President
Obama recently wrote, “We stand with all those who are held in compelled
service; we recognize the people, organizations and government entities that
are working to combat human trafficking; and we recommit to bringing an end to
this inexcusable human rights abuse.”
In
the United States, we make an annual effort to document and work to combat
modern slavery and human trafficking worldwide through the release of the State
Department Trafficking in Persons Report, which was released Monday, including
the country narrative for Lebanon.
The
U.S. government considers trafficking in persons to include the conduct involved
in reducing a person to/or maintaining a person in a state of compelled service
for labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
While
nearly 150 countries are now party to the U.N. Trafficking in Persons Protocol,
estimates tell us that up to 27 million men, women and children worldwide may
be victims of trafficking in persons.
All
governments have a responsibility to prevent trafficking, protect those who
have been abused, and punish abusers. That’s why, throughout the year, we focus
our efforts not only to confront this crime within our borders, but also to
partner with governments around the world as they work to eradicate modern
slavery. No country is untouched by this crime, and Lebanon is no exception.
The U.S. will continue working with the Lebanese government and civil society
to move forward in this struggle.
As
we reiterate the importance of this issue as part of our foreign policy, we are
optimistic based upon indications of change in Lebanon. The Lebanese government
and civil society have taken important steps toward dealing with trafficking in
persons.
In
August 2011, the Lebanese government approved Law 164, which broadens the
definition of individuals that are considered victims of trafficking. Alongside
the efforts by the government, civil society has become increasingly engaged,
and non-governmental organizations and grassroots movements are starting
campaigns to raise awareness about human trafficking. Laws prohibiting
trafficking are not useful if the society isn’t made aware that a problem
exists.
Nearly
130 countries have enacted anti-trafficking laws consistent with the Palermo
Protocol, which established the victim-centered 3P Paradigm – prevention,
protection, prosecution – as a model for fighting trafficking. Moving forward,
the fourth P, partnerships – particularly partnerships among governments – will
add to the global momentum to combat this scourge.
Such
partnerships will allow us and other governments, including Lebanon, to share
innovations and promising practices that are succeeding in stopping traffickers
and protecting survivors. They allow cooperation to trace transnational
trafficking from source to destination, and to crack down on perpetrators in
both sending and receiving countries.
Efforts
to combat trafficking in persons cannot be a “one size fits all” approach, as
the nature and extent of trafficking varies from country to country. However,
it is important for countries to share information and determine the best and
most effective methods.
As
governments work to stop this crime within their own borders, partnerships can
improve information flows and promote an honest understanding of modern
slavery, knowledge that is reflected in the country narratives that constitute
the U.S. government’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
The
report assesses nearly every government in the world on its progress fighting
trafficking in persons based on a set of benchmarks that are generally
consistent with the framework for combating trafficking established in the
Palermo Protocol. And while some governments meet those benchmarks and some do
not, what the report ultimately tells us is that all governments – including
our own – need to do more.
As
we in the U.S. consider how our own government can improve the way it responds
to modern slavery, we call on other governments to take the next steps in this
struggle as well.
We
encourage the Lebanese government to implement its new anti-trafficking law by
moving forward with the adoption of implementing regulations for Law 164,
currently under consideration by the Cabinet; investigating and prosecuting
trafficking offenses, and convicting and punishing trafficking offenders;
enacting the labor law amendment extending legal protections to foreign and
domestic workers to limit their vulnerability; and enforcing the law that
allows foreign migrant workers to keep their passports, or to re-examine the
‘artiste’ visa program, which is often used by people trafficking women into
the sex trade.
On
a societal and governmental level, we encourage Lebanon to strive for better
treatment of workers who report violations. Often, workers who report problems
are detained and arrested for violating immigration laws, thus discouraging the
reporting of abuses. In an ideal world, foreign workers should never have to
face abuse and mistreatment at the hands of their employers.
As
we work to strengthen our own ability to meet this challenge, the U.S. stands
ready to work with governments around the world to punish those who prey on the
most vulnerable and to make freedom’s promise a reality for all those who have
been victimized.
Richard
M. Mills, Jr., is the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jun-20/177430-trafficking-in-persons-a-global-problem.ashx#axzz1yLGY74xp
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