Human Trafficking: Better Data, Strategy, and Reporting Needed to Enhance U.S. Antitrafficking Efforts Abroad

• NCJ Number: 219388
• Date Published: July 2006
• Length: 69 pages
• Corporate Author: US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: Azimuth Inc.
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Report to the Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary and the Chairman, Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives; downloaded August 2, 2007.

Annotation

This report reviews the U.S. Government's international efforts to combat human trafficking by examining estimates of the extent of global human trafficking, the U.S. Government's strategy for combating the problem abroad, and the U.S. State Department's process for evaluating foreign governments' antitrafficking efforts.

Abstract

The U.S. Government estimates that 600,000-800,000 persons are trafficked across international borders annually; however, the accuracy of these estimates is in doubt because of methodological weaknesses, gaps in data, and numerical discrepancies. The U.S. Government has not yet established an effective mechanism for estimating the number of victims or for conducting ongoing analysis of trafficking-related data maintained by government entities. Although Federal agencies have undertaken antitrafficking activities, the U.S. Government has not developed a coordinated strategy for combating trafficking abroad or developed a way to measure results. There is no systematic way for agencies to delineate roles and responsibilities in relation to each other, identify needs, or leverage activities to achieve better results. Performance measures have not been established nor have evaluations been conducted to determine the overall impact of antitrafficking programs abroad. The U.S. State Department assesses foreign governments' compliance with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking in persons, but the explanations for ranking decisions in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report are incomplete; and the report is not used consistently for developing antitrafficking programs. The State Department has increased global awareness, encouraged government action, and raised the risk of sanctions against governments who have not made significant efforts to comply with the standards; however, it does not comprehensively describe compliance with the standards. This lessens the report's credibility and usefulness as a diplomatic tool. 1 table and 6 figures