U.S. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of two landmark laws to combat human trafficking and aid the victims of this horrible crime, said September is an “important month” for two key efforts to combat human trafficking – one in Congress and one in the United Nations. 

    Smith urged his colleagues in Congress to move forward on H.R. 972 – the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 – which he introduced in February 2005. This legislation will reauthorize appropriations for anti-trafficking programs in the United States and abroad and offers solutions to specific scenarios where additional initiatives are needed to combat trafficking problems including occurrences of sexual exploitation by UN peacekeepers. Smith renewed his call after Louise Arbour – the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights – said at the Asia-Pacific human rights conference in Beijing that human trafficking is on the rise worldwide. 

    “We have made significant progress over the past few years to combat human trafficking, through stronger laws, increased awareness, and better law enforcement but we must fortify and expand our efforts to end this international horror,” said Smith, who was appointed Special Representative for Human Trafficking for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly in 2004. “It remains essential for Congress to pass the 2005 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act so that law enforcement can continue to liberate the unfortunate women and children who are forced and coerced into slavery."

    Smith has long championed efforts to eliminate human trafficking. In fall 2000, the President signed into law Smith’s Trafficking Victims Protection Act which gave U.S. authorities explicit tools and powers to prosecute traffickers. Specifically, the bill created the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) produced by 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 – are failing to make significant efforts to combat human trafficking and, as a consequence, may be denied non-humanitarian U.S. aid. HR 972 contains new provisions targeted at preventing the well-documented problem of trafficking in persons, and sexual exploitation and abuse in connection with peacekeeping operations.

    In March 2005, – as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations – Smith held hearings about the 150 allegations of gross sexual misconduct and exploitation of refugees by UN peacekeepers and civilian personnel assigned to the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Abuses typically involved peacekeepers’ sexual contact with Congolese women and girls, some as young as 11, in exchange for food or small sums of money. In recent years, the UN has struggled to deal with similar allegations in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

    Smith maintained that the UN must act quickly to prevent trafficking and sexual exploitation by its own personnel. He noted that the UN General Assembly is scheduled to meet from September 14-17. “Actions must speak louder than words, and the UN owes it to the victims of peacekeeper misconduct to act and adopt a binding uniform code of conduct for all peacekeeping personnel,” he said. Smith also noted that the UN needs to put in place a comprehensive plan for victim assistance. “If a peacekeeper fathers a child, he should pay child support, and troop contributing countries should be obligated to enforce this,” said Smith.