Accra, Oct.29, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, on Tuesday launched a human trafficking fund in Accra, which aims at checking the activities of human traffickers and rehabilitation and re-integration of victims. The fund is the brainchild of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Human Trafficking Board. Alhaji Mahama described those behind human trafficking as greedy economic mercenaries, who exploit people, who want to better their economic fortunes. "Malignant forms of trafficking are more elaborate and organised in criminal forms. It involves defenseless children, adolescents and desperate adults bought and sold or even forcibly abducted and cruelly exploited by their buyers," he said. Alhaji Mahama observed that the cancerous nature of human trafficking, had national and international dimensions, stressing that it had internal, intra Africa flows and between Africa and the Western world.

He said the Human Trafficking Act of 2005 (act 696) was expected to be the spear point that drove other rules forward. "However, the capacity of the Human Trafficking Board set up under Act 694 would be much more enhanced when given a Human Trafficking Fund, which can provide proactive and flexible operational capability." Alhaji Mahama noted that responsible parenting and prudent management of national affairs contribute towards the building of an enabling environment of peace and stability for the care of the vulnerable in society. Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children Affairs, said the Act 694 covered six broad areas of criminalisation of human trafficking, complaints and arrest, rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration, the creation of a human trafficking fund and establishment of human trafficking management board and miscellaneous matters.

She said the building of capacities of various institutions and agencies providing services to the victims of trafficking had been identified as crucial to the process of the fight against trafficking. Hajia Mahama listed some of the measures to combat human trafficking as legal frameworks and policy development, advocacy sensitization, rehabilitation and re-integration of trafficked persons. Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, Member of the Council of State, who chaired the function, called for the enhancement of the fight against child trafficking and abuse.