Press Release
At 29th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary AssemblySmith calls on international leaders to step up efforts to combat human traffickingAs the top-ranking official for human trafficking for an international bloc of 57 countries, U.S. lawmaker Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) this week called on member nations to step up their efforts to implement and strengthen laws combating modern-day slavery. Smith’s keynote remarks were offered at the 29th Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Birmingham, England. “The predators who exploit and abuse vulnerable women, children and men never cease in their nefarious work. They never take a holiday. Nor can we,” said Smith, who is the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Human Trafficking and the prime author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000—the United States’ historic, comprehensive law to combat sex and labor trafficking. To view excerpts of Smith’s remarks, click here or on the image above. “Our commitment to preventing human trafficking, protecting and helping survivors reclaim their lives, and prosecuting those who commit these horrific crimes must be strong, powerful, and courageous,” he said. “As we emerge from the pandemic, each of us need to examine our own country’s anti-trafficking in persons’ laws and action plans in place before and during COVID-19 and decide whether new initiatives are needed,” said Smith, who has been leading his colleagues in the U.S. Congress and urging the passage of new, comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation he has authored, especially as the United States faces its worst border crisis in history with heightened concerns for a surge in human trafficking. “Housing and survivor education and employment programming are new provisions in our House bill,” Smith said. “We see these as critical to prevent trafficking at all levels, including for survivors who may become vulnerable to re-trafficking due to the hard economic times. We must invest in our survivors’ futures and help them to heal and take on leadership roles, if they choose to do so.” Smith, who was first appointed to the OSCE PA’s top anti-trafficking post in 2004, also emphasized the urgent need for the international community to address the historic number of women and children vulnerable to trafficking as more than 8.4 million Ukrainians have fled the violence and destruction being ruthlessly waged by Vladimir Putin. “Most cross the Ukrainian border without resources or a place to stay, making them extremely vulnerable to criminals, including human traffickers,” said Smith. “The longer the refugees have to remain outside of Ukraine, the more vulnerable they will become as they try to find longer term housing and employment.” Based in Europe, the OSCE PA is comprised of 323 members from 57 participating states who meet to advance human rights, security and economic cooperation. ### |