US State Department publishes 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report.

Coinciding with World Refugee Day, the United States State Department launched its Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, for 2019.

While the Report gives an up-to-date profile on 187 countries worldwide with regards to their addressing the crime of Human Trafficking, in launching the report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referred to the report as being also invaluable in encouraging every person in the world to actively engage in the work to bring an end to human trafficking and exploitation, saying ‘’Each one of us can be a champion for freedom and use our specific strengths to help eradicate human trafficking. Individuals can learn the common indicators for human trafficking and call in suspicious activities to the local or national hotline. Businesses can take meaningful steps to eliminate forced labour from their supply chains. First responders can enhance training and put in place screening to help identify trafficking victims. Government leaders can prioritize investigating and prosecuting labour and sex trafficking cases wherever they occur.’’

This call to action was echoed in the address by John Cotton Richmond, the US Ambassador at Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, inviting governments around the world to embrace the full meaning of the Palermo Protocol and implement their domestic laws in a manner that protects all victims and punishes all traffickers.

While each of us will be interested in the status of our own respective countries whether we have moved up/down a Tier or remain on the same Tier as previous years, there is a wealth of information in the report itself.

Full report: TIP Report June 29 2018