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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Secretary of State Colin Powell released a report mandated by Congress examining the problem of sex trafficking world wide. Though the report did not include the United States in its three tier assessment, the report did include extensive research about the prevalence of trafficking in the U.S., noting that there are presently 45,000 - 50,000 victims in America. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 mandated this report and also called on the Secretary of State to chair an Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. When asked in a media briefing today what Secretary of State Powell intends to do to address the problem of sex trafficking in the U.S., the State Department indicated that this would be up to the Task Force, and also indicated that the Task Force had yet to be established. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), who wrote Secretary Powell earlier this week urging the release of this overdue report, released the following statement today:
"The trafficking of our world's poorest girls and women into the dangerous sex industry is one of the world's greatest human rights offenses. I am proud of the United States for dedicating resources to examine the prevalence of this problem, but I will not be proud of our country if we do not take the steps to practice what we preach," Maloney said today. "We can not be in the business of encouraging other nations to adopt practices to prevent sex trafficking, while we stall on amending our own laws. I strongly urge President Bush and Secretary Powell to quickly move forward in establishing this Task Force," Maloney added. (Letter Attached) July 11, 2001 Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20520 Dear Secretary Powell: I am writing to inquire about the status of a delayed State Department report. The State Department was mandated by Congress to release a report on June 1, 2001 assessing the record of countries around the world in dealing with the growing problem of sex trafficking. Today, the report is forty-one days overdue. The report is mandated as part of the ``Victims of Trafficking Act,'' which was enacted into law in October of 2000. The Victims of Trafficking Act was authored by my colleague in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ). On June 1, 2001, Reuters filed a story reporting that a Senate aide stated "the (State) department has told Congress it could be expected in a week or two," ("U.S. Report on Trafficking Said Delayed," 6/1/01). As of today, the release of the report is six weeks overdue. And as I am sure you are aware, this unexpected delay has triggered speculation on Capitol Hill that this report has been stalled because the U.S. is concerned about ally relations and fearful that the honest results of the report may aggravate some countries who are U.S. friends and allies. In addition, the legislation calls for a task force to be established: The Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking. I am curious as to whether the task force has convened yet and if the task force has made progress on any of its activities. I look forward to your prompt reply. Please contact Orly Isaacson in my Washington office with any additional questions at (202)225-7944. Sincerely, Carolyn B. Maloney
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