Challenge in the Americas: Trafficking in Persons A Presentation to the Special Committee on Fighting Transnational Organized Cime in the Americas February 15, 2006

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons “Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Identifying Crime is linked to finding Victims Victims are generally difficult for officials to identify Most victims do no self-identify Victims are usually linked to clandestine activities: Prostitution Migrant Smuggling Sweatshop and Agricultural labor

Internal and International Human Trafficking Victims of internal human trafficking or trafficking within the same country Victims of cross-border or international human trafficking

Mission of the OAS Anti-Trafficking in Persons Section: Increase awareness and understanding Help build a Hemispheric consensus Provide training opportunities Provide better information on trafficking

Anti-Trafficking Training Seminars Argentina November 2004 Belize April 2005 Bolivia Caribbean Countries Mexico Peru April 2005 Ecuador August 2005 Venezuela January 2005 Guatemala September, December 2005

Special OAS Projects HAITI: Fielding of an OAS advisor with the Haitian Police JAPAN: Report on trafficking of Latin women from the region to Japan for the commercial sex trade EUROPE: Coordination with Latin American source countries and Western European destination countries

Countries with Specific Anti- Trafficking Laws in Force Belize Bolivia Colombia Dominican Republic Guyana Panama United States

Countries with a Combination of Effective Criminal Laws Brazil Canada Costa Rica Ecuador El Salvador Jamaica

Countries with Significant Anti- Trafficking Legislation Pending Argentina Mexico

Countries with Advanced Police Capacity on Human Trafficking Brazil Canada Chile Colombia El Salvador Guatemala Panama

Bilateral Agreements in the OAS Region Guatemala -- Mexico Venezuela -- Brazil

Estimates of Victims Annually 16,000 – 22,000 victims transported across borders within the Western Hemisphere 9,000 – 12,000 victims transported from the Western Hemisphere to Europe 5,000 – 8,000 victims transported from Europe to the Western Hemisphere 12,500 – 16,500 victims transported from Asia to the Western Hemisphere

Recommendations Political Leadership: Place fighting human trafficking on the national agenda Appoint a senior policy figure to act as a “czar” to coordinate policy Create a modern legal framework

Recommendations Law Enforcement: Develop dedicated police, immigration and prosecutorial units Focus on the “easy” cases first Pubilicize high profile prosecutions Work with NGOs to develop cases Find a strategy to deal with corruption

Recommendations Social Services and Crime Prevention: Work with NGOs and encourage their activities Develop the capacity to identify victims and treat them humanely Develop the capacity to collect information on human trafficking

Recommendations Foreign Relations: Develop expertise in foreign affairs ministries Develop ability to exchange information Train consular and diplomatic officials before sending them abroad Implement transparency in foreign labor, residency and visa documents Eliminate so-called “Entertainer Visas”

Thank you for your attention. OAS Website on Human Trafficking oas.org/atip