International Law and Policy Resources
International law provides the basis for a government’s responsibility for promoting and protecting human rights. Whether through international conventions and treaties, regional conventions and treaties, or national and/or state law, countries have an obligation to prosecute traffickers, protect victims, and prevent human trafficking.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the U.S. State Department have published reports that monitor the progress of countries in addressing human trafficking. The UNODC documents human trafficking patterns and the legal response in 155 countries including reported cases, victims, and prosecutions. The UNODC has also promulgated a model law to help guide nation states in drafting and enacting national legislation.
The U.S. State Department publishes the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report annually to document the progress of countries toward combating human trafficking. Countries are ranked and placed in Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2-Watch List, or Tier 3 based on the government’s efforts to address prosecution, protection, and prevention. In 2010, the United States was ranked isn the TIP report for the first time. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act is the preeminent federal law to combat human trafficking.
Both the International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration have also published reports on child labor, forced labor, and more.
United Nations Treaties and Protocols
The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN GIFT) maintains a resource center online, including information and links to the legal framework to address human trafficking, tools for law enforcement, victim assistance providers, and much more. The following treaties and protocols represent the most recent and most significant international instruments.
2000 United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime
2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child
Worldwide Reports that Monitor Countries’ Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2009)
U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons Reports (2001-2011)
International Business Covenants
In December 2010, members of the United Nations Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative for business, attended an event to honor business leaders for their work against human trafficking.
This event led to the development of the Luxor Implementation Guidelines for the Athens Ethical Principles, with support from the Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking (BCAT).
To find specific actions for business leaders, refer to the Take Action portion of our website.
Organizations That Address Human Trafficking at the International Level
(Note: Links to outside organizations are provided for informational purposes and do not imply that Polaris Project endorses all information or opinions on these websites.)
