U.S. Meeting on Enforcement Laws Against Trafficking of Humans

On February 23-26, 2003, the U.S. Government hosted a meeting of countries and experts involving implementing the law prohibiting the international trafficking of human beings. One goal is to ascertain how to stop the cycle before it even starts. One way is to educate young people, vulnerable groups about the realities and evils that exist and expose the false promises traffickers use. A goal is to have legitimate businesses to ensure they do not welcome fronts for traffickers, inform citizens seeking employment abroad what awaits them, and citizens vacationing abroad they cannot knowingly be a party to the exploitation of others. Since January 2001, the U.S. Agency for International Developing (USAID) has significantly increase its support for anti-trafficking activities in developing and transition countries. In FY 20002, USAID spent more than $10 million on over 30 countries that experienced significant levels of severe forms of trafficking in persons. The U.S. Department of Labor negotiated a $1.2 million cooperative agreement with the International Research and Exchanges Board, a non-governmental organization, to conduct a two year anti-trafficking project in Easter Europe.