AFTER the implementation of the Crimes Decree 2009, Fiji had a successful prosecution to deal with human trafficking in 2010.
This was revealed by the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum during the launch of the human trafficking public awareness program for 2013 and anti-human trafficking workshop at the Holiday Inn in Suva yesterday.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the successful prosecution proved that the Fijian judiciary had the capacity and the capability to deal with such a crime which was not only domestic but had cross jurisdictional applications.
"Like drug trafficking, human trafficking is a transnational crime. We as individual states, individuals and as a region need to take apolitical approach to these sorts of crimes," he said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said human trafficking was a fundamental human rights issue and therefore the approach to dealing with, curtailing it and raising awareness needed to be taken on an apolitical basis.
"We need to have a concerted effort to ensure that we not only build the capacity within the judiciary, within the Director of Public Prosecution's office, within the police but also as a community we need to become aware of," he said.