Accra: The Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime will be launched in Accra on August 12 to coordinate efforts against trafficking for forced criminality and related crimes. According to Ghana News Agency, the Coalition is expected to bring together civil society organisations, professional bodies, youth groups, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, businesses, and individuals to support action against transnational organised crime.
A statement issued by the Coalition said the initiative would strengthen collaboration among stakeholders, support victims of trafficking, and improve responses to emerging forms of organised crime. It highlighted that young people were increasingly being recruited through fake online job advertisements and trafficked to engage in criminal activities abroad. This trend, which first emerged in parts of Southeast Asia, is gaining momentum in West Africa, with Ghana becoming 'a source, transit point, and destination.'
The Coalition aims to work with relevant institutions, including the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to enhance cooperation and strengthen consular protection for Ghanaians affected abroad. It plans to support the identification of trafficking victims, facilitate access to legal aid, and advocate for the expunging of records where offences were committed as a direct consequence of trafficking.
In collaboration with the Cyber Security Authority, the Coalition will work to improve reporting of online recruitment scams, encourage the removal of fraudulent recruitment content from digital platforms, and strengthen the links between cyber security and anti-trafficking efforts. Membership is free and open to organisations that subscribe to the Coalition Charter, as the initiative seeks to expand into a West African and continental network.
Organisations can register as Founding Members and are invited to sign the Coalition Charter at the launch. Those that sign up via the website https://gcscoalition.org/membership by Monday, 10 August, will be listed in the launch programme and issued a Certificate of Founding Membership, the statement added. The Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime was announced on July 30, 2026, in a communiqu© issued after the 'Trapped Behind the Scam' national forum, convened online by Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) Ghana, the Democratic Network for Action (DNA), and Transnational Mobility Pathways (TMP).