Combating Human Trafficking in SVG: Part 2

Continued from last Friday

by The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit (ATIPU) Tue, May 22. 2012

In his/her report to Congress, the Secretary of State lists all of the countries on what is called ‘Tier Placements’ and ranks them according to each country’s compliance with the minimum standards listed hitherto. There are four (4) different levels of Tier Placements:{{more}}

1) Tier one (1) – Countries attaining this ranking are countries whose governments fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards. Some of the countries on the Tier One (1) List are as follows: Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, United States of America and the United Kingdom.

2) Tier Two (2) – Countries attaining this ranking are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. Some of the countries on the Tier Two (2) List are as follows: Pakistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Spain, Suriname, Ghana and Portugal.

3) Tier Two (2) Watch List – Countries attaining this ranking are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards AND:

a. The absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing;

b. There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year or;

c. The determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year.

Some of the countries on the Tier Two (2) Watch List are as follows: Venezuela, Syria, Barbados, India, Singapore and Thailand

*St Vincent and the Grenadines has been placed on the Tier Two (2) Watch List since 2009.

4. Tier Three (3) – Countries attaining this ranking are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. Some countries on the Tier Three (3) List are as follows: Zimbabwe, Sudan, Kuwait, Iraq, Burma and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As stated above, since 2009, St Vincent and the Grenadines has been placed on the Tier Two (2) Watch List of the United States Department of State Annual Global Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report). According to the United States 2011 TIP Report, “St Vincent and the Grenadines is a likely source, transit, and destination country for some children and adults subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking”. By placing SVG on the Tier Two (2) Watch List, the Government of the United States is saying emphatically that our country does not fully comply with the minimum standards set out in the Trafficking Victims and Violence Protection Act and that there are severe forms of human trafficking in SVG.

Editor, you and readers are aware that the Government of SVG vehemently disagrees with the findings of the United States government that there are severe forms of human trafficking in SVG. Prime Minister Dr the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves and other government officials, including our Ambassador at the United Nations and to the United States, have spoken on this matter repeatedly.

Editor, the question is widely asked: can a country ever come off of the United States TIP Report List? The answer to that question is NO! The TVPA Act mandates the US State Department to rank all countries (except Haiti and Somalia). A country can remain in the same rank, improve or worsen, but a country will never get off the list. So, to re-emphasize the point, all countries (except Haiti and Somalia which receive special exemption) are placed on the List.

Section 109 – Assistance to Foreign Countries to meet Minimum Standards.

For those countries which comply with the minimum standards or are making significant efforts so to do, Section 134 of the Act states “The President is authorized to provide assistance to foreign countries directly, or through non-governmental and multilateral organizations, for programs, projects, and activities

designed to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking (as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000), including:

(1) The drafting of laws to prohibit and punish acts of trafficking:

(2) The investigation and prosecution of traffickers;

(3) The creation and maintenance of facilities, programs, projects, and activities for the protection of victims; and

(4) The expansion of exchange programs and International Visitor Programs for Governmental and Non-governmental personnel to combat trafficking”.

Section 110 – Actions against Governments Failing To Meet the Minimum Standards.

Conversely, there are penalties for those countries which do not comply with the minimum standards in the Act to eliminate trafficking. The Act mandates the President of the United States of America to withhold non-trade, non- humanitarian related assistance to those countries. The TVPA Act states “it is the policy of the United States not to provide non-humanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance to any government that:

(1) Does not comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; and

(2) Is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with such standards”.

In the next article, we will seek to define and explain Trafficking in Persons, its causes and consequences, and measures which the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has taken to eliminate human trafficking in SVG.

The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit (ATIPU)
Police Headquarters
Questelles Police Station
Tel: 784-4571211
Email: svgantitraffickingunit@gmail.com