16707: Karshan: White House recognizes Haiti's significant progress on Trafficking in Persons (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

Statement by the White House Press Secretary

Presidential Determination Regarding the Trafficking Victims

Protection Act for 2003

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by the
White House Press Secretary:

The President notified Congress that ten countries have avoided possible
sanctions under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 because of
significant steps their governments have taken to fight trafficking in persons. These
governments -- Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dominican Republic,
Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Suriname, Turkey, and Uzbekistan -- deserve
recognition for their quick action to address problems noted in the Department of
State's June 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report.  The President is committed to
leading the fight to eradicate trafficking in persons, which according to our
recent estimate involves up to 900,000 people a year being moved across
international borders into forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other forms of
modern day slavery.  Steps taken by these ten governments demonstrate that the
Administration's intervention on this issue is spurring the international
community to action and, most importantly, is yielding results.

These ten countries made notable progress in many key areas including the
drafting or passage of new anti-trafficking legislation and procedures;
conducting high-profile public awareness campaigns on national press and television;
developing new anti-trafficking training programs for police, immigration and
judicial officials; creating national task forces and action plans; establishing
confidential hotlines to fight corruption and trafficking in persons; and
building referral systems for victims.  These important actions will punish the
perpetrators and help the victims of this heinous crime around the world.

The steps taken by these countries stand in contrast to the continuing
failure of Burma, Cuba, and North Korea to make significant efforts to comply with
the Act's minimum standards.  As a result, the President decided to impose
sanctions on these countries in accordance with the Act.  While Liberia and Sudan
have also failed to meet the standards of the Act, and are thus subject to
sanctions, the President has determined that certain multilateral assistance for
these two countries would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in
the national interest of the United States.  For Sudan, the assistance will be
limited to that which may be necessary to implement a peace accord.

SOURCE  White House Press Office

CO:  White House Press Office

ST:  District of Columbia, Belize, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Dominican Republic,
   Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Suriname, Turkey, Uzbekistan

SU:  EXE LEG FOR

Web site:  http://www.whitehouse.gov

http://www.prnewswire.com

09/10/2003 11:17 EDT