Calvin Smyre
U.S. Public Delegate
New York, New York
October 13, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Special Rapporteur, for your latest report on how contemporary forms of slavery affect vulnerable populations across the globe.
Every country has abolished slavery, yet contemporary forms of slavery persist, particularly for members of marginalized racial, ethnic, and Indigenous communities. Women and children are often disproportionally subjected to these devastating practices, and some forms of contemporary slavery can be difficult to detect.
The United States condemns slavery in any form. Full stop. Millions of people around the globe are forced into human trafficking for the purposes of sexual or labor exploitation, and we cannot turn a blind eye to their suffering and these crimes.
To effectively prevent and eradicate slavery in all its forms, States need to address drivers of the conditions that make individuals vulnerable, including poverty, social exclusion, and all forms of discrimination. These shared, global challenges will require coordinated and sustained global solutions.
Our question is: How can States incorporate better data analysis into their systems to more accurately track and identify patterns of human trafficking?
I thank you.
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