institutions, was designed to provide tailored technical assistance to ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania on themes relating to border management, labour migration, and trafficking in persons.
Subsequently to consultations undertaken with MS and the ECOWAS Trafficking in Persons Unit, a DDF action on counter trafficking (CT) covering 6 countries (Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal) was approved. This pilot action aims at strengthening coordination mechanisms within and between the 6 countries to combat trafficking in persons by providing an operational collaborative framework to address this issue. This pilot action derives directly from discussions held during the 2015 Annual Review Meeting on the implementation of the ECOWAS plan of action to fight against trafficking in persons. → continue on page 3
3 key conclusions
1. The lack of technical tools; outdated legislation for Law Enforcement and magistrates to perform their duties when investigating and prosecuting TIP cases; the lack of a collaborative framework to exchange information, a common approach with regards victims identification, assistance and protection.
2. The meeting of 24 Delegates in April 2016 concluded with the adoption of a communiqué to engage the 6 Member States in a regional collaborative network.
3. 36 delegates from the criminal justice system and civil society organizations of the 6 Member States discussed a draft Memorandum of Understanding for the establishing of a sub-regional operational coordination mechanism to strengthening the fight against trafficking in persons and referral of victims. (LD)