[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

GABON (Tier 2 Watch List) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  These efforts included increasing funding and capacity at one NGO-run shelter providing services to victims, as well as increasing prosecutions and convictions of alleged traffickers.  However, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity.  The government did not report referring any trafficking victims to services.  It did not report on specific efforts to provide justice for, identify, and protect adult trafficking victims, which have remained inadequate for several reporting periods.  For the fourth consecutive year, the government did not adopt its anti-trafficking national action plan (NAP) and the anti-trafficking commission, though renamed, did not formally meet to coordinate national efforts.  Authorities did not report investigating allegations of judicial corruption related to trafficking crimes.  Therefore Gabon remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year.

Prioritized Recommendations

Finalize, resource, and implement the NAP and formally convene the national inter-ministerial anti-trafficking commission to coordinate government efforts. 

Increase efforts to proactively identify adult and child victims of trafficking, including among key sectors such as domestic service, markets, and individuals in commercial sex, and refer trafficking victims to care. 

Increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, including complicit officials, and adequately sentence convicted traffickers. 

Amend the penal code to define trafficking in line with the international definition and ensure penalties for adult sex trafficking are commensurate with penalties for other grave crimes, such as rape. 

Provide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on the penal code and victim-centered, trauma-informed investigations. 

Increase financial or in-kind support to government- and NGO-run shelters. 

Finalize and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for identifying and referring adult trafficking victims to care.  

Regularly convene the Special Criminal Session to increase the number of trafficking cases heard. 

Implement and consistently enforce strong regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, including training labor inspectors to identify and report trafficking crimes and holding fraudulent labor recruiters criminally accountable. 

Develop and institute a course on victim-centered trafficking investigations in Gabon’s National Magistrate School to increase judicial officials’ ability to prosecute trafficking cases. 

Conduct a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of trafficking in markets and domestic service. 

Develop an information management system to capture nationwide investigation and victim identification data in partnership with international organizations. 

Implement a systemic victim-witness assistance program to increase protective services for victims participating in the criminal justice process. 

Strengthen rules and regulations to ensure immigration enforcement does not hinder human trafficking detection, criminal law enforcement, or victim protections..