BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of State released its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report:
“The State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report is an important opportunity to address the global scourge of human trafficking – an issue that requires every government to commit to prosecuting perpetrators, preventing further victimization, and protecting trafficking survivors.
“Unfortunately, there are governments who continue to fail to meet the minimum standards to end this abhorrent problem. Countries like China, South Sudan, Burma, Belarus, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia have not only failed to prevent human trafficking, but they’ve also failed to prosecute or provide protections for their populations.
“However, we must also commend countries making significant improvements in prevention, protection and prosecution, like Jordan, Armenia, Singapore, Lesotho, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and others. These governments’ efforts to strengthen their protocols, in conjunction with our partnerships, will help victims at home and abroad.
“This report highlights ongoing efforts to bring traffickers to justice globally. This work is an important diplomatic tool, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress on this issue.”
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