She said some of the wicked actions against victims of trafficking were rape, forced pregnancy and forced labour adding, “These are the worst forms of human rights violations, and crimes against humanity”.

Speaking at a Summit in Abidjan, Mrs Mahama said Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire as neighbouring countries with a common culture and common people living side by side, needed to work together to implement all protocols, to eliminate all forms of human trafficking and child labour.

The Summit, hosted by Madam Dominique Ouattara, the First Lady of Cote d’Ivoire, was held to discuss how to end cross-border human trafficking and the worst forms of child labour in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

The two first ladies also signed a joint declaration affirming their commitment to fight against Human Trafficking and the worst forms of child labour in all economic sectors in their respective countries.

Mrs Mahama commended her Ivorian counterpart for her initiative to tackle such a complicated issue, describing the meeting as timely and relevant, especially as Africa was consolidating its gains and achievements, in strengthening its democracies and the involvement of its people in Government.

“Having missed the ECOWAS Action plan target of eliminating worst forms of child labour by 2013, today’s historic event, gives us yet another opportunity, to ensure that the objectives set out in this agreement are achieved,” she said.

“This is important, as it has to do with finally putting an end to the undignified treatment of our people and children.”She said even though Ghana, unfortunately, was considered one of the countries of origin, transit and destination for men, women and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking, it would continue to join the International Community to work against human trafficking and child labour abuses.

The First Lady announced that Ghana’s Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations; Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of the Interior, would collaborate with their Ivorian counterparts, to come out with a blueprint of implementing a Plan of Action against human trafficking

Ghana would also continue to collaborate with key players at the West Africa sub-regional level to address the cross border human trafficking, and worst forms of child labour issues, she added.

Mrs Mahama stated that the Government was very much committed to fully implementing and integrating the relevant international, regional and sub-regional legal instruments, which tackles human trafficking and the worst forms of child labour.

“I am aware that Ghana has taken significant steps in this regard, especially, following the undercover report by Ghana’s Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, on human trafficking, which revealed a number of troubling issues and evil acts of traffickers”.

She explained that since 2002, when the issue of human trafficking in Ghana first gained international attention, the Government had taken measures to prevent these inhuman acts by the adoption of an Anti-Human Trafficking Act (2005) and the establishment of an Anti-Human Trafficking Unit within the Police Force and the Immigration Service.

She said Ghana had also established the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service at the Regional Command Headquarters in nine regions of the country.Additionally, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has also established the Anti-Human Trafficking Desk in Accra, and at three major border crossings points at Elubo to the West, Aflao to the East and Paga to the North of Ghana.

Mrs Mahama said understanding cross-border trafficking brought out the reality and the complicated nature of the situation at hand whereas the activities and unregulated recruitment agencies, who made promises of providing jobs in the Middle East, specifically the Gulf States, made it even more difficult and complex.

According to the United Nations, about 2.4 million people are trafficked at every point, a practice, which generates 32 billion dollars annual profit for traffickers.In recent years, both the governments in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have taken steps towards addressing child trafficking in the industry.

These include the ratification of international treaties and conventions and the capacity building of law enforcement officials and the judiciary.Mrs Mahama said the trafficking networks had also taken the opportunity offered by the ECOWAS free movement instruments to facilitate their operations, while unapproved border crossings along the border with Cote d’Ivoire offered a challenge to security services.

“In this regard, our governments, the United Nations, the Africa Union, ECOWAS and other international organisations, must ensure that perpetrators of human trafficking and child labour abuses are held to account for their actions, she said.If that is not done, people’s rights would continue to be violated, and the crimes will persist”.

There must be institutions, and structures, to hold individuals and organisations accountable for their actions, and impose punishments, provide adequate and timely support services, including counselling and shelters, for victim survivors,” Mrs Mahama said.

She, however, recommended the establishing of a secured combined cross border anti-trafficking database, between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire and a comprehensive response action plan, to confront the issue of human trafficking and the worst forms of child labour.

On her part, Madam Ouattara commended the technical committee, which drafted the declaration saying, that would go a long way to intensify the efforts of both countries to combat human trafficking.

She said even though Cote d’Ivoire had put in place measures to protect its people from human trafficking, the menace was still ongoing.She, however, expressed the hope that the collaboration would help the two neighbouring countries to protect its citizens from trafficking activities.