U.S. Embassy Hosts Roundtable on Prevention of Human Trafficking with Mexican NGOs

U.S. Embassy Hosts Roundtable on Prevention of Human Trafficking with Mexican NGOs

ONGs met with Ambassador to talk about Human Trafficking

Mexico City, November 3, 2011—The U.S. Embassy in Mexico today held a roundtable discussion with Mexican non-governmental organizations who are leading the fight against human trafficking, including: Casa Alianza, Fundacion Infantía, Colectivo Nacional en Contra de la Trata, Red Nacional de Refugios, and Centro de Estudios e Investigación en Desarollo y Asistencia Social (CEIDAS).  Ambassador Anthony Wayne chaired the discussion, which covered public awareness, victim protection, care for child victims of trafficking, combating sexual tourism, preventative education programs and training, and other topics.

“Human trafficking is a global problem, one that affects people on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The governments of both countries are committed to cooperating closely to curb this criminal trade, however, governments alone cannot wipe it out.  That is why meetings like this one are so vital.” said Ambassador Wayne. “In order to be effective, this campaign must leverage the expertise and capabilities of passionate and committed actors from civil society, such as these organizations gathered here today.  I was very interested to hear the perspectives of these key NGOs on both the problem and the actions being taken to combat it. My embassy looks forward to continuing our effective cooperation with these groups, as well as with the Mexican government, until we can declare this fight won.”

In addition to the $5 million dollars in support the U.S. has provided since 2009 to Mexican civil society organizations working against human trafficking, another $1.2 million in U.S. funds to combat trafficking in persons in Mexico is being delivered this month.  In combating human trafficking, the United States employs a whole-of-government approach, with an emphasis on prevention, finding and prosecuting perpetrators, and most importantly, protecting the victims of this crime. In keeping with this approach, Ambassador Wayne has directed all agencies and offices at the embassy to cooperate, with the goal of ending human trafficking in mind. In addition to supporting civil society groups, the embassy provides training for both governmental and non-governmental actors, brings experts from the United States to engage with their Mexican counterparts, and engages in close law enforcement cooperation to combat and prevent this traffic.