For many years, trafficking has been addressed by tackling the ‘three P’s’: Prosecution, Prevention and Protection. These however, are not enough. What has been missing until now is the fourth P – Partnerships. Effective partnerships are required to ensure that ‘no victim is unnoticed’. The Taskforce, as an outcome focused group, is working to create global partnerships between Governments, Parliaments and civil society so that we all work together to tackle, and end, the trafficking and enslavement of human beings.

Human trafficking is borderless, modern day slavery that continues to exploit millions of innocent lives in the darkest of alleys in every corner of the world. The collaborative action and expertise of world leaders, policy experts, and survivors are critical to winning the battle against this evil criminal institution. I commend the visionary leadership of Anne Basham at the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking (ITHT) for rallying the global community in the fight against human trafficking.

It is imperative for Parliamentarians and legislators to implement robust laws and policies to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery. As such, I am grateful for the important work undertaken by Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking (ITHT)In particular, under the leadership of Ms. Basham, the Taskforce has been instrumental in bringing together Parliamentarians to share best practices, provide strategic advice, and build international cooperation in the effort to combat exploitation.

Ms. Anne Basham, Chairman of the ITHT, has been able to successfully bring together not only Parliamentarians, government leaders, policy experts, but also survivors whose voices are incredibly important to the global discussion of human trafficking, who are committed to creating solutions to stop the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today. Moreover, it is important to recognize that human trafficking is a social justice concern, and proper measures must be in place to combat this issue.

One of the missions of Campaign for Uyghurs is to promote the rights of Uyghur women and youth, and we have worked hard to provide a platform and a voice to Uyghur survivors who have been subject to unimaginable horrors including sexual violence and rape in the camps. We have supported bills including the Uyghur Stop Oppressive Sterilizations Act, which would provide assistance to Uyghur survivors who had faced sexual violence and rape in concentration camps. The voice of the survivor is incredibly important to the global discussion of human trafficking and is critical to implementing new solutions to solve it. The Taskforce on Human Trafficking has been able to successfully bring together Parliamentarians, government leaders, policy experts, and survivors to collaborate on policies and solutions that will work to end human trafficking.

Together with the other task force members, who are human rights defenders, I am encouraged that we continue to make visible a hidden pervasive human rights violation of orphanage trafficking and other forms of exploitation. We bring together our collective voices and experiences to offer long-lasting solutions, supporting governments to legislate against these violations and to ensure children, regardless of their socio-economic status are protected from all forms of exploitation.

Survivors bring invaluable expertise and insights, not only about their own experiences but also about the tactics and strategies of traffickers. By working together with law and policymakers, we can contribute to the development of stronger policies and drive meaningful change.

As a survivor of child sexual exploitation and trafficking, having a voice on this powerful global platform has empowered me  to use my voice more constructively and powerfully. The only way to effectively address this global injustice is through teamwork, collaboration on policy development, and the implementation of solutions based on solid evidence and survivor expertise. ITHT provides me with the opportunity to be a team player and a catalyst for change.