West Africa agrees anti-trafficking moves

Members of the Economic Community of West African States, Ecowas, have agreed to take urgent action to eradicate the problem of human trafficking.

At the end of a two day meeting in the capital of Ghana, Accra, Ecowas members pledged to stiffen laws and policing.

The draft plan, if approved at an Ecowas heads of state meeting in December, will commit member countries to enact laws to criminalise human trafficking,to develop special police units to combat the problem and to organise public awareness campaigns aimed at potential victims.

The UN estimates that about 200,000 children are involved in the trade in central and west Africa every year.

The meeting was organised by Ecowas and the United Nations office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service