U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), today expressed disappointment with President Bush’s decision to waive or reduce sanctions against some countries that are known to be among the worst offenders in human trafficking. Smith is the author two landmark laws to combat human trafficking and aid the victims of this horrible crime and introduced H.R. 972 – the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 – in February 2005. 

    “Ally or not, America cannot condone human trafficking by any nation, and that is what we seem to be doing,” said Smith, who has long championed efforts to eliminate human trafficking. “I have said it time and time again, ‘friends don’t let friends commit human rights violations.” 

    In fall 2000, Smith’s Victims of Trafficking Protection Act became law. In addition to provisions created to provide U.S. authorities explicit tools and powers to prosecute traffickers, the law created the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) produced by Office of Trafficking in Persons at the Department of State which ranks countries according to their efforts to combat trafficking around the world into three tiers. Countries listed on Tier 3 – the lowest ranking – of the TIP are failing to take minimum steps to combat human trafficking and are denied non-humanitarian US aid. 

    On Wednesday, the White House announced that sanctions against United States allies including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Ecuador were waived, despite their failure to make any significant reform. Only countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the United States – Burma, Cuba and North Korea – are barred from receiving certain types of foreign aid. 

    “We have made significant progress over the past few years to combat human trafficking. The waiver in the law to remove sanctions should be reserved for the most crucial national security standards and I am not convinced that this meets that criteria,” said Smith, who was elected Special Representative for Trafficking for the Organization for Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly in 2004. 

    “Actions like this send the wrong signal to nations – friend and foe alike – that turn a blind eye to this international horror."

    Smith noted that he hoped that the President’s decision to impose limited sanctions against Cambodia, also announced yesterday, would enable that country to increase their efforts to combat human trafficking.