Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Ghana (Ratification: 1957)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. Further to its earlier comments, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report. It notes, in particular, the adoption of the Ghana National Plan of Action to Combat Human Trafficking, as well as the information on the activities of the Human Trafficking Fund and the National Task Force on Human Trafficking. The Committee also notes the establishment in 2008 of an anti-trafficking unit in the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, which will investigate and prosecute offenders under the Human Trafficking Act, as well as the statistics on human trafficking provided by the Unit.

Noting also the Government’s indications concerning the obstacles in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases and the relatively small number of cases under investigation, prosecutions and convictions, the Committee requests the Government to describe, in its next report, measures taken or envisaged to overcome the existing difficulties and to enhance the efficiency of the law enforcement mechanism. Recalling that Article 25 of the Convention provides for an obligation of ratifying States to ensure that the penalties imposed by law are really adequate and are strictly enforced, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the legal proceedings, which have been instituted under the Human Trafficking Act, 2005, indicating the penalties imposed on perpetrators.