Combating Forced Labor and Modern-Day Slavery in East Asia and the Pacific

Slavery still exists. It exists around the world today, and it is something that must be stopped. Trafficking is the modern-day slavery. Trafficking can take many forms. Young girls and boys are trafficked for prostitution, and labor is also trafficked. The United States has been a global leader in combating modern-day slavery and trafficking. The U.S. Helsinki Commission, which rotates between the House and the Senate, raised the issue of trafficking as a human rights issue and discussed the manner in which the United States could play a major role. As a result of the hearings in the Commission, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), took major steps to help all 57 states in the OSCE deal with trafficking issues. It also led to the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000, and we now have what is known as the Trafficking in Persons Report that we receive every year. In 2010, the United States was included in the Trafficking in Persons Report as one of the countries that is evaluated.