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| How NGOs are using the Trafficking in Persons report | How NGOs are using the Trafficking in Persons report |
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| This week, the US state department launched its annual Trafficking in Persons (Tip) report, grading the scale and severity of people-trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery in 188 countries and territories. | This week, the US state department launched its annual Trafficking in Persons (Tip) report, grading the scale and severity of people-trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery in 188 countries and territories. |
| Widely acknowledged as the world's most comprehensive and influential assessment of global anti-trafficking efforts, the Tip report is a potentially powerful advocacy and campaigning tool for anti-slavery groups working both in country and internationally. | Widely acknowledged as the world's most comprehensive and influential assessment of global anti-trafficking efforts, the Tip report is a potentially powerful advocacy and campaigning tool for anti-slavery groups working both in country and internationally. |
| Since 2001, the Tip report has been the US' principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on the issue of trafficking and slavery within their own borders. Using a three-tier system, the US state department ranks how countries are complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. It offers a detailed analysis of credible evidence of people trafficking and slavery within each country, any counter-trafficking efforts being undertaken and a series of suggestions for how the situation could and should improve. | Since 2001, the Tip report has been the US' principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on the issue of trafficking and slavery within their own borders. Using a three-tier system, the US state department ranks how countries are complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. It offers a detailed analysis of credible evidence of people trafficking and slavery within each country, any counter-trafficking efforts being undertaken and a series of suggestions for how the situation could and should improve. |
| "The Tip report is an incredibly useful tool for anyone working in the anti-slavery sector," says Steve Trent, chief executive of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). "It is a blunt instrument to force through change and a strong platform in delivering credible information that looks at solid evidence in an objective light with the weight of what is still the most powerful nation on earth behind it. As an advocacy tool you don't get much better than that." | "The Tip report is an incredibly useful tool for anyone working in the anti-slavery sector," says Steve Trent, chief executive of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). "It is a blunt instrument to force through change and a strong platform in delivering credible information that looks at solid evidence in an objective light with the weight of what is still the most powerful nation on earth behind it. As an advocacy tool you don't get much better than that." |
| This year's report has been particularly significant thanks to the hard line it has taken with countries who have repeatedly failed to improve their counter-trafficking efforts. China, Russia and Uzbekistan, were downgraded to Tier 3, the lowest possible ranking, while a number of other countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Afghanistan, were given a final yellow card on the Tier 2 watchlist. Unless significant progress is made this year, they face automatic downgrades – with the associated reputational damage and possible non-trade-related sanctions, which could lead to restrictions on US foreign assistance and access to global financial institutions such as the World Bank. | This year's report has been particularly significant thanks to the hard line it has taken with countries who have repeatedly failed to improve their counter-trafficking efforts. China, Russia and Uzbekistan, were downgraded to Tier 3, the lowest possible ranking, while a number of other countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Afghanistan, were given a final yellow card on the Tier 2 watchlist. Unless significant progress is made this year, they face automatic downgrades – with the associated reputational damage and possible non-trade-related sanctions, which could lead to restrictions on US foreign assistance and access to global financial institutions such as the World Bank. |
| Holly Burkhalter, vice-president of government relations and advocacy at International Justice Mission said: "This year has been especially notable because of the bravery of the decision to downgrade China and Russia and the report showing strong leadership and decisiveness on the rankings of several other countries, especially when we had heard that Tip was likely to show a softer line this year. | Holly Burkhalter, vice-president of government relations and advocacy at International Justice Mission said: "This year has been especially notable because of the bravery of the decision to downgrade China and Russia and the report showing strong leadership and decisiveness on the rankings of several other countries, especially when we had heard that Tip was likely to show a softer line this year. |
| "It shows that the Tip report is able to really be a champion of pushing governments to step up their anti-trafficking efforts and that it isn't afraid to show leadership on this despite the political ramifications." | "It shows that the Tip report is able to really be a champion of pushing governments to step up their anti-trafficking efforts and that it isn't afraid to show leadership on this despite the political ramifications." |
| Anti-slavery groups can start building strong relationships with high-level policymakers engaged in the Tip process by ensuring that they are feeding in any credible information or evidence they have into the mix. | Anti-slavery groups can start building strong relationships with high-level policymakers engaged in the Tip process by ensuring that they are feeding in any credible information or evidence they have into the mix. |
| "If you have strong evidence then the Tip report is probably the most effective way of getting governments to actually take notice of what you're presenting," says Trent. | "If you have strong evidence then the Tip report is probably the most effective way of getting governments to actually take notice of what you're presenting," says Trent. |
| Trent and his colleagues at EJF have recently been working closely with the US State department on evidence they have collected on forced labour and slavery in Thailand's seafood industry. | Trent and his colleagues at EJF have recently been working closely with the US State department on evidence they have collected on forced labour and slavery in Thailand's seafood industry. |
| "Feed in your work, build those relationships with the embassy and you're also opening up channels to the highest levels of policymaking on trafficking in the world," he says. | "Feed in your work, build those relationships with the embassy and you're also opening up channels to the highest levels of policymaking on trafficking in the world," he says. |
| David Batstone, the chief executive of anti-slavery organisation Not For Sale also points out that savvy groups working in-country should see opportunities in using the Tip report as a way to engage governments and state authorities in taking preventative action to avoid bad rankings. | David Batstone, the chief executive of anti-slavery organisation Not For Sale also points out that savvy groups working in-country should see opportunities in using the Tip report as a way to engage governments and state authorities in taking preventative action to avoid bad rankings. |
| "It's often not enough to say to governments 'you should be doing this because it's the right thing to do'", he says. "Another approach is saying, "If you engage with us on this issue, we can work together on helping you ensure that you get a good Tip assessment. Governments do not want a bad showing in the Tip report, so targeted strategies looking at how they can work on their anti-trafficking programmes using Tip as a framework will often have more of an impact." | "It's often not enough to say to governments 'you should be doing this because it's the right thing to do'", he says. "Another approach is saying, "If you engage with us on this issue, we can work together on helping you ensure that you get a good Tip assessment. Governments do not want a bad showing in the Tip report, so targeted strategies looking at how they can work on their anti-trafficking programmes using Tip as a framework will often have more of an impact." |
| Disseminating to partners on the ground and trying to get the report into the hands of local police and other state services can also see the report morphing into an effective training manual for how to improve things. | Disseminating to partners on the ground and trying to get the report into the hands of local police and other state services can also see the report morphing into an effective training manual for how to improve things. |
| "I've been to local police stations and tiny NGO offices where they don't have any other anti-trafficking literature but they do have a Tip report," says Burkhalter. "It can provide useful guidance on very practical ways to carry out prevention work, the importance of enforcement of laws and also to raise awareness of anti-slavery work at that local level." | "I've been to local police stations and tiny NGO offices where they don't have any other anti-trafficking literature but they do have a Tip report," says Burkhalter. "It can provide useful guidance on very practical ways to carry out prevention work, the importance of enforcement of laws and also to raise awareness of anti-slavery work at that local level." |
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