Parliamentary Task Force on Human Trafficking
Our Mission
The Parliamentary Task Force on Human Trafficking is a subcommittee of the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum (PISF) and was formed by Chair Anne Basham in the fall of 2021 after conversations surrounding human trafficking at the Forum in Budapest, Hungary. It is the first consortium of this kind to focus on the collaboration of Parliamentarians, lived-experience experts, and government leaders with the shared mission of combatting the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, human trafficking. Our common goal is to make our world more secure through combatting human trafficking at the policy level through parliamentary awareness, collaboration, and engagement.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world. According to the United Nations Palermo Protocol, trafficking in persons is defined as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation,” and it includes, “the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”
The Task Force is a platform for convening law makers and leaders from a variety of perspectives to achieve this goal in several ways. First, we meet virtually four times per year to collaborate and discuss actionable policy solutions and legislation focused on the prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership elements of combatting human trafficking that can be implemented in our respective countries or supported collectively. Each quarterly meeting focuses on a different aspect of combatting modern slavery and begins with an expert speaker followed by discussion amongst members. Statements and initiatives are also issued throughout the year.
Additionally, the Task Force provides a panel of speakers to increase the awareness to the Parliamentarians and government leaders about human trafficking at the PISF forums during the year throughout the world, thus tying the topic into the larger conversation about global security. Finally, the Task Force seeks to accomplish its goal through providing an opportunity to network with likeminded colleagues and lived-experience experts, and share information about anti-trafficking laws and solutions from around the world.
Increased awareness about human trafficking by government leaders as well as collective organization on policies and statements surrounding this topic is critical to creating widespread systemic change. Our belief is that through collaboration we can accomplish more.
Australian Parliamentary Inquiry on Trafficking in Orphanages
Stopping Online Child Sexual Exploitation – November 18th World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence
Survivors of Human Trafficking Advisory Council Initiative
50 million people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery – Statement on the new global estimates
Statement Regarding Trafficking in Persons on the One Year Anniversary of the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
World Day Against Trafficking in Human Beings Statement in Support of Universal Indicators of Human Trafficking
Letter to the UN Secretary General re: Priority of Human Trafficking at the UN General Assembly
Members
Click the photo for bios.