IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 490 
Urging the United Nations to establish a commission on the prevention 
of slavery, human trafficking, and exploitation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 7, 2005 
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Urging the United Nations to establish a commission on 
the prevention of slavery, human trafficking, and exploi-
tation. 
Whereas trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people is 
a problem that affects virtually every country in the 
world; 
Whereas the globalization of the world economy has increased 
the movement of people across borders, legally and ille-
gally, especially from poorer to wealthier countries; 
Whereas an overwhelming majority of those trafficked and 
exploited are women and children; 
Whereas trafficking in people, especially women and children, 
for prostitution and forced labor is one of the fastest 
growing areas of international criminal activity and one
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that is of increasing concern to the United States Admin-
istration, Congress, and the international community; 
Whereas the fear of HIV infection among customers has driv-
en traffickers to recruit younger women and girls, some 
as young as seven, erroneously perceived by customers to 
be too young to have been infected with HIV; 
Whereas according to the most recent Department of State 
estimates, between 600,000 and 800,000 people are traf-
ficked across borders each year worldwide and combined 
with trafficking within countries, the total figure is esti-
mated at between 2,000,000 and 4,000,000; 
Whereas international organized crime has taken advantage 
of the freer flow of people, money, goods and services to 
extend its own international reach; 
Whereas there is no single victim stereotype; a majority of 
trafficked women are under the age of 25 and many are 
in their mid to late teens; 
Whereas like global terrorism, and global catastrophes, 
human trafficking and exploitation is the responsibility of 
the global community and should be addressed by the 
United Nations through the establishment of a commis-
sion; 
Whereas the international community began meeting in 1999 
to draft a Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish 
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children in 
conjunction with the United Nations Convention Against 
Transnational Organized Crime; 
Whereas the United States, along with Argentina, introduced 
the draft protocol in January 1999 and negotiations were 
concluded in 2000 on a revised draft;
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Whereas on November 15, 2000, the United Nations General 
Assembly adopted the Convention on Transnational 
Crime, including the Protocol on Trafficking, and the 
Convention and Protocols formally signed in Palermo, 
Italy, in December 2000, were designed to enable coun-
tries to work together more closely against criminals en-
gaged in cross-border crimes; 
Whereas the United States signed the United Nations Pro-
tocol on Trafficking in December 2000, but has not yet 
ratified it; and 
Whereas the increased threat of global terrorism, ongoing 
wars and natural catastrophes such as tsunamis, hurri-
canes, earthquakes, and the international community’s 
response to these occurrences has a direct impact on 
human trafficking, slavery, and exploitation: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the President should direct the United 
States Permanent Representative to the United Na-
tions to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
United States to urge the United Nations to estab-
lish a commission on slavery, human trafficking, and 
exploitation; and 
(2) the commission described in paragraph (1) 
should work to develop recommendations regarding 
measures to be implemented in carrying out humani-
tarian efforts to prevent, and treat the adverse ef-
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fects of, human trafficking and exploitation in re-
gions of war, terrorism, and natural disaster, and in 
regions subject to any other circumstance that ren-
ders susceptible populations vulnerable to human 
trafficking and exploitation. 
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