The event also witnessed the official launch of the National Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons, NAP-TIP, 2026-2030, and the National Training Manual on Trafficking in Persons - two major milestones aimed at strengthening the country’s coordinated response to human trafficking.
Held under the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam", the event highlighted the growing trend of trafficking across a wider spectrum and signaled government’s determination to confront one of the gravest crimes affecting humanity.
In her address, Isatou Dabo, Executive Director of NAATIP, said the gathering was an opportunity to reflect on progress made, honestly assess remaining challenges, and renew the commitment that no person should be bought, sold, deceived, exploited, or deprived of their fundamental rights.
“Combating trafficking in persons is a shared responsibility that requires collective action throughout the year, not only during commemorative events,” she stated.
Ms. Dabo said NAATIP has made remarkable progress in recent years, including improving victim identification and protection mechanisms, strengthening investigations and prosecutions, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, increasing community awareness, and building stronger regional and international partnerships.
She commended the Government of The Gambia, development partners, civil society organisations, law enforcement agencies, and NAATIP staff for their unwavering support.
“We have witnessed greater public awareness of trafficking in persons than ever before. More communities can now recognize indicators of trafficking. Law enforcement officers have strengthened their investigative capacity, prosecutors continue to pursue offenders with greater confidence, and victim-centered approaches are increasingly central to our interventions,” she said.
Ms. Dabo, however, warned that trafficking remains one of the fastest-evolving forms of organised crime.
“As government strengthens laws and institutions, criminal networks become more sophisticated, more organized, and increasingly technology-driven,” she noted.
She added that labour exploitation continues to affect thousands of women, men, and children who are subjected to forced labour in agriculture, construction, fishing, mining, domestic service, and other informal sectors under conditions that strip them of dignity and rights.
The event also featured technical presentations on the NAP-TIP and the Training Manual by Mr. Massaneh Landing Ceesay of C-MER Consulting and Ms. Abimbola Adewumi, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer from UNODC.
A high-level panel discussion on the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam" examined how traffickers use deception, fraudulent recruitment, online scams, and false promises to exploit vulnerable individuals.
Panelists discussed emerging trafficking trends, prevention strategies, victim identification, and the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration. The session ended with an interactive question-and-answer segment.
