Memory (3) lost her parents to AIDS. But she is lucky: her grandparents now take care of her. Many children who have no-one to take care of them are at risk of human trafficking. Photo: Hege Opseth/NCA)
The conference will bring together senior technical-level staff from civil society organizations and governmental agencies across the region to share experiences, learn from best practices, and network on issues related to how best to combat the trade in human beings.
Growing problem
There is a growing body of evidence that human trafficking is becoming increasingly widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the illicit trade results in over US$ 1.6 billion in profits yearly – roughly five percent of the global total.
Recent research carried out by NCA has shown that trafficking is on the increase in Malawi, both within the country and across its very permeable borders.
“Children are sold to labour as slaves on farms; girls and women are sold into the sex trade, and internal organs are transported across borders for transplantation and, in some cases, for use by witch doctors,” says Kari Øyen, Country Director for NCA in Malawi.
Varied response
Responses to the challenge of human trafficking in Southern Africa have varied, with some countries enacting specific laws to combat the trade, others ratifying the Palermo Protocol without implementing its commitments into their national legislation, and others still that have not ratified the Palermo Protocol.
Malawi has ratified the Protocol but has not enacted an anti-trafficking law.
• Read the full conference announcement here (Word)
• Download the application form for participants here (Word, 59kb)