On July 15, the World Affairs Council hosted a 2-hour human trafficking multidisciplinary discussion with a multinational delegation of individuals who were initially invited to St. Louis through the World Affairs Council’s International Visitor Leadership Program, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State.
The delegation comprised of associates from various governmental bodies/NGOs of the countries Bulgaria, Republic of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Poland, and Zambia.
The Human Trafficking Collaborative Network organized a group of human-trafficking experts in St. Louis to attend the 2-hour session. Attendees from St. Louis included leadership from HTCN, and representatives from the International Institute of St. Louis, Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department, National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis, United Nations Associations St. Louis Chapter, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and University of Missouri at St. Louis. The professional objectives included:
- Review U.S. government strategies to combat international trafficking in persons, including crimes against women and children, by examining the formulation, administration, and enforcement of U.S. policy on the national, state, and local levels
- Examine the roles that government, law enforcement, the courts, and local organizations play in detecting, preventing, and prosecuting crimes
- Explore initiatives to recognize, protect, and assist victims of abuse and trafficking, including victim recovery and reintegration programs
- Investigate international law enforcement cooperation in trafficking in persons cases