TIP Report 2009

The US State Department just released a new Trafficking in Persons report. This report is enormous in its content with assessments of over 175 countries and how they are doing in this particular area of human rights. It is interesting to note that the Philippines was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch list from Tier 2 in 2009. After three years in Tier 2 of the United States’ trafficking ranking, the Philippines dropped a notch lower to Tier 2 Watch List, indicating that the number of victims of severe forms of trafficking in the country has either increased significantly or is significantly increasing. According to the report, the Philippines is a source, transit, and destination for people trafficked for commercial sex exploitation and forced labor. There is a lot of work remaining be done here.

You can download the entire or portions of the report here. The video below features US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton’s remarks when the report was released to the press.