On Monday, June 27, the United States Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, released the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP report) was released. The public release of the report made its way online this afternoon following the release event in Washington DC.At approximately 2 p.m. in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton officially released the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report. The event, which was open by invite to key government officials, leading anti-trafficking leaders and NGO’s, and to credentialed member of the media. The gilded room gave grander and prestige to the report, which was fist released 11 years ago in a small and simple room, highlighting in a somewhat fitting fashion of the strength the anti-trafficking movement has gained.
Today’s briefing and release were lead by Secretary of State HIllary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Ambassador Luis CdeBaca delivered remarks, while the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero open and closed the briefing. All three followed with the coordinated U.S. response stating that the State Department has seen a “decade of progress” across the globe in the development of prevention tools, protection, and the prosecution of traffickers since releasing their first report. As Clinton stated;
Today’s briefing and release were lead by Secretary of State HIllary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Ambassador Luis CdeBaca delivered remarks, while the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero open and closed the briefing. All three followed with the coordinated U.S. response stating that the State Department has seen a “decade of progress” across the globe in the development of prevention tools, protection, and the prosecution of traffickers since releasing their first report. As Clinton stated;
The world began to change a little over 10 years ago, and certainly, I’m grateful for the work that my country has done, but I’m also very grateful for the work that so many of our partners have done as well. When my husband signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, we did have tools – we had tools to bring traffickers to justice and tools to provide victims with legal services and other support. Today, police officers, activists, and governments are coordinating their efforts so much more effectively. Thousands of victims have been liberated around the world, and thanks to special temporary visas, many of them are able to come to our country to have protection to testify against their perpetrators.
Ambassador of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca stated as shining example, 148 countries have now signed on to the Palermo Protocol, the international effort headed by the United Nations to combat trafficking. Additionally 130 countries across the globe have passed laws which criminalize human trafficking in all forms, though as illustrated by the reports depth legislation alone is powerless without political will and awareness.
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