Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
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President Obama's Remarks to the Clinton Global Initiative
President Obama (Sept. 25): "Of course, no government, no nation, can meet this challenge alone. Everybody has a responsibility. Every nation can take action. Modern anti-trafficking laws must be passed and enforced and justice systems must be strengthened. Victims must be cared for." Full Text»
2012 Trafficking in Persons Report
Secretary Clinton (June 19): "This report ... gives a clear and honest assessment of where all of us are making progress on our commitments and where we are either standing still or even sliding backwards." Full Text»More»Report»Fact Sheets»
Annual Meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Ms. Jarrett (Mar. 15): "Thank you. Welcome. Good morning, everyone. We want to welcome you to the White House for our annual President’s Task Force to Combat and Monitor Trafficking of Persons. We’re delighted to have it here hosted at the White House. It’s indicative of the President’s commitment to this issue, and we want to thank all of the members of the agencies who have joined us this morning for this meeting." More»
“Modern slavery – be it bonded labor, involuntary servitude, or sexual slavery – is a crime and cannot be tolerated in any culture, community, or country … [It] is an affront to our values and our commitment to human rights.”
– Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, directed by Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, leads the United States' global engagement against human trafficking, an umbrella term used to describe the activities involved when someone obtains or holds a person in compelled service. At the heart of this phenomenon are the myriad forms of enslavement as outlined in the United States' Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Major forms of human trafficking include: forced labor, sex trafficking, bonded labor, debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, child soldiers, and child sex trafficking. The Office has responsibility for bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, targeted foreign assistance, and public engagement on this issue of modern slavery and partners with foreign governments and civil society to develop and implement effective counter-trafficking strategies.