Over 100 trafficked children rescued on Volta Lake
The International Justice Mission (IMJ), a global anti-child trafficking organisation based in Washington, USA, has disclosed that more than 100 trafficked children have been rescued from the Volta Lake this year.
IMJ is a global human rights agency that protects the poor from violence by partnering with local authorities to bring criminals to justice as well as restoring survived trafficked victims.
Mr Sean Litton, President of the Organisation, made the disclosure when he led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia at the Flagstaff House in Accra on Wednesday.
Mr Litton expressed gratitude to the government and other state institutions for combating human trafficking and other related crimes.
He said the Organisation had been operating in 20 countries across the world, working to combat sex trafficking, child sexual assault, cybersex trafficking, forced labour, slavery, property grabbing and police abuse of power.
Vice President Bawumia commended the Organisation for working to prevent child trafficking globally, and ensuring the wellbeing of humanity.
He said the government was committed to dealing with human trafficking and, therefore, pledged its unflinching support to end the menace in the country.
The Vice President said there was a cordial collaboration between the Police Anti-human Trafficking Unit, Social Welfare Department and Ministry of Gender, Children, Social Protection to holistically deal with the phenomenon.
The United States government through the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office has supported anti-human trafficking institutions in Ghana with five million dollars to fight child trafficking and forced child labour.
The beneficiary institutions include; IOM and Free the Slaves, an NGO, which formed part of the Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership signed between the US and Ghana in June, this year.
The International Justice Mission was established in 1997 by Gary Haugen, a former USA State Attorney and has a 13-member governing board chaired by Nicole Bibbine Sedaca.
Source: GNA