WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Millions of people around the world are living inbondage and the global financial crisis has made many more vulnerable tolabor and sex trafficking, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.
In its annual "Trafficking in Persons" report, which tracks "modernslavery" like forced labor and the sex trade, the State Department saidgrowing poverty around the world has sparked an increase in both supply anddemand for human trafficking.
"In a time of economic crisis, victims are more vulnerable, affectedcommunities are more vulnerable," Luis de Baca said as he presented the report.
"Persons who are under economic stress are more likely to fall prey to thewiles of the traffickers who often get their victims through promises of abetter life, promises of better earnings," he said.
De Baca said human trafficking can be valued at about $50 billion a year.That includes about $31 billion profit earned by the traffickers plus about$20 billion in opportunity cost from lost labor of the people who are putinto bondage.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged governments to work toeliminate forms of human trafficking.
"This year, there is a new urgency in this call," she wrote in a letterprefacing the report.
"As the ongoing financial crisis takes an increasing toll on many of theworld's migrants -- who often risk everything for the slim hope of a betterfuture for their families -- too often they are ensnared by traffickers whoexploit their desperation."
"We recognize their immense suffering and we commit to aiding their rescueand recovery."
The State Department expanded a blacklist of governments it believes arenot doing enough to stop human trafficking to 17, out of 175 countries itmonitors in the annual report.
Chad, Malaysia, Niger, Mauritania and Zimbabwe were included among theworst offenders -- putting them at risk of losing some U.S. aid.
Cuba, Myanmar and North Korea have received the lowest ranking in each yearthey have been included in the report started nine years ago.
The lowest ranking means the United States could withhold aid that is nothumanitarian or trade-related.
According to the International Labor Organization about 12.3 million adultsand children are in forced labor and sexual servitude at any time in theworld. Nearly 1.4 million of those are victims of sex trafficking, ILOfigures show.
"They labor in fields and factories, under brutal employers who threatenthem with violence if they try to escape," Clinton said at an event topresent the report. "They work in homes for families that keep themvirtually imprisoned. they are forced to work as prostitutes or to beg inthe streets, fearful of the consequences if they fail to earn their dailyquota."
"This is modern slavery," she said. "A crime that spans the globe,providing ruthless employers with an endless supply of people to abuse forfinancial gain."
In its annual "Trafficking in Persons" report, which tracks "modernslavery" like forced labor and the sex trade, the State Department saidgrowing poverty around the world has sparked an increase in both supply anddemand for human trafficking.
"In a time of economic crisis, victims are more vulnerable, affectedcommunities are more vulnerable," Luis de Baca said as he presented the report.
"Persons who are under economic stress are more likely to fall prey to thewiles of the traffickers who often get their victims through promises of abetter life, promises of better earnings," he said.
De Baca said human trafficking can be valued at about $50 billion a year.That includes about $31 billion profit earned by the traffickers plus about$20 billion in opportunity cost from lost labor of the people who are putinto bondage.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged governments to work toeliminate forms of human trafficking.
"This year, there is a new urgency in this call," she wrote in a letterprefacing the report.
"As the ongoing financial crisis takes an increasing toll on many of theworld's migrants -- who often risk everything for the slim hope of a betterfuture for their families -- too often they are ensnared by traffickers whoexploit their desperation."
"We recognize their immense suffering and we commit to aiding their rescueand recovery."
The State Department expanded a blacklist of governments it believes arenot doing enough to stop human trafficking to 17, out of 175 countries itmonitors in the annual report.
Chad, Malaysia, Niger, Mauritania and Zimbabwe were included among theworst offenders -- putting them at risk of losing some U.S. aid.
Cuba, Myanmar and North Korea have received the lowest ranking in each yearthey have been included in the report started nine years ago.
The lowest ranking means the United States could withhold aid that is nothumanitarian or trade-related.
According to the International Labor Organization about 12.3 million adultsand children are in forced labor and sexual servitude at any time in theworld. Nearly 1.4 million of those are victims of sex trafficking, ILOfigures show.
"They labor in fields and factories, under brutal employers who threatenthem with violence if they try to escape," Clinton said at an event topresent the report. "They work in homes for families that keep themvirtually imprisoned. they are forced to work as prostitutes or to beg inthe streets, fearful of the consequences if they fail to earn their dailyquota."
"This is modern slavery," she said. "A crime that spans the globe,providing ruthless employers with an endless supply of people to abuse forfinancial gain."
U.S. says financial crisis adds to human trafficking
By Deborah CharlesReuters - Tuesday, June 16
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration on Tuesday expanded the U.S.watchlist of countries suspected of not doing enough to combat humantrafficking, putting more than four dozen nations on notice that they mayface sanctions unless their records improve. The move came as officialssaid the world financial crisis has left more people at risk for the crime.
The State Department's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report," the firstreleased since President Barack Obama took office, placed 52 countries andterritories mainly in Africaa, Asia and the Middle East on thewatchlist. That number is a 30 percent jummp from the 40 countries on thelist in 2008.
Several nations that had been cited previously were removed from the list,but new countries cited for human trafficking problems included Angola,Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iraq, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines,Qatar, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.
The report also placed the Netherlands' Antilles, a self-governing Dutchterritory in the Caribbean, on the watchlist.
"With this report, we hope to shine the light brightly on the scope andscale of modern slavery so all governments can see where progress has beenmade and where more is needed," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clintonsaid as she released the 320-page document.
"Economic pressure, especially in this global economic crisis, makes morepeople susceptible to the false promises of traffickers," she said.
Inclusion on the watchlist means those countries' governments are not fullycomplying with minimum standards set by U.S. law for cooperating in effortsto reduce the rise of human trafficking a common denominator in the sextrade, coerced labor and recruitment of child soldiers.
If a country appears on the list for two consecutive years, it can besubject to U.S. sanctions.
Seventeen nations, up from 14 in 2008, are now subject to the traffickingsanctions, which can include a ban on non-humanitarian and trade-relatedaid and U.S. opposition to loans and credits from the InternationalMonetary Fund and World Bank. The penalties can be waived if the presidentdetermines it is in U.S. national interest to do so.
Those 17 countries include traditional U.S. foes like Cuba, Iran, Myanmar,North Korea, Sudan and Syria, but also American allies and friends such asSaudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Malaysia, another U.S. partner, was added to the list of worst offenders,as were the African nations of Zimbabwe, Chad, Eritrea, Mauritania, Nigerand Swaziland.
Luis Cdebaca, the director of the State Department's Office to Monitor andCombat Trafficking in Persons, said the addition of the six Africancountries was due largely to a relaxation in efforts to fight domesticslavery, which has persisted.
"Those efforts seem to have stalled," he said.
The State Department's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report," the firstreleased since President Barack Obama took office, placed 52 countries andterritories mainly in Africaa, Asia and the Middle East on thewatchlist. That number is a 30 percent jummp from the 40 countries on thelist in 2008.
Several nations that had been cited previously were removed from the list,but new countries cited for human trafficking problems included Angola,Bangladesh, Cambodia, Iraq, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines,Qatar, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.
The report also placed the Netherlands' Antilles, a self-governing Dutchterritory in the Caribbean, on the watchlist.
"With this report, we hope to shine the light brightly on the scope andscale of modern slavery so all governments can see where progress has beenmade and where more is needed," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clintonsaid as she released the 320-page document.
"Economic pressure, especially in this global economic crisis, makes morepeople susceptible to the false promises of traffickers," she said.
Inclusion on the watchlist means those countries' governments are not fullycomplying with minimum standards set by U.S. law for cooperating in effortsto reduce the rise of human trafficking a common denominator in the sextrade, coerced labor and recruitment of child soldiers.
If a country appears on the list for two consecutive years, it can besubject to U.S. sanctions.
Seventeen nations, up from 14 in 2008, are now subject to the traffickingsanctions, which can include a ban on non-humanitarian and trade-relatedaid and U.S. opposition to loans and credits from the InternationalMonetary Fund and World Bank. The penalties can be waived if the presidentdetermines it is in U.S. national interest to do so.
Those 17 countries include traditional U.S. foes like Cuba, Iran, Myanmar,North Korea, Sudan and Syria, but also American allies and friends such asSaudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Malaysia, another U.S. partner, was added to the list of worst offenders,as were the African nations of Zimbabwe, Chad, Eritrea, Mauritania, Nigerand Swaziland.
Luis Cdebaca, the director of the State Department's Office to Monitor andCombat Trafficking in Persons, said the addition of the six Africancountries was due largely to a relaxation in efforts to fight domesticslavery, which has persisted.
"Those efforts seem to have stalled," he said.
US expands human trafficking watchlistBy MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 3 mins ago
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