International Justice Mission Welcomes Release of 2021 TIP Report
Public Affairs, Policy and Advocacy
International Justice Mission (IJM) welcomed the release of the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) by the U.S. Department of State, published earlier this month. The report, produced annually by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), serves as the U.S. government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on their efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons.
“This crime [of trafficking in persons] is an affront to human rights. It’s an affront to human dignity. We fight it, you fight it, because it’s the right thing to do,” said Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State. “It’s also in our interest to stop trafficking. We know it’s destabilizing to societies and to economies, so we must do everything we can as a country, but also as a global community, to stop trafficking wherever it occurs.”
“The release of the TIP Report each year serves as an annual reminder of one of the most pressing human rights abuses and renews the commitment of the U.S. government to upholding human rights around the world,” said Peter Williams, Principal Advisor on Modern Slavery, IJM. “The report is also a useful tool to NGOs like IJM who are helping governments protect their citizens from human trafficking.”
“While Congress created the minimum standards and mandated the annual report over twenty years ago, the TIP Report maintains its effectiveness in part because Congress continues to exercise its oversight role in a bipartisan manner,” said Nate King, National Director of US Advocacy and Mobilization, IJM. “We encourage Congress to continue to support the efforts of the TIP Office by holding hearings on this year’s report and reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Program to End Modern Slavery, one of the flagship foreign assistance programs of the U.S. government to combat trafficking in persons.”
“We also call on the Biden administration to immediately nominate an Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to lead the TIP Office. It is essential that this position is filled immediately,” said James Foster, National Director of US Government Policy and Partnerships, IJM. “A recent report by the Council of Foreign Relations confirmed that COVID has considerably increased the vulnerability of marginalised communities to exploitation, so it is particularly urgent and timely that President Biden provide leadership in the U.S. government’s response to human trafficking."
About International Justice Mission
International Justice Mission is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. IJM partners with local authorities in 24 program offices in 14 countries to combat slavery, violence against women and children, and other forms of abuse against people who are poor. IJM works to rescue and restore victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and help strengthen public justice systems. Learn more at IJMUK.org.