Secretary of State Antony Blinken led the 2024 meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Federal agencies participating in the task force provided updates on their anti-trafficking efforts and reiterated their commitment to advancing the objectives outlined in the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.
During the meeting, Honorable Sameer Jain from the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking delivered remarks, emphasizing the importance of survivor engagement, data utilization, and the incorporation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) principles in anti-trafficking policies and programs.
The appointment of three new members to the Council—Honorable Jose Alfaro, Honorable Christina Love, and Honorable Chris Ash—was also announced.
Secretary Blinken honored two exceptional recipients with the 2023 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons: Dr. Minh Dang, co-founder and Executive Director of Survivor Alliance, and Restore NYC.
Reaffirming the Department’s dedication to combating human trafficking, Secretary Blinken outlined several key initiatives, including the integration of trauma- and survivor-informed approaches into anti-trafficking work.
The Department is collaborating with the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and the Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network to achieve this goal, recently launching a publicly available online training on trauma-informed principles.
Furthermore, the Department is partnering with the Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network to develop resources for engaging survivors responsibly and meaningfully.
It is also advocating for high labor standards and worker empowerment globally in alignment with the Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally.
To mitigate the vulnerability of migrant workers to exploitation, the Department plans to fund educational workshops for prospective H-2 visa applicants in southern Mexico.
Additionally, it will update the Wilberforce “Know Your Rights” pamphlet and video to provide clearer guidance on workers’ rights and resources in consultation with subject matter experts and stakeholders.
The Department is also funding innovative anti-trafficking projects worldwide, such as the Partnership to Prevent Human Trafficking program, aimed at preventing trafficking, prosecuting traffickers, and providing trauma-informed care for survivors through a multi-year plan jointly developed with partner countries.
