U.S. Department of State releases the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report |20 June 2023
• Seychelles upgraded to Tier 1
U.S. Department of State has released the 23rd Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, otherwise known as the TIP Report.
The report assesses the anti-trafficking efforts of 188 governments around the world, including Seychelles.
This year, Seychelles was upgraded to Tier 1, with the report noting that the government of Seychelles made key achievements to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking during this TIP reporting period.
Seychelles’ recent efforts to combat human trafficking and commitment to justice and accountability through appropriate prosecution serve as powerful examples for countries in the region.
Human trafficking is a shared challenge that affects every country in the world, including the United States. Trafficking in persons destroys communities, undermines security for civilians, and harms the global economy.
The United States is not immune to this global problem. Human trafficking cases have been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
In the spirit of transparency to partner with other countries and strengthen counter-trafficking efforts in the United States, the TIP Report uses a tier system to rank countries and evaluate each government’s actions to combat trafficking assessed against specific criteria outlined in the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA).
The TIP Report is the U.S. Government's principal diplomatic tool to guide relations with foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-trafficking efforts and reflects the U.S. government’s commitment to global leadership on this key human rights and law enforcement issue.
U.S. embassies around the world work with the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) and foreign government representatives to address the issue of human trafficking. The aim is to combat this problem and promote tangible advancements through national action plans and suggestions outlined in the TIP Report. These recommendations align with the anti-trafficking guidelines established in the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crimes (the “Palermo Protocol”). They are tailored to each country and suggest various measures, including the creation or amendment of anti-trafficking laws, reinforcing law enforcement efforts, the implementation of victim-focused protection policies and services, and relevant prevention initiatives.
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