Embassy of The United States
Yerevan, Armenia
The Fight Against Trafficking in Persons in Armenia
On June 5, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice released the Department of
State’s fifth annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. This annual report
is intended to raise global awareness of human trafficking, underscore the
growing efforts of the international community to combat this problem, and
encourage nations around the world to take effective actions against this
abuse. The report puts it bluntly: Trafficking in persons is modern day
slavery, and it is a crime that affects virtually every country, including
the United States.
To my regret, Armenia still has a significant trafficking in persons
problem. This year, Armenia was once again placed on the TIP Report’s Tier 2
Watch List. Countries that do not comply with the minimum standards to
combat trafficking, but that are making significant efforts to meet those
standards, are classified as Tier 2. Armenia was placed on the Watch List
for a second consecutive year because of its failure to show evidence of
increasing efforts over the past year, particularly in the areas of
enforcement, trafficking-related corruption and victim protection. While the
government improved overall implementation of its anti-trafficking law, it
did not impose adequate penalties for convicted traffickers. It did not
vigorously enough investigate and prosecute ongoing and widespread
allegations of public officials’ complicity in trafficking, and victim
protection efforts remained in an early, formative stage.
In order to improve its efforts and to avoid dropping to Tier 3, a step that
can lead to the withholding of U.S. non-humanitarian and non-trade related
assistance, Armenia needs to more aggressively prosecute traffickers and
mete out more significant penalties to convicted traffickers. The government
ought to vigorously investigate and prosecute all allegations of public
officials? complicity in trafficking, and should improve its victim
protection efforts to help victims of this serious crime.
The United States, the Republic of Armenia and all countries around the
world must work together to combat and eventually eliminate trafficking in
persons. In addition to the $400 million in international anti-trafficking
assistance that it has contributed to date, the U.S. government continues to
fight trafficking in persons in the United States and throughout the world.
As President George W. Bush recently noted, “Our nation is determined to
fight and end this modern form of slavery.” For millions of enslaved people
around the world, this new abolitionist movement has come none too soon.
John M. Evans
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia