Human Trafficking - Better Data, Strategy, and Reporting Needed to Enhance U.S. Antitrafficking Efforts Abroad
- Document number
- 1267
- Date
- 2006
- Title
- Human Trafficking - Better Data, Strategy, and Reporting Needed to Enhance U.S. Antitrafficking Efforts Abroad
- Author/publisher
- United States Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Research/Study/Analysis,
- Keywords
- Identification, Reporting, Investigation, Criminal charges, Task forces, Data analysis, Data collection, Data exchange; Organized crime, Prosecution, Law Enforcement, Criminal justice, Detention, Judicial cooperation; National anti-trafficking measures; Criminalisation, Punishment, Crime prevention; Unlawful deprivation of liberty,
- Summary
- In 2000, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) to combat trafficking and reauthorized this act twice. This report reviews U.S. international antitrafficking efforts by examining (1) estimates of the extent of global trafficking, (2) the U.S. government’s strategy for combating the problem abroad, and (3) the Department of State’s process for evaluating foreign governments’ antitrafficking efforts. GAO recommends that the Secretary of State (1) improve information on trafficking, (2) develop and implement a strategy that clarifies agencies’ roles and responsibilities and establishes a way to gauge results abroad, and (3) clearly document the rationale and support for country rankings. On the TIP report, GAO finds: "The Department of State assesses foreign governments’ compliance with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking in persons; but the explanations for ranking decisions in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report are incomplete, and the report is not used consistently to develop antitrafficking programs. It has increased global awareness, encouraged government action, and raised the risk of sanctions against governments who did not make significant efforts to comply with the standards. However, State does not comprehensively describe compliance with the standards, lessening the report’s credibility and usefulness as a diplomatic tool. Further, incomplete country narratives reduce the report’s utility as a guide to help focus U.S. government resources on antitrafficking programming priorities."
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