President Obama Calls for New Steps to Combat Human Trafficking; Will Those Steps Include Combating Demand?

WASHINGTON, DC President Barack Obama spoke during the Clinton Global Initiative yesterday, announcing new efforts to help eradicate human trafficking. Obama referred to the fight against human trafficking as one of the great human rights causes of our time, and mentioned new steps to deal with a problem he called barbaric and evil.

President Obamas new efforts to eradicate human trafficking are important, says Laura Lederer, of Global Centurion, an NGO working to stop trafficking by focusing on demand. The President noted that human trafficking is criminal activity that involves the buying and selling of human beings. He recognized that it is a law enforcement problem, a human rights abuse, and a public and private health issue. It is also a 32 billion dollar a year business. President Obama called for more vigorous prosecution of the traffickers and for more emphasis on helping their victims, including providing shelters and rehabilitative and restorative services, but will this Administration do anything to focus on the people who exploit these victims by paying for their services? A renewed focus on demand would reduce and eventually eradicate the market for trafficking of all kinds.

READ MORE: http://www.voanews.com/content/obama_calls_human_trafficking_slavery_announces_new_measures/1514891.html

SEE ALSO: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/09/25/president-obama-unveils-major-actions-to-fight-human-trafficking

SEE ALSO: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-cycle/49168751/#49168751

For more information about Global Centurion Foundation, go to https://www.globalcenturion.org/.