Human Trafficking: International and National Implications

Date:

Thu, 03/25/2010 - 10:00 AM

Location:

2255 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing Notice

Human trafficking is one of the most serious threats to the protection of human rights, as it exploits the most vulnerable populations in the most vulnerable circumstances in a predatory manner, both within and across international borders. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA; P.L. 106 – 386) defines human trafficking as inducing a person to perform labor or a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion. Any persons under age 18 who perform a commercial sex act are considered a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion was present. People who are trafficked are denied basic freedoms, are extremely vulnerable to global health risks, and are sold and resold within rapidly spreading organized crime networks.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates at least 12.3 million children and adults are in forced labor, bonded labor, and commercial sex servitude at any given time. INTERPOL estimates human trafficking to be a $28 billion enterprise. The most comprehensive and far-reaching governmental report in the United States is the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which was mandated in the TVPA. The primary objective of this report is to “[free] victims from this form of modern-day slavery.” The legislation further requires the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) to promote global awareness regarding human trafficking, to develop country-specific strategies to help foreign governments to better tackle the problem of trafficking, and to classify their accomplishments or failures to adhere to minimum standards in a tier system.

If you have any questions, please contact 202-225-3599.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Witnesses

Panel I

Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State
Written testimony

Panel II

Timothy Williams, Director, INTERPOL - Washington, D.C.
Written testimony

Panel III

Dallas Jessup, founder, Just Yell Fire, a NGO protecting teenage-girls from trafficking
Written testimony
Deborah Sigmund, Director, Innocents at Risk, a NGO raising awareness of trafficking
Written testimony
Sandra Fiorini, flight attendant, graduate of DHS "Operation Blue Lightning," which combats trafficking on commercial airlines
Written testimony
Selene Martin, Director, LexisNexis Cares, a public-private initiative to provide trafficking case management.
Written testimony

Meeting Documents

Transcript