04 November 2002

U.S. Envoy Appeals for International Cooperation Against Trafficking, October 28, 2002

(Alexander Vershbow remarks to conference in Golitsyno, Russia)

Trafficking in human beings is "nothing less than forced labor and human slavery" that, like terrorism, "must be fought through a combination of national law enforcement and international cooperation," according to U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Alexander Vershbow, whose remarks October 28 were directed at a conference in Golitsyno, Russia, on trafficking and its implications for Russian development.

Destination countries such as the United States need the cooperation of law enforcement, legislators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), schools and families in source and transit countries "if we are to address this problem before the targets become victims in ours," Vershbow said.

"We reach out to you and ask your assistance in helping us to erase this shameful practice from our land, and promise our support in helping you to approach this issue from your side as well," Vershbow said, noting the conference's role in beginning the process of drafting appropriate Russian legislation against trafficking.

Excerpts from Vershbow's remarks were read to the conference by Counselor Karen Aguilar because the ambassador had been detained in Moscow by events related to the aftermath of the hostage situation there

Following are the excerpts as provided by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
(begin text)

Remarks by Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation

At the International Conference for Researchers and Practitioners on the Problems of Combating Human Trafficking and its implications for Russian Development
Golitsyno, Russia
October 28, 2002

Delivered by Karen Aguilar, Counselor for Law Enforcement Matters, American Embassy, Moscow

AGUILAR: Ambassador Vershbow has been detained in Moscow by events related to the aftermath of the hostage situation and sends both his regrets for missing this event, and his condolences on the tragic events of this weekend. He is deeply concerned about the problem of trafficking in America, Russia and throughout the world, however, and asked me to read the following excerpts from the speech he had hoped to give today.

[begin excerpts]

Thank you for inviting me here today to open this most important conference. Today, we mourn the deaths of victims of the theater tragedy of last week. Those who died, whatever the precise circumstances, are victims of international terrorism. They are, of course, mostly Russians, but include also those from a number of other countries, including my own. The tragedy of the theater is our common tragedy, caused by our common enemy, terrorism. And we mourn the victims together.

You are gathered today to face another common tragedy, that of the criminal trafficking in people. This is not as dramatic a problem as last week's hostage-taking. It doesn't attract journalists from all over the world, it isn't covered 24 hours per day by all the major television networks. It is, rather, a much more insidious tragedy, one that continues slowly, and mostly quietly, without a great deal of public attention. It is, nevertheless, in its own way a tragedy of the same proportions as the events we witnessed last week. Trafficking destroys lives, many of them, all day every day. It, like terrorism, does not respect borders. And, like terrorism, trafficking must be fought through a combination of national law enforcement and international cooperation. It is our common tragedy, imposed by our common enemy, and we will never defeat it unless we fight this enemy together.

This trafficking, especially in women and children, has grown rapidly over the last decade, and our awareness of it grew too slowly. It is nothing less than forced labor and human slavery. And it is taking place throughout the world -- including in countries that pride themselves on their devotion to democracy and freedom - and it is a violation of every value and ideal we hold dear. Yet it was only in 2000 that we in the United States concluded that our existing legislation was inadequate to address this problem and we passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in October of that year.

One of the first cases tried under this new law was the trafficking of several young Russian girls to Alaska, where they were tricked into traveling by lies and false promises of opportunities to dance at Russian cultural events. What happened to them is a familiar story by now, and one that happens to too many young people day after day throughout the world. These young girls were finally restored to their families and their traffickers were brought to justice in the U.S. through the cooperation of the FBI, local law enforcement and the Russian Procuracy and Russian law enforcement. Our Attorney General sent special words of appreciation to the General Procurator for the exemplary cooperation that resulted in these convictions.

This was justice. And it will protect other young women from becoming victims, but for some it came too late. By the time law enforcement in the country of destination intervenes, damage to the lives of victims will have already taken place. Traffickers lure these victims to my country, among others, with the promise of opportunity -- opportunity to make their dreams a reality, to find a high paying, glamorous job in another country, and to help their families back home. Some of these victims will instead be forced into sexual slavery, robbed of their passports, their money and their belongings, physically and psychologically abused, forcibly addicted to drugs, and subjected to the risk of disease and violence, even death on a daily basis. Held secretly away from any who might be able to assist them, others may be held in sweatshops or fields or private homes where they are forced to work under inhuman conditions, risking injury or death.

Prosecution of the criminals who commit this crime and assistance and protection of victims in the country of destination is our responsibility. But it is not enough. By the time these abuses come to the attention of our law enforcement, a human tragedy has already occurred. We need the cooperation of law enforcement, legislators, NGOs, schools and families in source and transit countries if we are to address this problem before the targets become victims in ours.

I am therefore honored to have been invited to address this conference as you begin the process of drafting appropriate Russian legislation to address this crime that affects us both so tragically and insidiously. We reach out to you and ask your assistance in helping us to erase this shameful practice from our land, and promise our support in helping you to approach this issue from your side as well. I wish you all the best in this undertaking that has such important implications for both of us. Together we can fight this common tragedy.

Thank you.

(end text)