Mon, 09 Jun 2008
Author : Vital Voices Global Partnership
WASHINGTON, June 9 HumanTraffic-combat
WASHINGTON, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vital Voices commends the 2008 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report released by the State Department this week for its emphasis on forced labor in the global economy and the need to step up human trafficking prosecutions and convictions.
This year's report highlights the increased use of slave labor to drive economic growth in the developing world. "It is incumbent on all sectors of society - governments, NGOs and business -- to redouble their efforts to address this ugly underbelly of globalization," said Melanne Verveer, Co-founder and Chair of Vital Voices. "Greater efforts must be made to eradicate slave labor in economic production." The report's detailed focus on global and regional law enforcement is a useful tool in the targeting of labor trafficking offences worldwide.
Vital Voices is pleased to see the report's coverage of the dire situation confronting stateless people in northern Thailand. In July 2007, Vital Voices released a report, "Stateless and Vulnerable to Human Trafficking in Thailand," detailing the legal and practical barriers to the tribal people in northern Thailand and their vulnerability to human trafficking. Due to their lack of citizenship, the stateless often fall victim to trafficking and receive little to no assistance or protection.
Vital Voices also applauds the report's focus on those who recruit migrant laborers. The preventative steps that can be taken by both source and destination countries should be adopted more broadly, including the United States.
The advocacy of individuals and NGOs is critical to the fight against human trafficking. We wish to congratulate the heroes profiled in the report, especially those with whom Vital Voices has been privileged to work.
Vital Voices has been proud to work with Cecilia Flores-Oebanda of the Philippines to promote public-private partnerships. We believe that she and her organization, the Visayan Forum Foundation, are examples to all who are working to combat human trafficking of the progress that can be made when NGO's and government work collaboratively. Cecilia was a distinguished speaker at the Vital Voices Conference: Public-Private Partnerships to End Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, which was held in Hong Kong in 2007.
We are also pleased that the TIP report showcased the importance of film in combating human trafficking, particularly the work of Guy Jacobson and Adi Ezroni, with whom Vital Voices has also been honored to work. Often at great personal risk, they have captured the extraordinary anti-trafficking efforts of Somaly Mam and Mu Sochua of Cambodia in their works and have made an enormous contribution to raising awareness about modern-day slavery among the general public and decision-makers.
We salute Cecilia, Guy and Adi, as well as the many heroes who are working to end trafficking around the world.
In coming months Vital Voices will focus on critical areas outlined in the State Department Report. We will continue to work with the global business community to encourage enhanced corporate responsibility, call on businesses to examine their supply chains and adopt standards to ensure that their operations in no way contribute to human trafficking. We will also highlight exemplary corporate leaders in the fight against human trafficking. Latin America and India will be the focus for targeted programs, and we will be working closely with the Council of Women Leaders which Vital Voices helped to establish, in conjunction with UNODC, in February of this year during the launch of the UN's Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). Under the auspices of the Council, we are collaborating on a program to support a greater commitment and leadership to combat human trafficking in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf states.
CONTACT: Kalpana Simhan
202-861-2625 x 3010
Author : Vital Voices Global Partnership
WASHINGTON, June 9 HumanTraffic-combat
WASHINGTON, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vital Voices commends the 2008 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report released by the State Department this week for its emphasis on forced labor in the global economy and the need to step up human trafficking prosecutions and convictions.
This year's report highlights the increased use of slave labor to drive economic growth in the developing world. "It is incumbent on all sectors of society - governments, NGOs and business -- to redouble their efforts to address this ugly underbelly of globalization," said Melanne Verveer, Co-founder and Chair of Vital Voices. "Greater efforts must be made to eradicate slave labor in economic production." The report's detailed focus on global and regional law enforcement is a useful tool in the targeting of labor trafficking offences worldwide.
Vital Voices is pleased to see the report's coverage of the dire situation confronting stateless people in northern Thailand. In July 2007, Vital Voices released a report, "Stateless and Vulnerable to Human Trafficking in Thailand," detailing the legal and practical barriers to the tribal people in northern Thailand and their vulnerability to human trafficking. Due to their lack of citizenship, the stateless often fall victim to trafficking and receive little to no assistance or protection.
Vital Voices also applauds the report's focus on those who recruit migrant laborers. The preventative steps that can be taken by both source and destination countries should be adopted more broadly, including the United States.
The advocacy of individuals and NGOs is critical to the fight against human trafficking. We wish to congratulate the heroes profiled in the report, especially those with whom Vital Voices has been privileged to work.
Vital Voices has been proud to work with Cecilia Flores-Oebanda of the Philippines to promote public-private partnerships. We believe that she and her organization, the Visayan Forum Foundation, are examples to all who are working to combat human trafficking of the progress that can be made when NGO's and government work collaboratively. Cecilia was a distinguished speaker at the Vital Voices Conference: Public-Private Partnerships to End Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, which was held in Hong Kong in 2007.
We are also pleased that the TIP report showcased the importance of film in combating human trafficking, particularly the work of Guy Jacobson and Adi Ezroni, with whom Vital Voices has also been honored to work. Often at great personal risk, they have captured the extraordinary anti-trafficking efforts of Somaly Mam and Mu Sochua of Cambodia in their works and have made an enormous contribution to raising awareness about modern-day slavery among the general public and decision-makers.
We salute Cecilia, Guy and Adi, as well as the many heroes who are working to end trafficking around the world.
In coming months Vital Voices will focus on critical areas outlined in the State Department Report. We will continue to work with the global business community to encourage enhanced corporate responsibility, call on businesses to examine their supply chains and adopt standards to ensure that their operations in no way contribute to human trafficking. We will also highlight exemplary corporate leaders in the fight against human trafficking. Latin America and India will be the focus for targeted programs, and we will be working closely with the Council of Women Leaders which Vital Voices helped to establish, in conjunction with UNODC, in February of this year during the launch of the UN's Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). Under the auspices of the Council, we are collaborating on a program to support a greater commitment and leadership to combat human trafficking in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf states.
CONTACT: Kalpana Simhan
202-861-2625 x 3010
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