The Current

Survivors…are proof that when people come out from behind those closed doors they are powerful and capable. That when there are governments who recognize them, NGOs who support them, and change in the societies that tolerate these abuses, survivors’ voices can be heard not just in courtrooms and police stations, but in the halls of Congress and parliaments.

The 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report

This month, we got to watch Ambassador Luis CdeBaca of the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

It’s easy to lose focus with long names and complex issues like these. That’s exactly why Ambassador CdeBaca made certain to orient what he was saying around what this is all really about: Restoring the lives of men, women, and children so they can live “without the fear of exploitation and with the freedom to choose their own futures.”

The hearing was chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (R-Robbinsville, NJ), who lauded the TIP Office for its work and went over some of the major changes of this year’s TIP Report—including the downgrading of three countries: China, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Several times, the Congressman expressed disappointment that Vietnam had not also been downgraded, citing research and statistics that he felt warranted the country’s being relegated to Tier 3 status. Congressman Smith has been a force in the fight against human trafficking, and it was clear he is supportive and passionate about this cause.

Ambassador CdeBaca reviewed the 2013 TIP Report and commented on notable elements, such as a particular focus on victim identification. While celebrating current progress, CdeBaca emphasized the continuing size and pervasiveness of the problem of human trafficking, and he called for further interagency cooperation. On the topic of downgrading states, the Ambassador urged us to also note which states were upgraded, so as to better understand what could or should have happened in the negative cases.

The Ambassador also told the following story: When training police in Burma/Myanmar on victim identification and other tactics to combat human trafficking, the Ambassador had the opportunity to meet Aung San Suu Kyi in her home. After he described the training program he was implementing, she said, “Yes, but are any of these policemen ever actually assigned to cases?”

Her great question emphasizes an important point: While training is important, the key is providing the expectation of law enforcement and having an environment in which those who are trained are actually able to go out and do their jobs.

In closing, Ambassador CdeBaca directed us to the last page of this year’s TIP Report, where the smiling faces of human trafficking survivors gazed up at us. This was the real reason why all of us are in this fight: People are being enslaved. While 27 million is an unthinkable number, and progress seems slow, our focus must not be on the victims and the tragedies, but on the freedom, survival, and hope embodied by the human beings pictured on the final page of the Report.

Tell your Senator or Representative that you think stopping human trafficking is a priority, and ask them to make it theirs, too.