By Nima Nayebi

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America and Europe

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – The US Department of State has unveiled its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which assesses the efforts of over 170 countries in curtailing human trafficking. The report was followed by a Washington Post op-ed by Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday, in which she emphasized that the US has an obligation to fight human trafficking.

“To some, human trafficking may seem like a problem limited to other parts of the world. In fact, it occurs in every country, including the United States, and we have a responsibility to fight it just as others do. The destructive effects of trafficking have an impact on all of us. Trafficking weakens legitimate economies, breaks up families, fuels violence, threatens public health and safety, and shreds the social fabric that is necessary for progress. It undermines our long-term efforts to promote peace and prosperity worldwide. And it is an affront to our values and our commitment to human rights,” wrote Secretary Clinton.

She went on to say that the Obama administration considers the issue of human trafficking a priority in its foreign policy agenda: “The United States funds 140 anti-trafficking programs in nearly 70 countries, as well as 42 domestic task forces that bring state and local authorities together with nongovernmental organizations to combat trafficking. But there is so much more to do.”

According to the Secretary, the problem is more urgent than ever as the world struggles through the current financial climate. “People are increasingly desperate for the chance to support their families, making them more susceptible to the tricks of ruthless criminals,” she wrote.

The TIP Report estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are victims of sexual slavery, forced labour, and organ theft, at a time where demand for cheap labour, services, and even human organs is on the rise. The report describes human trafficking as “a crime that deprives people of their human rights and freedoms, increases global heath risks, fuels growing networks of organized crime, and can sustain levels of poverty and impede development in certain areas.”

Since 2000, the majority of countries have enacted laws against human trafficking, but much work remains to be done, according to the State Department. Secretary Clinton summed up the Obama administration’s policy by writing: “The United States is committed to building partnerships with governments and organizations around the world, to finding new and more effective ways to take on the scourge of human trafficking. We want to support our partners in their efforts and find ways to improve our own. Human trafficking flourishes in the shadows and demands attention, commitment and passion from all of us. We are determined to build on our past success and advance progress in the weeks, months and years ahead. Together, we must hold a light to every corner of the globe and help build a world in which no one is enslaved.”

The TIP Report, which has been published since 2000, failed to address the trafficking record of the Unites States. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States is a large importer of sex trafficking victims, with Atlanta, Georgia, as its main hub. Mrs. Clinton promised that in the 2010 report, the US will “rank its own efforts at combating trafficking along with the rest of the world.”