Pathbreaking Strategies in the Global Fight Against Sex Trafficking

Good evening. Thank you for coming. It is an honor to be able to speak to such a distinguished group and to open this conference.

You are an amazing group of people. This room is filled with pathbreaking activists, lawmakers, health care providers, policy makers, law enforcement officials, among others. We hail from more than 120 countries from every continent except Antarctica. While our lives and backgrounds differ significantly, we share one crucial, common goal: that is our unwavering commitment to eradicating what is one of the most unthinkable abuses and crimes that exists today -- trafficking in persons.

Many of you see on a daily basis the lives shattered by the heinous exploitation of innocent people by sex traffickers. Countless men, women, and children are subjected to torture and abuse that we can’t even imagine. People seeking a better life are forced or tricked into exploitation, abuse, and cruelty -- often with little hope of escaping such situations. Too many criminals driven by greed are all too willing to disregard human life to turn a profit, all too willing to treat humans like a lifeless commodity.

And our work -- whether through protecting victims, prosecuting traffickers, or preventing future trafficking -- presents an opportunity to rescue those already trapped in this life of agony and to avert countless other abuses.

As we were preparing for the conference and I read about many of you and your work, I was heartened at your dedication, sacrifice, and accomplishments. It renewed my hope that we will eradicate this scourge that has no place in a world where we have the ability and responsibility to protect each human life from such abuse.

These next several days present us with a unique opportunity - a chance to gather you -- many of the world experts, indeed the doers, to map out a course, to create a “tool box” for working more closely together to end trafficking in persons. Our combined effort can and will have a multiplier effect if we seize this moment, this opportunity. We need to ask the tough questions.

How can we build bridges between our regions -- more effective bridges than the traffickers whose evil efforts know no borders? How can we make sure that a victim rescued on one side of the world can return safely and be integrated back into their society on the other side, safe with the knowledge that their abusers will be behind bars and that they have a chance to rebuild their lives?

How can we forge closer ties among law enforcement, service providers, civil and religious leaders, and lawmakers to ensure that we are maximizing our pressure? Too often institutional or cultural gaps exist between our various sectors. We share a common goal; we must share a common strategy. Existing divisions can help no one except the traffickers. We must work to be strongly unified and get rid of all divisions.

How can we stop the cycle before it even starts? How can we educate our young people, vulnerable groups, about the evil that lurks behind the empty promises traffickers use? How can we get legitimate businesses to ensure they do not become fronts for traffickers, that our citizens seeking employment abroad know what awaits them, that our citizens vacationing abroad know we will not allow them -- knowingly or not -- to be party to the exploitation of others?

These are just a few of the questions we should tackle over the next several days. We have intentionally structured the conference to give maximum time for dialogue, for grappling with tough questions, and thinking about concrete suggestions for what we should be doing.

The desired outcome is not a lengthy paper or declaration, but rather a short concise document summarizing your suggestions or a blueprint for action. Over the next 2 days, our discussions will be off-the-record because we want to have the most open, frank discussion possible. We want the outcome to provide activists throughout the world with a list of best practices and ideas that will bolster their work. We seek a multiplier effect worldwide.

At this time, I’d like to recognize and thank John Miller, former Member of Congress and the new head of the Department of State’s trafficking office, and Elizabeth Pryor, the conference organizer, for their tireless efforts in preparing for this conference. In fact, the entire Trafficking in Persons office has worked hard and long to ensure a successful conference. And I’d also like to thank the representatives of four special NGOs that have been our partners every step of the way, representing the War Against Trafficking Alliance: Linda Smith, a former Member of Congress and now of Shared Hope International; Lisa Thompson of the Salvation Army; Michelle Clark and Mohammad Mattar of the Protection Project; and March Bell and Sharon Cohn of the International Justice Mission. Without the tireless efforts and hard work of each of these individuals, we would not be here this evening and have the important opportunity to share our thoughts over the next several days. Join me in thanking them.

While it is these people and their staffs that have made this event possible, it is those of you gathered here that will turn their hard work into the thinking and action that can and must make a difference in the lives of many people in desperate need of our help.

Have a good time this evening. Over the next 2 days, I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy yourself, challenge each other, and think about how we can best help each other eradicate what constitutes a tragedy of the 21^st century -- trafficking in persons. Thank you for your commitment and for joining us here.