Vital Voices lays groundwork for anti-human trafficking institute in Cameroon

In November 2010, members of our Human Rights team joined representatives from AEquitas, one of our non-profit partners, on a trip to Cameroon to meet with members of the Cameroonian government and civil society to discuss the launch of an initiative to combat human trafficking in the country.

The visit came about after the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (GTIP) awarded Vital Voices and our partners a grant to implement a project that will improve the government’s victim protection services and its criminal justice response to trafficking.

As part of this project, Vital Voices and AEquitas are planning the development of an Institute on the Investigation and Prosecution of Human Trafficking (IIPHT), which will provide multidisciplinary training and technical assistance to numerous participants, including Cameroonian senior law enforcement, magistrates and prosecutors. 

During the November trip, we gathered information to develop a detailed work plan for the Institute, a timeline of activities and a curriculum that will train law enforcement, public officials, and service providers on effective, victim-centered protection and prosecution techniques.

Along with our partners from AEquitas, we met with the U.S. Embassy, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Justice, the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Trafficking, UNICEF, the Center for Human Rights and Democracy, the National Commission on Human Rights, and numerous civil society advocates, including Nku’mu Fed-Fed, an advocacy and anti-trafficking services association located in Cameroon.

In late February 2011, we’re planning to return to Cameroon with AEquitas members to launch the Institute during a four-day training session for participants.