Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
OAS/CIM Report of Activities
July 2004 – April 2005
Compliance with Resolution AG/RES 2019
(XXXIV-O/04)
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
“Trafficking in Persons” means commercial
exploitation:


Forced Labor – agriculture, sweat shops and
domestic servitude
Commercial Sexual Exploitation – forced and
underage prostitution, child pornography, sex
tourism
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Important Concepts:


Traffickers prey on vulnerable persons –
women, children, migrants, the extremely poor
Trafficking often takes place in the context of
illegal migration but it also happens internally
in the same country
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Coordinator’s Priorities:

Continue and expand the work of the CIM

Coordinate the work of the different organs of
the OAS on fighting human trafficking

Develop and implement an OAS Action Plan
and Strategy
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Areas of specific OAS/CIM project activity
in this reporting period:
Argentina
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Guyana
Jamaica
Mexico
Netherlands Antilles
Peru
St. Lucia
Suriname
Venezuela
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in the Caribbean Region:
CIM partnered with IOM to carry out research and
training in 2004-2005
Focus is anti-trafficking public awareness and
country reports
Over 60 Caribbean country experts and officials
gathered at OAS on March 14-16, 2005 to
assess the project and plan for future activity
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Bolivia:
Two reports completed on trafficking in Bolivia in
November 2004
Two training workshops with government and
civil society officials in November 2004 and
May 2005
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Argentina:
Training workshop for government and civil
society officials on November 11 - 12, 2004
hosted by the Government of Argentina
OAS funded the participation of experts from CIM
and the Spanish National Police
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Mexico:
CIM partnered with IOM, the National Women’s
Institute and National Migration Institute
Draft reports completed on trafficking on
Mexico’s northern and southern borders
Four training workshops in November 2004,
March and May 2005 with government and civil
society officials
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Venezuela:
OAS/CIM training workshop for government and
civil society officials on January 27-28, 2005
hosted by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Expert participants from OAS, IOM, Colombia,
Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic, and the U.S.
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Belize:
Training workshop for government and civil
society officials on April 14-15, 2005 hosted by
the Belizean Government; a second workshop is
planned for summer
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Peru:
OAS/CIM training workshop for government and
civil society officials on April 28-29, 2005
hosted by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Expert participants from OAS, IOM, the U.N.,
Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Panama,
Paraguay, Japan and the U.S.
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity in Haiti:
OAS/CIM retained a consultant to work on antitrafficking in Haiti
OAS/CIM training workshop is scheduled for
June 23-24, 2005 in Port-au-Prince hosted by
the Haitian Foreign Affairs Ministry
OAS/CIM working to assure that international
assistance is earmarked to Haiti anti-trafficking
police unit
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity related to Japan:
Japanese Government anti-trafficking delegation
visited OAS Acting Secretary General in
January 2005
OAS/CIM research team released in April 2005
“Rapid Assessment Report” on numbers of
trafficking victims in Japan from Latin America
and the Caribbean
OAS/CIM research team to release full study at
the end of 2005
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Activity related to Other Trans-Continental
Human Trafficking:
OAS/CIM has retained an expert on trafficking of
Chinese to the Western Hemisphere
OAS/CIM is in discussions with the European
Union, the OSCE and European national
governments on plans to improve cross-Atlantic
coordination on exchanging information
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Coordination of OAS Organs on Trafficking:
CIM has convoked meetings with:
CICAD
CICTE
Office of International Threats
Tourism and Small Business Division
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Office of Inter-American Law and Programs/Dept. of Legal Affairs
and Services
Office for the Summit Process
Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN)
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN):
IIN is leading research and policy advocacy on
combating trafficking of children and internet
child pornography
IIN published a 6-country report on this in 2004
IIN experts have taken part in training workshops
in Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Future Activities will include more direct
engagement and training in:
Bolivia
Belize
Haiti
Jamaica
Ecuador
Guatemala
Mexico
Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women,
Adolescents and Children in the Americas
Thank you for your attention