National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has received four strategic trafficking in persons reports from the UN Development Programme to combat human trafficking through an initiative known as CariSecure 2.0.

Received at an official handover ceremony held yesterday, the four reports consist of: a costed implementation roadmap for the National Action Plan, a strategic plan for prosecution enhancement, a capacity-building report and recommendations for future progress.

Funded by USAID and implemented by the UNDP, the Ministry says CariSecure 2.0 provides technology, equipment and training to enhance crime data collection and analysis to create evidence-informed approaches to reduce human trafficking.

Minister Hinds said the collaboration between the UNDP and the Ministry had five aims:

• To target youth involvement in crime
• To examine TT’s trafficking in persons efforts
• To build capacity led by the Counter-Trafficking Unit to use evidence-based approaches
• To identify the root cause of crime in youths
• To targeted the design and implementation of policies, strategies and interventions to combat human trafficking

Recently, Trinidad and Tobago was upgraded to Tier 2 in the US Trafficking in Persons Report for 2024.