U.S. Department of State Releases 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report

On June 16, 2009, the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons within the U.S. Department of State released the Trafficking in Persons Report 2009, which describes foreign governments’ efforts to eliminate human trafficking. You can download the report from the following here.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, alongside leaders in Congress, announced today the release of the ninth annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report. The release, which officially took place at 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2009, in the State Department’s Benjamin Franklin Room, was followed by remarks from Ambassador Luis C deBaca, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.  The full remarks from the session can be seen here.

The 175-country report is the most comprehensive worldwide report on what foreign governments are doing to combat human trafficking/modern slavery. The data contained in the report is meant to both raise awareness across the globe on the issues, but more importantly to encourage countries to take more effective approaches to counter human trafficking. The assessment includes reports on 173 countries assigned ranks.

The TIP Report rank countries in tiers, see the full list of tier rankings here:

TIER 1
Countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards

TIER 2
Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards

TIER 2 WATCH LIST
Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA’s minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards AND:
a) The absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing; or
b) There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year; or
c) The determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year

Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

TIER 3
Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.
*Please note that while non-humanitarian sanctions can be enforced on Tier 3 countries, none have yet to be placed as a direct result of TIP Report rankings.

This year we are seeing 52 countries on the Tier 2 Watch List, a 30% increase from last year.  This year commentary on two additional countries, Hati and Somalia, which are considered special cases, are also included.

A companion to the Global Trafficking in Persons Report,  is the Attorney General’s Report to Congress and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was compiled by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ).  The report looks at the problem of human trafficking in the U.S., and makes recommendations on how we can work to increase our own efforts in combating human trafficking.  This years recommendations included;

• Increase services to assist and restore children who have been exploited in the commercial sex industry.
• Develop polices to ensure that diplomatic immunity does not result in impunity for human trafficking crimes.
• Continue to promote state anti-trafficking legislation and training for state and local law enforcement on human trafficking and victim-centered approach.
• Increase ability to track and enforce financial restitution to TIP victims.

On June 19th, the DOS followed with an NGO briefing on the report, with Ambassador deBaca, who was also joined by representatives from the DOJ, Health and Human Services.  Ambassador deBaca is a laid back speaker, whose roots as a lawyer are quite apparent as he speaks off the cuff and stood for the majority of his time. He was open to dialog with the NGO community and was more than approachable and truly has set an open door policy, for which we need to combat these grievous crimes. I for one feel more comfortable with someone standing in the defense of trafficking victims around the world who isn’t afraid of prosecution and punishment. A few things that stuck with me from that the Ambassador mentioned included;  “Even countries as poor as Moldova are putting money into shelters…rich nations need to follow.”, He also referred to Tier 2 Watch list as a “parking lot”, saying that he has a lot of engagement planed over this period and “its not a thing that countries should just get used to being on.”

Also in attendance at both the official release and the NGO briefing was special guest, Mariliana Morales Berrios of Costa Rica, who was profiled in this years report as one of nine, 2009 TIP Report Heros.  Ms. Morales established Rahab Foundation to help trafficking victims find a new life helping more than 3,000 people in the face of daily threats to her and her staff, and has also trained over 5,000 key individuals including law enforcement.  Ms. Morales spoke through an interpreter, thanked everyone working in the field for “their time and love” and invited everyone to continue to “work with passion” and never give up the fight.