TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS IN BELIZE - OAS

RECOMMENDATIONS
1.- General recommendations
1.1 Policies. The government must assume that Belize has
become a usual spot for international migration and that,
thereafter, it is possible that human trafficking may be taking
place. Hence, every public policy must specifically address this
reality in order to prevent and tackle it so as to comply with the
international treaties the country has signed.
1.2 Communication. The government should adopt an open
communication policy so as to increase the social awareness of
the problem making every citizen to feel part of the fight against
human trafficking. This is a great opportunity to improve Belize’s
image in the international community.
1.3 Social Mobilization. The State, and its institutional support,
the government, must summon those who play a leading role in
the social scene and urge them to fight against social problems, in
this case, against human trafficking, international migration and
the impact these phenomena generates.
1.4 Civil society. Civil society in Belize is still too weak. There
are very few organizations that make significant contributions to
the social welfare and complement the State’s role. It is necessary
to fortify this sector, summoning those people and groups that
have a vocation to take over these responsibilities. Paradoxically,
it is the State who must open new participation and management
paths to share these tasks. The educational system in Belize has
proved that it is possible for the private and public sectors to share
the responsibility of developing complex social programs. It is
now necessary to create ways to transfer resources that could
support social organizations that would develop programs of
social prevention, attention to the community, informal education
and to work on new possibilities for young people that aren’t
working nor studying.
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