From September 14 to 18, 2026, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) partnered with Antigua and Barbuda’s national Trafficking in Persons (Prevention) Unit to host a groundbreaking Advanced Multi-Disciplinary Trafficking in Persons (TIP) training programme for the country’s justice sector officials. The initiative, tailored specifically for experienced legal and law enforcement practitioners, aims to close coordination gaps across the justice system and strengthen the Caribbean nation’s ability to tackle modern slavery through more effective investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of trafficking cases.
Unlike basic introductory anti-trafficking workshops, this five-day advanced programme deep dives into the complex practical challenges that arise in high-stakes trafficking investigations and court proceedings, prioritizing skill-building in critical analysis and strategic, real-time decision-making. More than 30 participants were drawn from across Antigua and Barbuda’s public safety and justice ecosystem, including officers from the Royal Police Force, Forensic Services, Immigration Department, Customs and Excise, the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy, senior prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and sitting members of the national judiciary.
What sets this training apart from standard capacity-building courses is its immersive end-to-end simulation structure, which follows a single hypothetical trafficking case from the initial report of a victim through to final courtroom adjudication. Over the first two days, participating investigators worked in teams to build their case, conduct cross-border inquiry drills, analyze complex financial and digital evidence, and adapt their strategies to evolving, high-pressure scenario developments that test on-the-job decision-making. On the third day, prosecutors took over the investigative case files, honing their skills in evidence assessment, charging strategy, and compliance with legal disclosure requirements. The fourth day focused exclusively on judicial capacity, with a peer-led working session exploring best practices for managing trafficking proceedings, including tailored protections for vulnerable victims and child witnesses. The programme concluded with a full integrated simulation that brought investigators, prosecutors, and judges together to test the entire case process from start to finish.
Roughly 60 percent of the programme’s content was hands-on practical training, with all curricula aligned to Antigua and Barbuda’s 2010 Trafficking in Persons (Prevention) Act (including its subsequent amendments) and the country’s national anti-trafficking action plan. Throughout the week, facilitators emphasized three core pillars of effective anti-trafficking work: a victim-centered approach to all cases, the principle of non-punishment for victims who are forced to commit offenses as part of their exploitation, and the critical importance of cross-border cooperation to disrupt transnational trafficking networks.
Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, explained that successful anti-trafficking work requires far more than strong individual investigations—it demands seamless coordinated action across all parts of the justice system, from the moment a victim is first identified to the final resolution of the case. “Investigators, prosecutors, the judiciary, and victim-support services each have distinct roles to play, but unaddressed gaps between these groups can undermine both victim protection and access to justice,” Jones noted. “For CARICOM IMPACS, a whole-of-justice-system approach means strengthening those connections, both at the national level and across our region, while upholding core principles of judicial independence and due process. Our collective success should not be measured only by how many cases we bring to court, but by whether we deliver actual justice, hold traffickers accountable, and give survivors the support they need to rebuild their lives,” he added.
Mrs. Phillisha Pardo, Acting Director of Antigua and Barbuda’s Trafficking In Persons (Prevention) Unit, reaffirmed the national government’s unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking in all its forms. “We will continue to advance public education, raise awareness, and build strategic partnerships to prevent this crime from occurring in our communities and strengthen our national response. When trafficking is identified, we will conduct thorough, rigorous investigations, prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law, and ensure that survivors receive the protection, support, and justice they are entitled to,” Pardo assured stakeholders.
The programme was facilitated by a team of seasoned anti-trafficking practitioners from across the CARICOM region, drawn from Guyana and Jamaica. It forms part of a broader regional initiative led by CARICOM IMPACS to build coordinated national and regional capacity to counter human trafficking across all 15 CARICOM member states.
Established in July 2006 during the 27th Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government held in Bird Rock, St Kitts and Nevis, CARICOM IMPACS serves as the operational implementation arm of the regional body’s crime and security action agenda. Its Training and Development Centre is the primary regional body delivering capacity-building programmes for border security, law enforcement, and justice sector agencies across all CARICOM member states.