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United States Senate Consents to Ratification on UN Protocol on Trafficking

On October 7, 2005, the Senate of the United States of America gave its advice and consent to ratification of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. This trafficking in persons (TIP) protocol, which supplements the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, is an important multilateral component of the worldwide effort to combat modern-day slavery. It seeks to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and promote anti-trafficking cooperation among nations.

The protocol will now be returned for President Bush's signature. It then must be counter-signed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and deposited at the UN.

You may read the protocol at http://www.uncjin.org/Documents/Conventions/dcatoc/final_documents_2/
convention_%20traff_eng.pdf

Ending trafficking in persons is a U.S. priority. In addition to issuing the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which has helped generate tremendous government action globally, the U.S. has given nearly $300 million to anti-trafficking programs abroad in the past four years. It has spent millions more on anti-trafficking efforts domestically, including stepping up prosecutions of traffickers and increasing assistance to victims of this crime. And it has strongly supported actions to increase attention to TIP in international organizations.

Sincerely,
Ambassador John R. Miller
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
U.S. Department of State