For Immediate Release
Press Release
Koror, Palau – The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and in partnership with The Asia Foundation, is expanding the Pacific Regional Initiative and Support for More Effective Counter Trafficking in Persons (Pacific RISE CTIP) to include the Republic of Palau. “The U. S. Government, through USAID, is pleased to support Palau and its National Action Plan to eliminate human trafficking, and to work as partners with the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to combat modern-day slavery,” said U.S. Ambassador to Palau, Joel Ehrenreich.
Pacific RISE CTIP is a five-year program already operating in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Tonga to strengthen national responses to protect, prevent, and prosecute against trafficking in persons (TIP).
USAID Assistant Administrator for Asia Michael Schiffer stated, “This assistance will bolster the work of the Palau government, civil society, and the private sector to prevent trafficking in persons (TIP), protect victims, investigate, and prosecute parties involved in trafficking.” USAID is providing an additional US $2.5 million, subject to availability of funds, to expand the program to include Palau, bringing the overall USAID support to US $12.5 million.
Palau is currently on Tier 2 of the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report. The TIP Report documents the efforts by countries’ governments, including the United States, to combat human trafficking. Tier 2 countries are classified as countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act but are making significant efforts to meet those standards.
Although Palau has not yet fully met the minimum standards for the elimination of TIP, the country has made a strong commitment to develop better capability, policies, and systems to more effectively counter TIP. This included the finalization of their CTIP National Action Plan, new legislation to support the implementation of the Action Plan, and work with community stakeholders to raise awareness on trafficking.
Pacific Island countries have been identified as sources, transit points, and destinations for TIP, especially sex and labor trafficking. USAID supports Pacific Island countries in upholding human rights and ending this modern form of slavery.