US urges Guyana to to fund specialized victim services to combat human trafficking

The United States has called on Guyana to fund specialized victim services outside of the capital as the fight continues against trafficking in persons.
The State Department also wants those services to be unveiled for child victims and adult male victims of human trafficking.
This was one of the recommendations made in the US State Department’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons report.
The US Government also said that it would like to see Guyana vigorously investigating and prosecuting sex and labor trafficking cases and hold convicted traffickers, including complicit public officials, accountable by imposing strong sentences.
According to the report, while Guyana increased efforts to identify and protect trafficking victims, victim assistance remained insufficient, especially in areas outside of Georgetown and for child and male victims.
On the other hand, the report found that the Government fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking resulting in Guyana remaining on Tier 1 list.
“The government demonstrated serious and sustained efforts by increasing funding for victim assistance, identifying and assisting more victims for the third consecutive year, and opening and operating a trafficking shelter outside of the capital area. Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not provide adequate protection and shelter outside the capital, or for child and male victims.”
“ The number of trafficking investigations and new prosecutions decreased, and the number of successful convictions remained low”, the report noted.