# Trafficking in Persons – United States Department of State

- United States and Zambia Sign Partnership to Prevent Trafficking in Persons Office of the SpokespersonToday, U.S. Embassy Zambia&#8217;s Chargé d’Affaires Linnisa Wahid and Minister of Home Affairs the Honorable Jack Mwiimbu signed the U.S.–Zambia Partnership to Prevent Trafficking in Persons (P2P), a new multi-year initiative to combat trafficking in persons in Zambia.  Implementation of this jointly developed program will strengthen the efforts of the Zambian government as it works with national stakeholders and civil society organizations to  deepen a more sustainable, comprehensive, and coordinated response to human trafficking.The P2P signing comes after several months of discussions between representatives of the Government of Zambia, the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), and the U.S. Embassy in Zambia.With the signing of this P2P – the first globally &#8212; the TIP Office provided $4 million in U.S. foreign assistance to Save the Children, which will collaborate with relevant Zambian government ministries and the TIP Office to implement an action plan developed to achieve the objectives of the P2P.  These objectives include:Promoting coordination across relevant ministries, civil society, local communities, and foreign counterparts;Providing protection services that are readily accessible to adult and child trafficking victims using a trauma-informed and victim-centered approach; andEnsuring justice-sector actors utilize existing trafficking-specific legal frameworks to identify human trafficking victims, investigate cases, and prosecute and convict perpetrators of human trafficking in a victim-centered and trauma-informed manner.View our fact sheet on understanding human trafficking, and learn more about the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons on our website, or follow the office on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.&nbsp;
- Secretary Blinken Chairs Interagency Task Force Meeting Office of the SpokespersonSecretary of State Antony Blinken chaired the 2024 meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.  Federal agencies on the task force shared their progress on anti-trafficking initiatives and their commitments to advancing the goals of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.  Honorable Sameer Jain, a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, also delivered remarks on the Council’s 2023 report and underscored the importance of engaging survivors, leveraging data, and incorporating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the development of anti-trafficking policies and programs. At the meeting, three new appointments to the Council were announced: Honorable Jose Alfaro, of Massachusetts, Honorable Christina Love, of Alaska, and Honorable Chris Ash, of North Carolina.During the meeting, Secretary Blinken presented the 2023 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons to two exceptional recipients: Dr. Minh Dang, co-founder and Executive Director of Survivor Alliance; and to Restore NYC.Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to combating human trafficking and inspiring engagement across the country and international community. The Department aims to do its part by:Incorporating trauma- and survivor-informed approaches into our anti-trafficking work through our engagement with the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and the Department’s Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network. Recently, the Department launched a publicly available online training on trauma-informed principles in partnership with subject matter experts with lived experience.Partnering with the Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network in developing resources to assist Department staff, foreign governments, international and nongovernmental organizations, and companies to engage survivors in a responsible, trauma-informed, and meaningful way.Preventing forced labor and advocating for high labor standards and worker empowerment around the world, in line with the recent Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally.Supporting initiatives to mitigate migrant workers’ vulnerability to exploitation, including forced labor. The Department plans to fund interactive in-person educational workshops for prospective H-2 visa applicants in southern Mexico to help participants better understand how to access information on labor and workers’ rights under U.S. labor laws. The Department also plans to update the Wilberforce “Know Your Rights” pamphlet and video in consultation with subject matter experts with lived experience and other stakeholders to provide clearer guidance on workers’ rights and resources while in the United States.Funding innovative anti-trafficking projects around the world such as the new Partnership to Prevent Human Trafficking program, which establishes a multi-year plan developed jointly by the United States and a selected partner country to prevent trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and provide trauma-informed care for survivors.A video recording of the meeting will be available at https://www.state.gov/the-presidents-interagency-task-force.
- Secretary Blinken to Convene Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Office of the SpokespersonSecretary of State Antony J. Blinken will convene the 2024 meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) at 2:00pm EST on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.  This will be the third PITF meeting of the Biden-Harris Administration.The PITF is a cabinet-level entity that coordinates federal government efforts to prevent and respond to human trafficking.  During the meeting, senior White House officials and principals from 20 participating federal agencies will highlight key efforts to address all forms of human trafficking, as well as announce upcoming initiatives in support of the President’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.  A member of the presidentially appointed U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, which provides a formal platform for trafficking survivors to advise and make recommendations on federal anti-trafficking policies, will also speak about the Council’s recent report.The Secretary will also honor the recipients of the 2023 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The award recognizes the dedication and efforts of individuals or organizations in preventing human trafficking, prosecuting traffickers, and protecting and partnering with survivors.For additional information, contact the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at TIPOutreach@state.gov or visit www.state.gov/j/tip.The event will be livestreamed on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOqdMFuNUx8 and on www.state.gov with ASL interpretation.
- United States Ambassador-at-Large Cindy Dyer’s Travel to Laos Office of the SpokespersonU.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Ambassador Dyer, will travel to Laos on November 12-15 to discuss Laos’ anti-trafficking efforts and build understanding on anti-trafficking infrastructure with a wide range of government and civil society stakeholders.Ambassador Dyer will address the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report and advocate for progress in the most critical areas, including improved provision of services to vulnerable populations such as men and boys and LGBTQI+ persons, and increased identification of cyber scam operation victims as human trafficking victims.  She will meet with senior Lao PDR officials including those from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; National Committee on Anti-Trafficking in Persons; and the Office of the Supreme People’s Prosecutor (OSPP).  Ambassador Dyer will also participate in discussions with anti-trafficking civil society organizations, including first responder organizations, legal experts, and service providers.Learn more about the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons or follow the office on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .  Read Understanding Human Trafficking to learn more about trafficking in persons.For additional information, contact the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at TIPOutreach@state.gov.
- United States Ambassador-at-Large Cindy Dyer’s Travel to the United Kingdom Office of the SpokespersonU.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons,&nbsp;Ambassador Dyer will travel to London on November 8-9 to discuss the United Kingdom’s anti-trafficking efforts with a wide range of government and civil society stakeholders.&nbsp;During her visit, she will address the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, noting the&nbsp;UK’s positive anti-trafficking efforts and underscoring remaining gaps.&nbsp; She will meet with government officials, including those from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)&nbsp;Modern Slavery Team; All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery; Members of Parliament; the Home Office; Crown Prosecution Service; National Crime Agency; the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; and others.&nbsp; Ambassador Dyer will also meet with anti-trafficking civil society organizations, including first responder organizations and core service providers.Learn more about the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons&nbsp;or follow the office on&nbsp;Twitter,&nbsp;Facebook, and Instagram. Read Understanding Human Trafficking to learn more about trafficking in persons.For additional information, contact the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at&nbsp;TIPOutreach@state.gov.						Tags																					Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																																Human Trafficking																															Office of the Spokesperson																								Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons																																Official International Travel																															United Kingdom
- Secretary of State Blinken to Release the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report Office of the SpokespersonSecretary of State Antony J. Blinken will release the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) on Thursday, June 15, at 11:00 a.m. ET in the Dean Acheson Auditorium at the U.S. Department of State and will be joined by Cindy Dyer, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.As mandated by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the TIP Report assesses government efforts around the world to combat human trafficking and highlights strategies to address this crime and protect the victims. This year’s report, the 23rd edition, includes narratives for 188 countries and territories, including the United States. The TIP Report introductory material is drafted in consultation with, and includes contributions from, the Department of State’s Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network, which includes subject matter experts with lived experience of trafficking.During the ceremony, Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Dyer will honor the 2023 TIP Report Heroes, individuals from diverse stakeholder communities around the world whose tireless efforts have made a lasting impact on the fight against trafficking. Following the ceremony, many of the Heroes will travel to Boston and Miami to engage with their American counterparts through the Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).The event will be open to the press for in-person coverage and streamed live on the Department homepage and the Department YouTube channel .Pre-set time for cameras is 10:15 a.m. from the 23rd St. Entrance of the Department of State’s Harry S. Truman building. Final access time for writers and stills is 10:30 a.m. from the 23rd Street entrance.Please be advised there is no parking available at the venue, and press will go through security screening upon arrival.Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued photo media credential (e.g., Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), or (2) an official photo identification card issued by their news organization, or (3) a letter from their employer on official letterhead verifying their current employment as a journalist.Additionally, they must present an official government photo identification card (i.e., U.S. driver’s license or passport).Following the ceremony, Ambassador Dyer will also deliver remarks and take questions in the Briefing Room at the top of the Department Press Briefing.Instructions for embargoed access to the report will be sent to members of the press on Thursday, June 15 at 8:00 a.m. ET.For more information, please contact the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at J-TIPCommunicationsStaff@state.gov. Learn more at http://www.state.gov/j/tip/ and follow us at @JTIP_State  and @USdos.Jtip  to find out how we are helping to #EndHumanTrafficking.For more information on the TIP Report Heroes IVLP exchange, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov.
- Final United States and Jamaica Annual Bilateral Dialogue Under the Child Protection Compact Partnership Office of the SpokespersonThe United States and Jamaican government officials, along with implementing partners the International Organization for Migration and Warnath Group, convened for the final bilateral dialogue under the United States-Jamaica Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership, a jointly developed plan signed by both governments in May 2018.  The dialogue focused on shared accomplishments, challenges, and how to sustain progress toward the objectives of the CPC Partnership.The dialogue served to reflect on accomplishments over the last five years.  It also centered on the achievements and challenges that government stakeholders and implementing partners faced in the last year towards meeting the CPC Partnership’s objectives of strengthening the Jamaican government’s efforts to effectively investigate, prosecute, and convict child traffickers, identify and provide comprehensive trauma-informed care for child victims of these crimes, and prevent child trafficking in all its forms.  Participants also discussed sustainability plans as the CPC Partnership comes to an end.  To date, the U.S. government has invested $6.7 million in foreign assistance to implement this plan, while relevant Jamaican ministries, departments, and agencies have invested staff resources, made in-kind contributions, and provided the operating budget toward the goals and objectives of the CPC Partnership.Participants included U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica N. Nick Perry, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Cindy Dyer, and Jamaican Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and Chair of the National Taskforce Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) Alison Stone Roofe.In addition to the opening of multiple child friendly spaces, supporting the creation and institutionalizing of a National Referral Mechanism, new handbooks, trainings, and learning for multi-disciplinary staff, there is still work to be completed over the final months by implementing partners.  The Warnath Group will continue to work closely with Jamaican government stakeholders as additional trainings and the opening of more child friendly spaces are still to be completed, with the goal to strengthen victim and survivor-centered law enforcement efforts and provide support to child victims of trafficking.  Additionally, the International Organization for Migration is concluding a nationwide child trafficking prevalence study that will inform government strategies and target support to vulnerable children across Jamaica.Ambassador Dyer congratulated the new Permanent Secretary Alison Stone Roofe and expressed gratitude for the Government of Jamaica’s dedication to the Partnership, and stressed the importance of continuing to build upon the Partnership’s significant accomplishments.United States Ambassador N. Nick Perry affirmed the United States remains committed to the long-term success of the partnership.  He noted that, while the CPC Partnership may be coming to an end, it is important to remember that the initiatives under the partnership have been built with sustainability in mind and that the U.S. government will remain a steadfast ally in combating child trafficking. For further information:   Read about the CPC Partnership between the Government of the United States and the Government of Jamaica.Learn more about the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.Learn more about our implementing partners:International Organization for MigrationThe Warnath GroupWinrock InternationalFor questions, please contact TIPOutreach@state.gov.
- Meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateAround the world, it is estimated that nearly 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking.  The United States itself is not immune to this exploitation, which deprives individuals of dignity and full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.  The number of individuals at risk of trafficking continues to increase while too few victims and survivors are being identified and traffickers convicted.With these formidable challenges in mind, today I chaired the 2023 meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.  Task force agencies committed to taking significant steps throughout 2023 to advance progress to combat human trafficking, including to advance the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.  We also heard from a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, who challenged us to effectively incorporate survivors as equal stakeholders in our work.Looking forward, the State Department will do our part, by:Promoting meaningful survivor engagement and leadership through our support to the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and our engagement with consultants in the Department’s Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network. For the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, consultants are drafting and reviewing content for the introduction in addition to advising on the inclusion of trauma-informed photography and ethical storytelling.Preventing and addressing human trafficking, including forced labor, through our own procurement in the global marketplace. There will be special emphasis on better equipping our acquisitions workforce with the knowledge and support they need, in addition to developing a new risk screening process to mitigate this danger from State Department contracts.Collaborating with Canada and Mexico through the Trilateral Working Group on Trafficking in Persons, which will resume this year.Working to prevent trafficking within the diplomatic community by providing important checks on the welfare of domestic workers employed by foreign mission and international organization personnel across the United States.Making new investments to build on the successes of U.S. anti-trafficking foreign assistance programs, including to combat forced child labor for domestic work and begging.During the meeting, I presented the 2022 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons to two organizations: Mercy Medical Center’s Blue Dot Human Trafficking Initiative for its innovative and holistic approach to the care and wellbeing of victims of human trafficking, and Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc., for its tireless worker-led advocacy to advance a more just and humane migration process free of forced labor and other forms of exploitation.   These organizations inspire us all to take action to end trafficking in persons once and for all.
- U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Cindy Dyer’s Travel to the Republic of Korea and Japan Office of the SpokespersonOn January 17, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Cindy Dyer, commenced her first overseas trip, traveling to the Republic of Korea (ROK) January 17-23 and Japan January 24-26.  In both countries, Ambassador Dyer will discuss the Department of State’s 2022 Trafficking in Person Report (TIP Report) recommendations with government counterparts and anti-trafficking stakeholders in support of their efforts to end human trafficking. In the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Dyer consulted with government officials on identifying trafficking victims and holding traffickers accountable, and with NGOs working on both protection and prevention.In Japan, Ambassador Dyer will meet government officials from relevant ministries and anti-trafficking NGO representatives and will visit a community outside of Tokyo to discuss government efforts to combat trafficking and protect victims at the local level. For further information:Learn more about the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons or follow on Twitter and Facebook.
- National Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2023 Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateHuman trafficking is a crime that deprives millions of people of their dignity and freedom. An estimated 27.6 million are currently victims of trafficking worldwide, and, sadly, many of them are often hidden right in front of us. To properly tackle this crime, it will take a commitment from each of us to end human trafficking. Targeted awareness and outreach efforts are essential.This month is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time for people, organizations, communities, and federal organizations to join in our efforts to combat all forms of human trafficking, including sex trafficking and forced labor. Engaging survivors—individuals who have experienced human trafficking—as partners is necessary to develop effective anti-trafficking policies and programs that are victim-centered and survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally competent. The Department of State’s commitment to these efforts remains unwavering, and this month we welcomed our new Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Cindy Dyer. She will lead the Department’s global efforts to advance the fight against human trafficking.To that end, the Department funds projects around the world in furtherance of preventing and combating human trafficking and supports organizations tackling this issue in new and creative ways. We regularly elevate the issue of human trafficking in our conversations with foreign governments as well as through our annual Trafficking in Persons Report, interagency coordination, multilateral engagement, partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and through implementation of our part of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. Through all of these steps and more, we are determined to combat this scourge in all of its forms.