Human Trafficking’s Hidden Toll

The authors discuss human trafficking by highlighting the most important protocols and agreements signed by the countries of the world to criminalize this act, such as the Palermo Protocol and the Law for the Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking established by the US. However, two decades after implementation, the world has not been able to eliminate this problem. Instead, it is still growing due to poverty and challenging economic conditions, especially after the spread of the Coronavirus. The authors argue that the US should see human trafficking for the systemic threat that it poses and act accordingly. It affects major global problems as it is exploited to support abusive regimes and criminals, terrorists, and armed groups. It weakens global supply chains, feeds corruption, and it undermines good governance. This issue should be at the top of the foreign policy agenda of the US along with the formulation of a comprehensive response to address the gaps in current policies aimed at combating this crime.