State Department’s 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report released
On June 4th, the U.S. Department of State released its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
Secretary Rice remarked on the report with the following:
“The 2008 report covers more countries than ever — 170 total. It is the most comprehensive global compendium of human trafficking trends and efforts by foreign governments to eliminate this crime… And as required by Congress, the Trafficking in Persons Report examines both labor slavery and sex trafficking.
For the first time, in this year’s report, we closely examined prosecution data and made a disturbing discovery: Although more countries are addressing sex trafficking through prosecution and convictions, the petty tyrants who exploit their laborers rarely receive serious punishment. We see this as a serious shortcoming, and as we move our efforts forward, we and our allies must remember that a robust law enforcement response is essential.
This report is a key tool in our efforts to abolish human trafficking — by raising awareness, offering clear recommendations to combat these crimes, and offering advice and aid from the United States.”
Full post on the Human Trafficking Project