December 2 is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a day when the world focuses on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery. Modern-day slavery takes many forms, such as trafficking in people, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage and the recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. All of them are unconscionable.

The heinous crime of trafficking in people is not limited to the act of recruiting, enticing, harbouring and transporting a person for compelled labour or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion. Exploiting victims, including migrants, can also qualify as human trafficking.

Individuals who aspire to a better life but have few opportunities, may find themselves lured into the traffickers’ web of deceit and abuse with little hope of freedom. It targets all categories of people: adults, children, females, males and transgender individuals.

This worldwide curse that inflicts gross injustices on its victims knows no borders. Our commitment to fighting human trafficking includes taking a close, hard look at all nations’ practices, including the United States, with the important goal of shining a light on this issue. The international community is putting considerable talent, attention and resources into addressing this issue.

President Barack Obama brought together US federal agencies to ensure a holistic government approach to combat human trafficking. It includes strict enforcement of criminal and labour law, development of victim identification and protection measures, and education and public awareness.

Any form of slavery, including human trafficking, is a debasement of our common humanity. It endangers public health, fuels violence and organised crime. It distorts labour markets. It creates a class of people who lack basic freedoms and whose human rights are violated.

No one should be enslaved. If it were your child, sister or brother, would you act?

The US is deeply committed to the fight against modern slavery. We work enthusiastically with partners around the world to maintain a high standard of concern, commitment and action for individuals and governments. Through this cooperation, an estimated 45,000 cases of human trafficking came to light in 2013; over 10,000 were related to labour trafficking.

Courts handed down over 5,500 convictions. In support of the 20 million victims who remain trapped in this vice, all of whom have names and families, we are all duty-bound to maximise our efforts to contain this all-too-common crime and bring perpetrators to justice.

Since 2010, the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report has rated the efforts of 188 countries, including the United States, and reinforced the standards set by the international community.

US embassies throughout the world currently are preparing the 2015 Trafficking in Persons report. The purpose of the report is to better understand the problem of human trafficking, recognise government successes to combat it, highlight to governments what remains to be done, and share examples of how various nations are tackling trafficking issues.

The annual TIP report includes a narrative with country-specific recommendations for the coming year, as well as short suggested action plans to guide governments in implementing the minimum standards generally consistent with the Palermo Protocol on trafficking.

The United States is committed to consign human trafficking to the history books where it belongs. President Obama has said: “Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it – in partnership with you.”

Together we must work to strengthen our communities to protect the vulnerable, because no one should be enslaved. If it were your child, sister or brother, would you act?

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is the US Ambassador.

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