Superintendent of Police Mr. Junior Simmons, Head of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit (ATIPU), represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at the Eighth (8th)Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons of the Organization of American States (OAS), held from May 14–15, 2026, at the Simon Bolívar Room, OAS Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
The two-day high-level meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the Government of Guatemala and brought together national authorities, international organizations, and subject-matter experts to address emerging trends, challenges, and cooperative strategies in the fight against trafficking in persons across the Americas.
The meeting focused on several critical issues, including:
- Trafficking in persons involving the recruitment and forced criminality of minors by organized criminal groups;
- Forced labour and servitude in the context of labour mobility;
- Dignified and transformative reparations for victims of trafficking in persons;
- Emerging challenges in the collection, analysis, and measurement of trafficking in persons data, particularly within digital environments; and
- Strengthening regional and international cooperation to combat trafficking in persons.
The opening session featured an address by Her Excellency Mrs. Karin Herrera, Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala and Chair of the Eighth Meeting.
During the plenary and round-table sessions, Superintendent Simmons delivered a national presentation highlighting St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ progress, best practices, achievements, and lessons learned in combating trafficking in persons during the period February 2024 to May 2026.
The meeting also resulted in the adoption of the “Recommendations of Guatemala on Trafficking in Persons,” which, inter alia, called for:
- Strengthening legislative and regulatory frameworks to prevent, combat, and punish the recruitment of children and adolescents by individuals and organized criminal groups;
- Developing comprehensive prevention and public awareness strategies aimed at reducing vulnerability to trafficking in persons; and
- Enhancing institutional capacity to address the misuse of digital technologies and social media platforms in the recruitment and exploitation of minors.
While in Washington, D.C., Superintendent Simmons also paid a courtesy call on St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States, Her Excellency Ms. Lou-Anne Gilchrist, and members of the Embassy staff.
The meeting concluded with the election of the Republic of Honduras as Chair of the Ninth Meeting of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons and the Dominican Republic as Vice-Chair.
The Meetings of National Authorities on Trafficking in Persons are convened biennially under the rotating chairmanship of a Member State of the Organization of American States as part of ongoing regional efforts to strengthen cooperation and advance coordinated responses to trafficking in persons throughout the hemisphere.