2007 Speeches
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Grant Award Ceremony - October 18, 2007
Ministry of Human Development
Belmopan
Good Morning. It is my pleasure to be here today to present a donation to Belize to help the country prevent human trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute offenders.
I am pleased announce that the United States will be providing Belize with more than $BZ 160,000 for assistance to Belize’s anti-trafficking efforts. This funding, combined with the hard work and dedication of the Ministry of Human Development working together with the U.S. Embassy, is evidence of the prominent commitment of the United States to stand-by and support our partners to combat this modern form of human slavery.
Dedication to defending human dignity and advancing human freedom worldwide remain at the center of American foreign policy, and our commitment to human dignity is at the heart of U.S. efforts to end human trafficking. As President Bush has said, human trafficking is more than a criminal justice matter; it is a struggle for the lives and dignity of innocent people. Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of society, most often innocent women and children, exploiting and abusing them in attempts to profit from their suffering. Every day, all over the world, people are coerced into bonded labor, bought and sold in prostitution, exploited in domestic servitude, enslaved in agricultural work and in factories, and captured to serve unlawfully as child soldiers. Although estimates of the number vary widely the U.S. Government estimates approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year and about 80 percent of them are female. Up to half are minors. And these figures do not include millions who are trafficked into labor and sexual slavery within national borders.
The 2007 Annual Trafficking in Persons Report identified Belize as a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking in persons and recognized that although Belize does not yet fully comply with all the standards, it is making significant efforts to combat trafficking.
When the U.S. assesses foreign governments’ efforts and where we might be able to assist, we highlight the “three P’s” – prosecution, protection and prevention. This project funds training for the judiciary to support prosecution of traffickers and to bolster victim-witness assistance. The project provides money to refurbish a trafficking shelter to help protect trafficking victims. This project is intended to raise public awareness and prevention through its plan for radio ads and community workshops.
The victim-centered approach also requires us to address the “three R’s” - rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration. It is in this regard, the plan also seeks to train service providers to identify, rescue and help rehabilitate victims.
Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional, transnational threat to civil society. It deprives individuals of their human rights and freedoms; it increases global health risks; and it fuels the growth of organized crime.
Belize has demonstrated it is making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Our hope is that this financial assistance will help Belize continue its work to reach that goal and to one day rid itself of this deeply dehumanizing form of exploitation.
So today I congratulate the Minister and Chief Executive Officer from the Ministry of Human Development as recipients of this Anti-Trafficking in Persons grant award. I know each and everyone of us look forward to seeing the positive difference this funding will have. Working together we can make a difference, and together we can build a safer, freer, and more prosperous world for all.
Thank you.
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