Find the full report at Here  Check out your country situation – have your local media covered the issuance of the report?  Here is an article from Ireland  – link from the Irish Examiner Click  The report, which was published yesterday, said: “Foreign trafficking victims identified in Ireland are from Nigeria, Cameroon, the Philippines, Poland, Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, Lithuania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Kuwait, and other countries in Asia, and Eastern Europe.”  “There has been an increase in identified Irish children subjected to sex trafficking within the country.”  Sarah Benson, the chief executive officer of Ruhama, which supports women affected by prostitution and trafficking, said: “We concur with many of the concerns outlined in this year’s TIP report, particularly those dealing with the identification and protection of victims.”

Tell us what your country is saying about the report?  We hear from Malaysia that they have dropped to tier 3 – the lowest level –  Tier 3 countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards and have not shown the US they are making significant efforts to do so.
Apart from the three other countries which had been downgraded, Malaysia joins a Tier 3 list of countries which comprises Algeria, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Uzbekistan, North Yemen and Zimbabwe.

TIP Heroes are celebrated among them Irene Fernandez.

The page dedicated to Irene Fernandez, a Malaysian activist who was devoted to the plight of the immigrants and victims of human trafficking. – Pic courtesy of US State Department website, June 20, 2014.

Other heroes include:  Gilbert Munda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);   Bhanuja Sharan Lal, India;  Myeongjin , Ko, Republic of Korea (ROK);  Elisabeth Sioufi, Lebanon;  Tek Narayan Kunwar, Nepal;  Jhinna Pinchi, Peru; and  Van Ngoc Ta, Vietnam – all countries where Good Shepherd is present.  Click here to read more

There are stories of 12 victims from 12 countries.  Check and see if your country is mentioned.   Click here

There is a section on topics of special interest.  It is interesting and easy to read See what they are!  One topic named is ‘Human Trafficking and Major Sporting Events – Major sporting events—such as the Olympics, World Cup, and Super Bowl—provide both an opportunity to raise awareness about human trafficking as well as a challenge to identify trafficking victims and prosecute traffickers who take advantage of these events. Successful anti-trafficking efforts must be comprehensive and sustainable, addressing both labor and sex trafficking conditions before, during, and after such events.’  See this section as there maybe something specific to your country.

Angola, Bangladesh,  Congo, Republic of, Czech Republic, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, are countries were we are present. These countries are NOT States Parties to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking In Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime!

Check out what your country position is with regard to international conventions Click here

In the closing note the following is quoted:  “In May 2014, the International Labour Organization released a groundbreaking report estimating that victims of this crime generate a staggering $150 billion in profits per year for the private global economy: $99 billion in the sex industry and $51 billion in other sectors. Despite improvements made by many governments to address human trafficking, these crimes remain low risk/high profit ventures. Countries must do more to close off these zones of impunity.”  Read more   Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labor (2014) was posted on June 2nd.

Another commentary   The US downgraded Malaysia, Thailand and Venezuela …