Ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Saturday, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Acting Director Robert Forden yesterday applauded Taiwan’s leadership for its regional and international anti-trafficking efforts, but reminded the country that its top ranking “does not mean everything is perfect.”
Forden made the remarks at the first International Workshop on Strategies for Combating Human Trafficking held in Taipei, which was attended by academics and government officials from Taiwan, the US, the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.
“As we gather here today, there are countless criminal networks and individuals making billions of dollars by enslaving other human beings and forcing them to work or provide sexual services in exchange for little or no pay,” Forden said.
Human trafficking does not respect borders, which is why the apprehension of traffickers and endeavors to ensure victims receive the protection and support they need require international cooperation, he said.
Noting Taiwan’s “Tier 1” ranking — the highest in a four-tier ranking system — in the US Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report for seven consecutive years, Forden said Taiwan stands out as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We applaud Taiwan’s leadership in engaging regional and international partners in anti-trafficking efforts, and in sharing its own experiences and lessons learned in our global fight against human trafficking,” Forden said.
“However, a Tier 1 ranking does mean everything is perfect or that we can become complacent,” Forden added.
US Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Ambassador-at-Large Susan Coppedge, who arrived on Tuesday for a four-day visit, said Taiwan’s consistent Tier 1 ranking reflects its adamant efforts to continuously strengthen its own capacity and to build a broad coalition of local and overseas partners to combat human trafficking.
“To date, Taiwan has signed 16 memoranda of understanding with countries around the world, most recently Panama and El Salvador, to increase information sharing and cooperation in stemming the flow of trafficking,” Coppedge said.
“We are very appreciative of having such a reliable partner as we seek to end modern slavery,” she added.
Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said that as a democratic nation, Taiwan has always adhered to universal values, including peace, freedom, democracy and human rights.
“The new government is determined to fulfill the nation’s responsibility as a citizen of the Earth and endeavor to make contributions in the areas of diplomacy and significant global issues,” Chen said, adding that the government would demonstrate to the international community that Taiwan is an indispensable partner.
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