UNCLAS ACCRA 000700

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KTIP XY XA GH
SUBJECT: GHANA TIGHTENS DEFINITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING


1. (U) Ghana Parliament passed a bill to amend the
definition of trafficking included in the 2005 Human
Trafficking Act. The amendment added the phrase "for the
purpose of exploitation" to ensure that the Ghanaian
definition of human trafficking is in accord with the
definition contained in the Protocol of the United Nations
Convention on Transnational Organized Crime.


2. (U) In addition, the amendment ensures that a person such
as an employment agent who for a fee recruits others for work
either within or outside the country does not commit an
offense if that person offers incentives as an inducement for
employment. Parliament recognized that the intention of the
Act is not to make offenders out of persons doing a
legitimate business recruiting persons for normal employment.


3. (U) The Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill was one of two
bills passed by Parliament in the eight week session that
concluded on July 17. Parliament will reconvene on October 20.
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