Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report (June 2002)

摘要

This is the second annual report to Congress, as required by the Act, on the status of severe forms of trafficking in persons worldwide. It covers the time period of April 2001 through March 2002. In this year's report, several countries have moved from their placement in last year's report, as discussed on pages 12 through 13. Some countries are not listed in this year's report because of a lack of reliable information, as discussed on pages 11 - 13. With this annual report, the United States seeks to bring international attention, both of governments and the general public, to the horrific practice of trafficking in persons. This report serves as a major diplomatic tool for the U.S. Government, which hopes that other governments will view this as an instrument for continued dialogue, encouragement for their current work, and an instrument to help them focus their future work on prosecution, protection, and prevention programs and policies. After the release of this year's report, the Department will continue to engage in discussions with governments about the content of the report to help strengthen cooperative efforts to eradicate trafficking. The Department will use the information gained in the compilation of this year's report to target assistance programs more effectively and to work with countries that need help in combating trafficking. Finally, the Department hopes the report will be a catalyst for government efforts to combat trafficking in persons around the world, so that this degrading practice will be eliminated.