I look forward to the work ahead, knowing there is much still to accomplish, and we will be more successful when we work together to achieve the goals of combating human trafficking and creating a more fair, equitable world. Likewise, Sewing New Futures, a nonprofit social enterprise that employs women and girls who have survived sex trafficking in northern India, expanded their product line to include cloth face masks. If looking for more information on survivor-informed best practices, please see NHTTACs Survivor-Informed Practice: Definition, Best Practices, and Recommendations. In either case, a missing persons report would not be filed, and child protective services or other welfare agencies would not be notified. Access to information and translation services for trafficking victims was also a challenge, as victim support networks reduced services to a minimum. The CPU raised awareness of child protection activities, through inter-ministerial meetings with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights, Internal Security, Justice, Health and Education, and developed and disseminated radio and print media content regarding the prevention of child recruitment and conscription in armed conflict. A complete list that includes all of the countries covered by the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report is available at: https://www.state.gov/international-conventions-relevant-to-combating-trafficking-in-persons/. White people, meanwhile, make up 54% of missing persons reports and 76% of the US . Rachel Fox Smothermon Whether the government of the country monitors immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of severe forms of trafficking in persons and whether law enforcement agencies of the country respond to any such evidence in a manner that is consistent with the vigorous investigation and prosecution of acts of such trafficking, as well as with the protection of human rights of victims and the internationally recognized human right to leave any country, including ones own, and to return to ones own country. Other collaborative efforts have provided anti-trafficking stakeholders, including service providers, investigators, prosecutors, and first responders, with the tools, equipment, and guidance to protect themselves against and screen for the virus, which is essential to ensuring the health and safety of victims, survivors, and vulnerable populations. A Growing Number of People Experiencing Economic and Social Vulnerabilities. Founding CEO, Survivors for Solutions, featured in ECPAT-USAs Survivor Perspective blog series. As tasked by MC Decision 6/17, the OSR/CTHB contributed to the development of Guidance for OSCE Procurement on Combating Human Trafficking and Labour Exploitation in Supply Chains as well as to the OSCE Procurement and Contracting Workshop and a pilot training. Andrew Pfender Anyone with information please call Area 5 Detectives at (312) 746-6554. Netherlands Chelsea Kaser Ensure that benefits include mental health care for all staff members, including any survivors that are hired. any person under 18 years of age who has been compulsorily recruited into governmental armed forces, police, or other security forces; iii. These stereotypes may affect, for example, which communities law enforcement target for anti-trafficking operations, which victim witnesses the criminal justice system deems credible, and which individuals process their experiences as exploitation and seek help. When her ministry moved to Albania in 2005, she quicklyestablishedthe anti-trafficking NGOMary Ward Loreto (MWL) in Albania. The burden of proof IS on the government and big Pharma to disprove causation and to show that the shots are safe and others have been screaming the same thinghowever, since both groups are so corrupted (and have also corrupted and brainwashed the entire medical system and bought the entire MSM), no such fair and truthful analysis will ever be done by them. A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website.Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Human trafficking can take place even if the victim initially consented to providing labor, services, or commercial sex acts. Missing Persons. While awareness of familial trafficking is increasing, more research is needed. An outstanding and passionate activist, she has led APRAMP to be a pioneer in the implementation of strategies aimed at improving coordination between the judiciary, state security forces, and the national government, which has resulted in an effective blow against criminal organizations responsible for sex trafficking in Spain. To maintain a Tier 1 ranking, governments need to demonstrate appreciable progress each year in combating trafficking. Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance. International Military Education and Training $155,282 This has had cascading effects for local anti-trafficking organizations and their efforts, as many donors reneged on promised funds and funding opportunities diminished across the sector. Additionally, the author holds a Masters degree in Intercultural Studies with Children at Risk and a Bachelors degree in Education. Applicable assistance restrictions apply for the next Fiscal Year, which begins October 1, 2021. We salute the survivor leadersthose with lived experience of human traffickingwho have demonstrated resilience and reaffirm that employing trauma- and survivor-informed approaches is essential, crisis or not. In the face of this crisis and future crises, it is the responsibility of the international community to work together toward the shared goal of preventing and combating human trafficking, protecting victims, and empowering survivors. Katherin paid US $1,500 to escape Venezuela and find security and opportunity in Guyana. The tendency of this pandemic to aggravate hardship requires the responsible implementation of increased protection measures that are responsive to the needs of individuals with coexisting vulnerabilities to human trafficking and COVID-19 infection. The Department of State assesses that immense social and economic insecurity caused by the current conflict is the primary driver for the ongoing unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers in Libya. They characterize the manythough not allforms of human trafficking and the wide variety of situations and location in which they occur. Here are some VAERS records which were recently erased from VAERS. NATO Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Action Plan to be adopted by October 2020. A waiver to allow the continuation of PKO assistance to support CTSAMVM and RJMEC will help maintain accountability regarding the Government of South Sudans unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers by allowing critical funding for the continued operation of these key oversight and monitoring mechanisms. Of that, more than half are children . Furthermore, familial trafficking situations may have prevented survivors from developing key healthy social skills, including how to make and maintain friends, relate to other children and adults, ask for assistance, and recognize their own self-worth. The Wilkes-Barre City Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 38-year-old Amy Gregory. As seen in most fields during the pandemic, technology has become a powerful means to connect people and collect information, while limiting individuals exposure to the virus. March 17, 2020. Qatar Armenia She and her team have developed anti-trafficking monitoring cells throughout the countrys capital composed of community members, whom SIFOS has trained and empowered to identify human trafficking within vulnerable populations, and to safely report suspected cases to authorities. I was cleaning up in bathrooms and going to college and work. Having a family member as the main perpetrator and trafficker may also result in many victims feeling unable to speak about the experiences they endured due to the shame it may bring upon their families, communities, and themselves. Many organizations consolidated lists of resources and online guidance on promising practices to provide support services to victims and survivors during the pandemic. Ms. Arocho, from the 2400 block of Rosewood Street, was last seen on Saturday, February 11, 2023, leaving a friend's house on the 2600 block of Hicks Street at approximately 10:30 pm. The country faces numerous longstanding challenges, including: inadequate infrastructure and human resources; the governments inability to project authority across the sizable country; corruption; a limited capacity to raise and manage revenues; outbreaks of infectious disease; as well as the destabilizing activity of numerous armed groups. Daniel Barter was 4 years old when he went missing from Perdido Bay, Alabama, on June 18, 1959. Seychelles The U.S. Department of State strives to advance around the world the security, prosperity, and values that U.S. citizens share. Page 619: Picture Alliance FMF has supported Nigerias ability to participate in peacekeeping, counterterrorism and maritime security operations. January 20, 2021. Bianca Washington The Secretary-General has institutionalized mechanisms to continue engagement and cohesion across the United Nations system, and prioritized leadership accountability relating to sexual exploitation and abuse through mandated action plans and personal certifications. Section 333 is used to support a related ISR effort to provide tactical Unmanned Aerospace Systems (UAS). All three elements are required to establish a sex trafficking crime (except in the case of child sex trafficking where the means are irrelevant). Two reports here, one for the child, one for the mother. Trafficking in persons, human trafficking, and modern slavery are umbrella termsoften used interchangeablyto refer to a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. NGOs have also reported experiencing cyberattacks and threats on social media when they post statements debunking misinformation. Confronted, however, with eyewitness testimony and thoroughly researched reporting from multiple sources, the PRC eventually admitted the existence of the camps. 189), https://www.state.gov/international-conventions-relevant-to-combating-trafficking-in-persons/, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_50315.htm, 2020 (will enter into force on 16 November 2021), 2020 (will enter into force on 3 July 2021), 2020 (will enter into force on 9 December 2021), 2020 (will enter into force on 23 December 2021), 2021 (will enter into force on 17 March 2022), 2020 (will enter into force on 4 August 2021), 2020 (will enter into force on 14 July 2021), Total Number of Peacekeeping and Support Personnel, Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (SEA) (2003), Code of Conduct for Staff and Mission Members, NATO Policy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (2004 and 2007), Lead Office Responsible for Implementation, Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, Pre-deployment and at mission, including a new e-learning program. The TVPA, as amended, lists additional factors to determine whether a country should be on Tier 2 (or Tier 2 Watch List) versus Tier 3: In addition, the TVPA directs the Secretary of State to consider, as proof of a countrys failure to make significant efforts to fully meet the TVPAs minimum standards, a government policy or pattern of: trafficking; trafficking in government-funded programs; forced labor (in government-affiliated medical services, agriculture, forestry, mining, construction, or other sectors); sexual slavery in government camps, compounds, or outposts; or employing or recruiting child soldiers. Many anti-trafficking organizations also responded to the pandemic by emphasizing staff wellness, especially for employees with lived experience of human trafficking who are at risk of heightened responses to the stress caused by the pandemic. On October 14, 2020, the President determined that it is in the national interest of the United States to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Afghanistan, Cameroon, Iraq, Libya, and Nigeria; and to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to the DRC to allow for the provision of IMET and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) assistance, to the extent that the CSPA would restrict such assistance or support; to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Somalia to allow for the provision of IMET and PKO assistance and DoD support provided pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Innovative AML compliance solutions that use big data, advanced analytics, network analysis, and, increasingly, artificial intelligence to monitor transactions and identify and report suspicious transactions can assist governments and the private sector in identifying and combating human trafficking networks. Salih still suffers from hearing loss due to explosions and airstrikes. Sandy Perez Rousseau For example, experts have developed techniques to link some cryptocurrency transaction records to online commercial sex advertisements, which can provide additional information on human trafficking networks. That first month I was learning the safe spots to park my car to sleep. When she arrived, she learned her boss owned a roadside stall instead of a store. The economic and social distress generated by the pandemic and related mitigation efforts exacerbated risks for vulnerable and marginalized populations. In November 2019, the government used official media platforms to amplify calls by Yemeni human rights activists at the UN Human Rights Council for the Houthis to end child recruitment and use, and radicalization to violence. When children experience familial trafficking, they may develop educational and social delays, physical health problems, and psychological disorders, such as complex post-traumatic stress disorder and attachment disorders. Although the DDR Committee is not specifically dedicated to removing child soldiers from the field of battle, its mission is to facilitate the disarmament and reintegration of ex-fighters of Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa and armed separatist groups in the Southwest and Northwest Regions, irrespective of their ages. Governments identified on the list are subject to restrictions, in the following fiscal year, on certain security assistance and commercial licensing of military equipment. Uruguay While traffickers used the opportunity of increased numbers of children online to expand their operations, it should be noted that a portion of the increase resulted from the recirculation of sensationalized trafficking-related stories and misinformation on social media platforms. NATO Human Trafficking Policy (2004) to be up-dated in 2021. HAIR: Grey Madagascar The 2007 TIP Report showed for the first time a breakout of the number of total prosecutions and convictions that related to labor trafficking, placed in parentheses. Panama Ibusuki has gone further by advocating for the government to prohibit employers from retaining foreign workers passports and for Japan to impose tighter control on exploitation and human rights violations by labor brokers and intermediaries in sending countries. The U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported a 98.66 percent increase in online enticement reports between January and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, and reports to their CyberTipline doubled to 1.6 million. Doing so allowed the organization to continue connecting with potential trafficking victims, now hidden in private apartments and clandestine areas instead of clubs and brothels, which had been ordered to close due to the lockdown along with all other public spaces. Janine Gannon When there was an error at the local health clinic, and my blood got mixed up with another persons, I tested false positive for AIDS. Page 14: Panos Pictures/Adam Dean Given the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on marginalized communities, an equity-based approach is critical to reducing vulnerabilities. Ariana Holly James Taylor Page 5: Picture Alliance That all changed when, after a few months, Joriz took a nude photo of Benilda and then forced her to pose naked in front of a webcam. I had grown up in the United States during the AIDS pandemic, hearing the only good [expletive] is a dead one, or it is their punishment for being how they are, they deserve it. My family openly praised my uncles contraction of HIV and waited for his death. The Government of the DRC is taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers and these efforts have accelerated since President Tshisekedi took office in January. Despite this, the successes, the failures, and even the unknown results of the anti-trafficking response to COVID-19 allowed for new insights and solutions to pave a better path forward. Missing Since: May 21, 2007. Such support roles include children serving as cooks, porters, guards, messengers, medics, servants, or spies. Slovak Republic Office: 608-266-1671. During the three months of Spains lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under Moras leadership, APRAMP quickly redirected its efforts toward the detection of new spaces where commercial sex was happening. Pursuant to the TVPA, governments of countries on Tier 3 may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign assistance, whereby the President may determine not to provide U.S. government nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance as defined in the TVPA. Thus, it is imperative to stop the spread of misinformation, including conspiracy theories, both to combat sex and labor trafficking and to prevent violent extremism and counter threats to U.S. national security. The value of collaboration between anti-trafficking actors. Survivors of familial trafficking have a range of responses to the traditional educational system: some are reported to have learning challenges, including illiteracy and processing challenges. The Government of Nigeria is taking continuing and effective steps to address the problem of child soldiers. Sri Lanka While the number of individuals at risk of trafficking grew during the pandemic, so did the conditions under which traffickers thrive. Consistent with the definition of human trafficking, governments should not penalize or prosecute victims of trafficking in persons for the unlawful acts their trafficker compelled them to commit. IOM conducted rapid assessments in various countries to address the multiple effects of the pandemic on populations vulnerable to trafficking, such as the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on labor migration in the Pacific Region. Consistent with the TVPA, the President may also determine to instruct the U.S. Executive Director of each multilateral development bank and the International Monetary Fund to vote against and use their best efforts to deny any loans or other uses of the institutions funds to a designated Tier 3 country for most purposes (except for humanitarian, trade-related, and certain development-related assistance). Most well-known is the hospitality industry, but the crime also occurs in connection with extractive industries where activities are often remote and lack meaningful government presence. The author has a range of expertise related to human trafficking, familial trafficking, marginalized communities, trauma and resiliency, education, and survivor leadership. Additional assistance will be obligated during FY 2021. International Military Education and Training $540,950 Low-wage and migrant workers and those in the informal economy faced riskier employment conditions, including restricted movement, minimal oversight mechanisms, withheld wages, and increasing debtsall indicators or flags for human trafficking. Algeria Romania Susan Snyder From forced labor in local or national public work projects, military operations, economically important sectors, or as part of government-funded projects or missions abroad to sexual slavery on government compounds, officials use their power to exploit their nationals. In addition, since 2019 the Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Protection has issued 10 Withhold Release Orders against goods and companies connected to forced labor in Xinjiang to block their entry into the United States. ROSS TWP., Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania woman missing for more than three decades has been found alive in Puerto Rico. While many countries shifted to conducting court proceedings virtually, limited to no internet connectivity and cost-related barriers to internet access for rural or underserved communities in some countries, such as The Gambia, made it challenging for victims to participate in virtual courts. Sagbo Sasse was also a crucial member of Gabons anti-trafficking inter-ministerial committee and remains the countrys foremost leader on this issue. These goals are directly aligned with the National Security Strategy, Africa Strategy, Africa Bureau, and Mission Nigeria goals for security assistance. This last component is crucial, as interviewing and service provision that is not trauma-informed or in the best interest of the child can be retraumatizing and inhibit a successful recovery. ORS 30.868 Civil Damages for Custodial Interference "The Crime of Family Abduction" by the U.S. Department of Justice We should also consider the lessons learned over the course of this global health crisis. Sexual slavery, as referred to here, occurs when armed groups force or coerce children to marry or be raped by commanders or combatants. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GIATOC) published a policy brief in May 2020 highlighting initial trends in human trafficking during the pandemic and challenges to traditional responses. The most durable solution to the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers will be a political solution that ends the conflict. Croatia The purpose element in every sex trafficking case is the same: to engage in a commercial sex act. 7. Josiane Lina Bemaka-Soui has developed the Central African Republics national anti-trafficking response from the ground up. Through her early work, Sagbo Sasse frequently interacted and established a deep connection with children who had survived human trafficking, many who were coming from Benin, her country of origin. Substantial changes in financial situations, such as the reduction of wages and work hours, closure of workplaces, rising unemployment, and reduced remittances, coupled with the rise in costs of living and disruptions to social safety networks, created newly precarious situations for those not previously vulnerable and even more precarious situations for those who were already at risk of exploitation. Navigating not only the continuation of but also the increased need for anti-trafficking responses during a global health crisis proved to be exceptionally challenging. The U.S. Department of State leads the U.S. governments global engagement to combat human trafficking and chairs the federal interagency anti-trafficking task force. Beginning October 1, 2021, and effective throughout Fiscal Year 2022, these restrictions will apply to the listed countries, absent a presidential waiver, applicable exception, or reinstatement of assistance pursuant to the terms of the CSPA. The President has determined that it is in the U.S. national interest to waive in part the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to South Sudan to allow for provision of PKO assistance and has certified that the Government of South Sudan is taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers. A full waiver the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA with respect to Nigeria allows the U.S. government to continue to provide security assistance in delivery of the above lines of efforts. I know something! Sonia Helmy-Dentzel Page 49: Matilde Simas b. the United States toward agreed goals and objectives in the collective fight against trafficking. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Div. PKO funds will be used to continue to support the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), which includes regional and international personnel that monitor, identify, and report on parties responsible for violations of the December 2017 Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities (COH) and the ceasefire provisions of the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). A service provider in Colombia ensured that all trafficking victims they served had access to the internet and a smartphone to receive online counseling services and mobile vouchers for food and hygienic products. Equatorial Guinea At the age of 10, Salih and his schoolmates went outside to play soccer after the school day finished. In 2021, the roll out of the module in Field Operations has started. Recruitment and use of child soldiers by the CJTF, a non-governmental self-defense force that receives limited support from the Borno State government, contributed to Nigerias listing under the CSPA from 2015-2018 due to its past use of children. Disrespecting survivor leaders and their experiences hurts and further exploits survivors, who are key stakeholders in the anti-trafficking movement, and it ultimately perpetuates a harmful and deficient understanding of what it means to be survivor-informed. Iraqi law requires all soldiers, including volunteers in Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias, to be of 18 years of age or older, and Iraq is a party to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). With U.S. support, the CPU carried out six screening missions that examined over 1,500 SNA troops in 2019, and identified four minors within the SNA, according to the 2019 CPU annual report. The TVPA also authorizes the President to waive these restrictions if necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on vulnerable populations, including women and girls, and children. Peacekeeping Operations $12,692,025 United Kingdom In addition, SAMHSAs Six Key Principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach refers to the necessity of creating and protecting psychological and physical safety within the organization, fostering trust through transparency, providing peer support, and leveling power differences through collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility. A governments failure to appropriately address public allegations against such public officials, especially once such officials have returned to their home countries, shall be considered inaction under these criteria. Portugal In the first seven months of the pandemic, the International Aid Transparency Initiative noted a reduction of 17 percent in bilateral donor commitments between 2019 and 2020, which included a five percent decline in ODA. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) maintains an active database with information about missing persons, which you can access and search here. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Many COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as mask wearing, virtual engagements, and self-isolation, could re-traumatize survivors. Competing Priorities and Reduced Capacity. Some governments and organizations conducted in-depth assessments to identify the changing trends. Marshall Islands I believe that is true here. Pakistan The spread of misinformation about human trafficking also means that anti-trafficking experts and organizations need to allocate time and resources to re-educate the public.