In our 21st century world, where freedom and democracy are spreading to every continent, it is appalling and morally unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children are exploited, abused, and enslaved by peddlers in human misery.

Trafficking touches many countries across the globe, including my own. An estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are trafficked every year. Nearly 20,000 of these victims enter the United States. The transnational character of this crime means that countries of origin, transit, and destination must work in partnership to prevent trafficking, protect its victims, and prosecute those who are responsible for trafficking.

Using force, fraud and corruption, coercion and other horrible means, traffickers prey on the powerless, the desperate, and the vulnerable. Girls as young as 5 are sold into prostitution; boys as young as 11 are being strong-armed into militias to serve as child soldiers or to perform forced labor for the combatants.

The United States stands prepared to help countries that demonstrate a determined commitment to strengthen their domestic capacities for combating trafficking. Working together, we can help the victims of trafficking escape bondage and allow them to live in dignity and freedom. Working in partnership, we can spare countless thousands the pain that others have suffered.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell

Adapted from his remarks upon the release
of the 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report
on June 11, 2003.

Around the world, diverse organizations have joined governments in the campaign to eradicate human trafficking, working together to thwart criminal organizations that seek profit from enslavement. Whether in the courts, in the media, or in targeted local campaigns, law enforcement officers and human rights activists are finding ways to rescue victims from indentured servitude, forced prostitution, and child labor. At the same time, organizations and governments are conducting broad educational campaigns to prevent other innocents from falling prey to this 21st century form of slavery.

In this publication we highlight what these activists are doing to promote human potential and protect human dignity against the horrifying practice of human trafficking.

The Editors

Focus

The United States' Effort to Combat Trafficking in Persons
The State Department heads a sweeping government effort to rescue victims and prosecute traffickers, both in the United States and in other nations.
By John R. Miller
Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking In Persons
U. S. Department of State

U. S. Human Service Agencies Respond to Trafficking
U.S. agencies work to build a safety net for victims of trafficking.
By Wade F. Horn, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Commentary

U.S. Sends Strong Message to Those Who Traffic in Human Lives
A federal jury returns a guilty verdict against the owner of an American Samoa garment factory in the largest U.S. human trafficking case ever prosecuted.
By John Gittelsohn
Special Correspondent

Saving the Victims, One by One
The International Organization for Migration and local affiliates
work in projects all over the globe to liberate victims of trafficking
from their plight.
An Interview with Marco Gramegna
Director, Counter-Trafficking Service
International Organization for Migration

European Alliance Combats Human Trafficking
Law enforcement agencies in Southeastern Europe adopt an unprecedented level of cross-border cooperation to combat trafficking in persons.
An Interview with General Ferenc Banfi and Liaison Officer
Zan Jovanovski at the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Center

Preventing Victimization in Moldova
A nongovernmental organization works to prevent trafficking and protect potential victims in a country that has become one of the greatest sources of women trafficked to the brothels of Europe.
By Jana Costachi
Director, The Center for Prevention of Trafficking in Women

Additional Resources

Developing Countries Take a Stand Against Trafficking
An account of "best practices" demonstrates the creative actions taken by many developing countries to combat human trafficking.
From the third annual Trafficking in Persons Report
By the U.S. State Department

Trafficking in Persons or Alien Smuggling?
An explanation of the legal distinctions between trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.
The Protection Project
Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies

Bibliography
Books, documents, and articles on human trafficking issues.

Internet Sites
A list of Internet sites offering further information on human trafficking issues.

Global Issues
An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State
ejglobal@pd.state.gov

Publisher Judith S. Siegel; Editor William Peters; Managing Editor Charlene Porter; Text Editor Jim Fuller; Internet Editors Tim Brown, Christian Larson; Associate Editors Jenifer Bochner, Ellen Toomey, Jane Morse; Reference and Research Lynne Scheib, Joan Taylor; Art Director Chloe Ellis; Graphics Assistant Sylvia Scott; Editorial Board Jim Bullock,
George Clack, Judith S. Siegel

The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State provides products and services that explain U.S. policies, society, and values to foreign audiences. The Bureau publishes five electronic journals that examine major issues facing the United States and the international community. The journals -- Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, and U.S. Society and Values -- provide statements of U.S. policy together with analysis, commentary, and background information in their respective thematic areas.

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