The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) yesterday launched a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) document for the investigation and prosecution of trafficking in persons (TIP) cases.
The launching to the document was held at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Training Centre, where Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan said that the police and other stakeholders will now have critical guidance when they are investigating TIP cases and interviewing victims.
Ramjattan, who delivered the feature address, added with oil profits on the horizon, Guyana will attract many persons, including those who have made a business out of trafficking persons. He stressed that because of that, the launching of the SOPs, which was developed under a project funded by the United States Department of State through the IOM, is a very important development.
According to the document, the SOPs are intended to complement the reforms of the Combatting of TIP Act of 2006 and will establish standards and guidelines for important aspects of interventions in TIP crimes to facilitate investigations that gather the best evidence for effective prosecutions, while protecting the rights of the victims and defendants and providing victim care and assistance.
Legal Consultant Diana Shaw, who spearheaded the consultations on the SOPs in Guyana, revealed that another set of SOPs for the protection of TIP victims are already in the works and the draft document is currently being reviewed. These SOPs, she said, are designed to govern the protection and assistance for victims of TIP.
In relation to the SOPs for investigations and prosecutions, Shaw said that every procedure in the document was identified in Guyana as the best practice for approaching investigations, interviews, and the prosecution of TIP offences.
In particular, she noted that they will ensure that strong cases are built against perpetrators. Once there are more convictions, she said, the message Guyana is sending will be clear.
Shaw added that the implementation of the procedures will require partnership and collaboration among various stakeholders. The first step to be taken in this regard will be the hosting of a series of workshops for the various stakeholders. The first workshop, which is for immigration officers, Non-Governmental Organisations and civil society, began yesterday and will continue today.
Training and a workshop for magistrates and judiciary officials will be held tomorrow, while a workshop for police investigators will be held next week Wednesday. Workshops for police prosecutors and officials from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be held next week Thursday and Friday.
In addition, it was disclosed that once the SOPs for the protection of TIP victims are launched, they will also be supported by workshops with various stakeholders.
The document is divided into three parts, comprising SOPs for investigating TIP offences, SOPs for interviewing potential victims and witnesses to TIP offences, and SOPs for prosecuting TIP offences.
