Attorney General Meets US Embassy Delegation On Combating Human Trafficking

Senator the Honourable John Jeremie SC., Attorney General, met with a delegation from the United States Embassy to discuss trafficking in persons and opportunities for continued collaboration to address this serious transnational issue. The Attorney General was accompanied by Ms. Anisa Kallap, Senior Legal Counsel. The U.S. Embassy delegation was led by Mr. Philip Kern, Chargé d’Affaires, who was accompanied by Mr. Scott Hansen, Political Economic Counsellor, Ms. Gwyneth Kozma, Political Officer, Ms. Rachel Poynter, Principal Deputy Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Mr. Harold Jahnsen, Programme Assistant and Ms. Erne Guzman, Site Officer and Notetaker.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges associated with trafficking in persons in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean, including the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, the movement of victims across borders and the links between human trafficking and transnational organised crime. The discussions also highlighted the importance of strengthening mechanisms for identifying and protecting victims, improving the investigation and prosecution of trafficking-related offences and addressing the social and economic vulnerabilities that can expose individuals to exploitation.

Recognising that trafficking in persons is a transnational crime that transcends national borders, the meeting underscored the importance of regional and international cooperation in addressing the issue. For Trinidad and Tobago and its Caribbean neighbours, collaboration with the United States offers opportunities to strengthen law enforcement capabilities, enhance intelligence and information sharing, provide specialised training for investigators and prosecutors and improve the collection and preservation of evidence for successful prosecutions. Such cooperation can also contribute to the development of more effective victim identification and referral systems and the provision of appropriate support services for survivors.