ILO and ITC team up to build capacities against human trafficking in West Africa

Abuja (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization, in collaboration with the International Training Centre (ITC) in Turin, Italy, officially commenced a blended training programme for National Trafficking In Persons (TIP) focal points of ECOWAS Members States.

“The training will benefit representatives of National focal points drawn from the 15 West African States and Mauritania”, said Ms. Sina Chuma-Mkandawire, Director of ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

The skills development exercise which is being conducted by the ILO International Training Centre covers first a period of eight weeks with online distance learning activities finalized by a six-day workshop.

The effort to strengthen the capacity of the focal points is organized under the auspices of Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa, a program funded by the European Union.

The expected outcomes are:

• To increase participants’ understanding of trafficking, child labour, forced labour, smuggling and irregular migration – their practical manifestations and the connections between trafficking, migrant smuggling and irregular migration;

• To enhance participants’ knowledge of effective responses to the labour dimensions of trafficking, child labour, forced labour, smuggling and irregular migration both at an upstream policy/legal level and practical outreach level;

• To help participants’ to distinguish between the different forms of trafficking and appropriate responses required in each case including the use of victim centred approaches;

• To assist participants in developing safe migration alternatives to smuggling and trafficking;

• To familiarize participants with key process matters as they related to the conduct of national level trainings.

“We call on West African Countries to endeavour to take advantage of the training by registering officials who will apply the knowledge gained for the benefit of citizens of the ECOWAS countries”, concluded Sina Chuma-Mkandawire.

Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa is a programme driven by the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. The programme is jointly implemented by International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

For further information regarding this course, please contact:
Aly Cisse, +2349038852638, [email protected]

For additional media query, please contact:
Pius Udo, [email protected] Tel: + 234-8095995926, 234-8023169359