Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca today said the U.S. annual ‘Trafficking in Persons Report’ is a motivating factor for government action.
In his testimony before the Subcommittee on Africa, Mr. CdeBaca said the United States is making progress in combating modern slavery. He outlined a range of promising practices and forward-looking innovations that will help governments live up to the commitments they have made and shape the next 10 years as a decade of delivery.
“Our best tool for assessing those efforts is the State Department’s annual “Trafficking in Persons Report.”.
– Mr. CdeBaca
Mr. CdeBaca said the report currently ranks more than 180 countries, including the United States, according to a set of minimum standards set forth by Congress in the TVPA and consistent with the 3P Paradigm. He said in the report every country is ranked against itself in terms of its progress, and against its capacity to deal with this crime.
“A particularly relevant example for this subcommittee is the case of Nigeria. Though that country lacks the capacity of many countries in the developed world, its government has nonetheless developed innovative structures and partnerships for dealing with this crime. For the last 2 years, Nigeria has merited placement on Tier 1in our report
– Mr. CdeBaca
Mr. CdeBaca said he was happy to learn that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has asked a Nigerian delegation to demonstrate their innovative practices at a conference in Singapore next month.
He also said leaders around the world have credited the “Report “as a motivating factor for government action. He added as Congress considers reauthorization, it is important that the United States maintain and strengthen the diagnostic and diplomatic tool.
According to Mr. CdeBaca, the “Report” looks to government action as opposed to the successes of civil society or NGOs in a particular country. He explained that governments must not outsource their responsibility for combating trafficking.
“The first steps a government must take in the fight against modern slavery are to acknowledge that the problem exists and to pass laws that criminalize all forms of human trafficking and prescribe sentences commensurate with the severity of the crime.”
– Mr. CdeBaca
Mr. CdeBaca reiterated that for a successful implementation of the measures, it is essential that the laws are implemented broadly and effectively.