Ghana’s civil society sector will formally launch the Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, International Youth Day, with organizers opening public sign-ups today.
The Coalition will be unveiled at the International Press Centre, Ridge, Accra from 09:30–13:30, and will be livestreamed. Interested organizations and individuals can register for free at https://gcscoalition.org/membership/.
The Coalition was announced on 30 July 2026, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, at the close of _“Trapped Behind the Scam,”_ a national forum convened online by *Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) Ghana, Democratic Network for Action (DNA) and Transnational Mobility Pathways (TMP).
The forum brought together government, regional bodies, survivor networks, the financial and technology sectors, academia, media and youth groups. Participants adopted a Communiqué outlining commitments for government, private sector, regional partners, civil society and young people.
Organizers said the Coalition will operate as a survivor-informed platform to coordinate civil society action against *trafficking for forced criminality and related transnational crimes. They intend it to serve as a model for West African and continental coalitions.
Why Now: Rising Cases Across West Africa
Organizers said transnational organized crime now combines trafficking, cybercrime, illicit finance and corruption in single operations. Young people are lured through fake job adverts, only to have passports seized, debts imposed, and movement restricted before being forced to run cyber fraud under threat.
“The same networks move people, weapons, narcotics, gold and dirty money, and they are protected by the same corruption. Responding to one front at a time has meant losing on all nine,” organizers stated. “Ghana is now a source, a transit point and a destination.”
They cited recent rescues: over 100 young Ghanaians rescued in Ho in January after social media recruitment; 44 people rescued from camps in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria in March; 28 Ghanaians repatriated from Côte d'Ivoire in May; and nine people rescued at Afienya near Accra on 21 July, with 10 suspects arrested.
Building on the forum’s Communiqué, the Coalition will push for:
Non-punishment in practice: Screen every rescued or returned person as a potential trafficking victim before charge or deportation, with legal aid and record expungement where offences resulted from trafficking.
Easier reporting and faster takedowns: Work with the Cyber Security Authority to simplify reporting of online recruitment scams and press digital platforms to remove fraudulent content.
Follow the money: Ask the Financial Intelligence Centre, banks and mobile money operators to treat scam-linked transactions as trafficking indicators and trace illicit proceeds.
Cross-border protection: Deepen cooperation through INTERPOL and ECOWAS and strengthen consular support for Ghanaians trapped abroad.
Youth-led prevention: Campaign with the message that legitimate employers do not confiscate passports, charge fees, or pressure immediate travel.
Support for the UNODC Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking.
How to Join
Membership is free and open to all organizations that subscribe to the Coalition Charter.
Organizations can register as Founding Members. Those who sign up by *Monday, 10 August will be listed in the launch programme and receive a Certificate of Founding Membership.
-Individuals, including youth, survivors, professionals, journalists, researchers and parents can register as Coalition Supporters to receive alerts, prevention materials and volunteering opportunities.
Organizers are also urging the public to *share one prevention message with a young person this week.
The Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime says it aims to bring Ghanaian civil society into a single, coordinated counterpart to government, the financial sector, technology platforms and regional bodies in the fight against trafficking for forced criminality.
