U.S. Ambassador condemns human trafficking
By Clifton Movirongo.
The U.S. Ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson on Monday highlighted the work that Namibia and the United States in unison have undertaken in fighting the terrible cruelty of human trafficking as the globe commemorated Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Addressing the issue, Johnson, said human trafficking is an international crime of the absolute worst kind, as it is a violation of a person’s most basic human rights.
She elaborated that human trafficking affects every country in the world, including both Namibia and the United States.
“When governments work together to fight human trafficking, we can stop it. The Namibian government has put in place and is implementing the Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Law,” said the U.S. Ambassador, adding that the government also has established procedures for identifying and caring for human trafficking victims and has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign that empowers every person to help end the very real threat of human trafficking.
“Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Namibia rightly continues to prioritize the fight against trafficking in persons so that the most vulnerable among us are not forgotten,” she added
Virtually every country in the world is affected by the trafficking in persons, and the United States Senate designated 11 January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day which is recognized and observed each year to raise awareness on the issues of human trafficking.
The observance gathers massive public support every year as human trafficking is the second fastest-growing criminal industries in the world, despite being illegal in every country and January is observed as National Human Trafficking Awareness month.
According to media reports in South Africa, the hashtag #EndHumanTraffickingInSA, dedicated to spreading awareness about human trafficking and their hotspots in various cities in that country, trended for over a month since December 2020.
“When democracies such as Namibia and the United States work together to protect people’s rights and to hold criminals accountable, we can help end the horrible crime of human trafficking,” Johnson concluded.
