Remarks by DCM Troy Fitrell - Trafficking in Persons Event

Port Louis, January 26, 2011:

Good afternoon.

Thank you for being here today.  Your presence reflects your interest in the issue we will address in the next two hours: slavery and human trafficking. I am pleased to say that our panelists, who will lead the discussion today, have either attended U.S. Department of State training programs on human trafficking, or belong to organizations that have received U.S. Government funding for anti-Trafficking In Persons programs.

As you may know, the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report is a comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, a modern form of slavery.  Its findings are intended to raise awareness around the world and to spur people and governments to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons.  The assessment includes reports on and rankings of 177 countries, including the first-ever ranking of the United States in the 2010 report.  This means, as I am happy to announce, that for the first time, the U.S. Government is attempting to measure its own efforts against the same standards to which it holds the governments of other nations.

Late this last year, on December 22, President Barack Obama proclaimed January 2011 “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month,” highlighting the importance of this issue to his presidency.

Let me first say a few words about what the United States government means by Trafficking in Persons.  Then, I will turn to the even more important question of why it is so important for us all to join our efforts to combat Trafficking in Persons. Finally, I would like to suggest a few applications here in Mauritius.

What is Trafficking in Persons? Let’s begin with the United Nations definition. According to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, the heart of the definition of “Trafficking in Persons” is the purpose of exploitation. The definition begins with recruitment, and in careful legal language defines any involvement in the movement or harboring of persons who are being exploited, through force, deception, or the use of power or vulnerability of any kind.

Exploitation is specified in the following way, and I quote:

“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.” END OF QUOTATION

Another important detail: under the “Trafficking Victims Protection Act” of 2000 --- the first all-inclusive U.S. federal law to protect victims of trafficking and prosecute their traffickers --- a person may be a trafficking victim regardless of whether they once consented, participated in a crime as a direct result of being trafficked, were transported into the exploitative situation, or were simply born into a state of servitude. At the heart of this phenomenon, then are the myriad forms of exploitation and enslavement –-- transportation of persons to be exploited or enslaved is, in a sense, secondary.

This brings me to my second topic, the importance of joining hands to fight this scourge. We must fight it, first, because it is a matter of human dignity, as the definitions demonstrate, and secondly because of its terrible scope. I believe that the facts and figures from the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report of 2010 speak for themselves. Around the world, an estimated 12.3 million adults and children are engaged in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution.  Over 49,000 victims have been identified, according to the same report.  On a positive note, there were over 4,000 successful prosecutions in 2009, with 335 related to forced labor.  However, there are still currently 104 countries without laws, policies, or regulations to prevent victims’ deportation. In addition, 62 countries have yet to convict a trafficker under laws in compliance with the UN’s Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons from the year 2000.

More must be done.  As United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at the release of the 2010 TIP Report in June last year:

“All of us have a responsibility to bring this practice to an end. Survivors must be supported and their families aided and comforted, but we cannot turn our responsibility for doing that over to nongovernmental organizations or the faith community. Traffickers must be brought to justice.  And we can’t just blame international organized crime and rely on law enforcement to pursue them.  It is everyone’s responsibility.  Businesses that knowingly profit or exhibit reckless disregard about their supply chains, governments that turn a blind eye or do not devote serious resources to addressing the problem, all of us have to speak out and act forcefully.”  END OF QUOTATION

The Obama administration views the fight against human trafficking, both at home and abroad, as a critical part of the U.S. foreign policy agenda.  So much so, that in May 2009, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca was appointed by President Obama to coordinate U.S. government activities in the global fight against contemporary forms of slavery.  He serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and directs the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which assesses global trends, provides training and technical assistance, and advocates for an end to modern slavery.  In addition, to fight this scourge, the U.S. government funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as 42 domestic task forces to address the problem within the borders of the United States.  Our panelists present here today are all beneficiaries of these programs.

Let us turn to the situation in Mauritius.  In the 2010 TIP Report, Mauritius remained in Tier 1, a status which commends the Government of Mauritius for complying fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking.  According to the report, Mauritius sustained its strong efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute incidences of trafficking during the reporting period. The Mauritius Police Force increased its offerings of anti-trafficking training programs for police officers and continued its awareness campaign in schools and villages. 

However, as part of the TIP action plan, the U.S. State Department has also suggested possible further actions by the Government of Mauritius to accomplish even more against Trafficking in Persons. 

The State Department TIP report recommends that Mauritius continue to utilize anti-trafficking legislation to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses and convict and punish trafficking offenders. Another recommendation is to designate an official coordinating body or mechanism to facilitate improved anti-trafficking communication and coordination among the relevant ministries, law enforcement entities, working groups, and non-governmental organizations.

Is this the best way forward? Are there other measures that would be even more effective? That is for you to decide. You were invited to this event today to assess the situation of Trafficking in Persons in Mauritius, learn from the best practices that our panelists have brought back from their respective training, identify the loopholes, and explore various avenues to combat Trafficking in Persons more effectively.

My country believes that we must do more. To quote President Obama, “We cannot strengthen global efforts to end modern slavery without first accepting the responsibility to prevent, identify, and aggressively combat this crime at home.” END OF QUOTATION

I thank you for your attention and I wish you a productive discussion.