Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2022)

PART 5
PREVENTION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

33.   National task force for prevention of trafficking

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   (1)   The Minister shall establish an inter-agency task force to develop and implement a National Plan for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons.

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   (2)   The task force established under subsection (1) must include all aspects of trafficking including trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation.

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   (3)   The Minister shall appoint the members of the task force, which shall include representatives from the Ministries of Legal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Home Affairs, other appropriate high-level government officials with responsibility for law enforcement, immigration and human and social services and appropriate non-governmental organizations.

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   (4)   The task force shall carry out the following activities either directly or via one or more of the constituent ministries as appropriate—

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      (a)     develop the National Plan for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons;

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      (b)     coordinate the implementation of the Plan;

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      (c)     coordinate the collection and sharing of trafficking data among government agencies and all data collected must respect the privacy of victims of trafficking;

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      (d)     coordinate the sharing of information between agencies for the purpose of determining whether individuals crossing or attempting to cross the international border of Saint Lucia with travel documents belonging to other persons or without travel documents are perpetrators or victims of trafficking in persons, and detecting criminal groups engaged in trafficking;

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      (e)     identify and engage in efforts to facilitate cooperation with foreign countries, particularly those which are a—

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         (i)     significant source of victims,

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         (ii)     transit location, or

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         (iii)     destination of victim and the cooperation must aim to strengthen bilateral, multilateral, local and regional capacities to assist trafficking victims, prevent trafficking, prosecute traffickers and assist in the appropriate reintegration of victims of trafficking;

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      (f)     establish policies to enable the Saint Lucian Government to work with non-governmental organizations and other elements of civil society to prevent trafficking and provide assistance of victims;

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      (g)     coordinate and provide training for law enforcement, immigration and other relevant officials in addressing trafficking in persons;

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      (h)     in coordination with other appropriate governmental agencies and appropriate non-governmental organizations, prepare public awareness programmes designed to educate potential victims of trafficking and their families to the risk of victimization;

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      (i)     in coordination with other appropriate governmental agencies and appropriate non-governmental organizations, prepare, disseminate and publish awareness raising material to discourage the demand that fosters the exploitation of persons, especially women and children, that leads to trafficking.