Remarks by Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis at the USAID-sponsored seminar: "Enhancing Transnational Cooperation on Trafficking Cases in South-Eastern Europe"

March 17, 2011

Thank you, Martijn; I’m honored to be here today to welcome all of you to the first transnational seminar under the project “Enhancing Transnational Cooperation on Trafficking Cases in South-Eastern Europe.”  The importance of this issue cannot be understated, and I am very pleased that the United States Government through USAID is working with our partners in Europe to address it.

First and foremost, I’d like to extend my thanks to the Government of Hungary for hosting this event. As we all know, this is the first time Hungary has held the Presidency of the EU and, recognizing the importance of the work done under this project, they volunteered to host the seminar. It is precisely this kind of collaboration and partnership that will make this conference, and this program, a success.

I’d also like to recognize the representatives from the participating countries for their role in establishing and developing this model. Active engagement, commitment and willingness to meet face to face, which this group has clearly demonstrated, are necessary ingredients for a project like this to succeed.  And of course above all else, it is the personal commitment and dedication by all of you to this work that will make a difference at the end.

Let me begin by saying that the United States fully supports your efforts to attack and disrupt the efforts of those who would perpetrate what amounts to modern-day slavery. As U.S. Secretary of State Clinton said last year at the launch of State Department’s trafficking in persons, or “TIP” report, she said: “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.”  The United States and our partners in Europe have willingly taken on the moral obligation to abolish human trafficking; indeed, it is our ethical responsibility that drives us to do everything that we can to break up trafficking rings and make it as dangerous and unprofitable as possible to traffic human beings.

The United States is combating trafficking in persons through diplomatic efforts, research, and international and domestic programs aimed at the prevention of TIP, the protection of victims, and the prosecution of human traffickers.  Domestically, we train local, state and federal law enforcement on a victim-centered approach, prioritizing trafficking cases to increase the number of offenders prosecuted. We continually strive to identify victims and ensure they receive access to essential protective services.  And we coordinate our efforts through a whole-of-government approach, with the knowledge that our success depends on the participation of agencies responsible for criminal enforcement, labor enforcement, victim outreach and services, public awareness, education, trade policy, international development and programs, immigration, intelligence, and diplomacy.

The United States Government also provides a substantial amount of international assistance aimed at preventing trafficking in persons, protecting victims, and prosecuting traffickers. In Fiscal Year 2009, we supported 168 international anti-trafficking programs, totaling approximately $84 million and benefiting over 80 countries.

Together with our international partners, our efforts are yielding results.  In the past 10 years, governments worldwide have made appreciable progress in understanding a number of realities about human trafficking, a first step to combatting TIP. We have learned that people are in situations of modern slavery in most countries, and that trafficking is a fluid phenomenon responding to market demands, weaknesses in laws and penalties, and economic disparities. With this information, we have been able to modify laws and practices to best address the issue. Around the world, including in countries that once denied the existence of human trafficking, we have successfully identified victims and prosecuted offenders.  We have helped free victims and given assistance they need to rebuild their lives. 

At the same time, we must recognize that the war is not won, and that twelve point three million (12.3 million) adults and children worldwide continue to be victimized by those willing to capitalize on their vulnerability and their desires for a better life.

All of the countries that are present at this event have reasons to be proud not only of their participation in this program, but of the great strides that have been made in combating TIP. In their efforts to battle this crime, most countries in the region now have established National Referral Mechanisms and anti-TIP laws.  Few other regions of the world have made such progress in such a short period of time.

It is the cooperation across borders that will contribute the most to combatting TIP. The connections that the individuals from each country make with each other are the key to the success of this program. It is you, the people in this room, through your commitment and hard work, making the difference.

I’d like to share a story with you that underscores this point.  Katya, a student athlete in an Eastern European capital city, dreamed of learning English and visiting the United States. Her opportunity came in the form of a student visa program, through which international students can work temporarily in the United States.

But when she got to America, rather than being taken to a job at a beach resort, the people who met her put her on a bus to Detroit, Michigan. They took her passport away, and forced her and her friends to dance in strip clubs for the traffickers’ profit.

They controlled the girls’ movement and travel, kept keys to the girls’ apartment, and listened in on phone calls the girls made to their parents. After a year of enslavement, Katya and her friend were able to reach federal authorities with the help of a patron of the strip club in whom they had confided. Due to their bravery, six other victims were identified and rescued.

Katya now has immigration status under the U.S. trafficking law. She works in a health club and hopes to finish her university degree. The traffickers are in federal prison.

While this story has a happy ending of sorts, far too often victims are not able to restart their lives as Katya did.  Perpetrators of this crime are often not convicted.  In fact, according to the U.S. State Department’s TIP statistics from last year, only one person is prosecuted for every 2700 victims of the crime. Only with enhanced cooperation can we hope to change these statistics.  That is the point of this seminar; that is why you are here.

In order to stop the perpetrators of human trafficking in the region, partnerships are required within and across national boundaries.  These partnerships involve a wide array of actors, including government officials, border and customs officials, police, social services providers, and civil society organizations.

We encourage and support your efforts to reach out to all partners in this fight, so that we may claim more victories and save more lives from the terrible fate of modern-day slavery.

Your participation in the Transnational Referral Mechanism project has demonstrated exceptional willingness to work together across borders, languages, and bureaucracy. However, this cooperation is just a starting point, and we must continue to stay vigilant in this struggle.

As we tackle this problem head-on, you can count on the United States to continue our efforts to give more opportunities to the potential victims of TIP -- who often are society’s most vulnerable -- so they don’t end up making the choice of last resort. We will continue to extend our support, as a moral obligation, to all of our partners who are willing to join us in the fight against this terrible crime.  We look forward to continuing this honorable endeavor together and wish you well in your deliberations over the next two days.

Thank you very much.