June 12 , 2007
Georgia Obtains Tier 1 Status Thanks to Strong Effort in Fighting Human Trafficking
On Tuesday, June 12, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, released the 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report. In her opening remarks, Secretary Rice said "Despite…serious challenges, this year's report should give us hope. For example, Georgia, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel have all made major improvements, as have Taiwan and countries like Indonesia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Jamaica."
The Department of State is required by law to submit a report each year to the U.S. Congress on foreign governments' efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. The report also to raises awareness, highlights best practices and inspires governments to take action against trafficking. The 2007 report covers 164 countries.
An excerpt from Georgia's country report reads: "The Government of Georgia fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Over the past year, the government made considerable progress in the prosecution and punishment of traffickers, protection and assistance for victims, and prevention of trafficking. Georgia developed and implemented a victim-centered national referral mechanism, provided a building for the country's first trafficking victims' shelter, dedicated on-going funding for victim assistance, passed comprehensive trafficking legislation, aggressively prosecuted and toughened penalties for traffickers, and initiated multiple proactive prevention programs."
Link to full report - Section on Georgia
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