Within the United States, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended, provides the tools to combat trafficking in persons both worldwide and domestically. The Act authorized the establishment of the State Department’s TIP Office and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to assist in the coordination of U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts. Internationally, several conventions, in particular the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Protocol), set out international standards for combating trafficking in persons

U.S. Laws on Trafficking in Persons

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended, provides the tools to combat trafficking in persons both worldwide and domestically. The Act authorized the establishment of the State Department’s TIP Office and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to assist in the coordination of anti-trafficking efforts.

International Conventions Relevant to Combating Trafficking in Persons

The chart below shows the Ratification, Accession (a), or Acceptance (A) of relevant international conventions for those countries that have ratified, acceded to, or accepted any such conventions.

[Scroll bar is available at the bottom of the table; click here for PDF version [310 KB]]

Country UN Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress & Punish
Trafficking in Persons
ILO
Convention 182,

Elimination of Worst
Forms of Child Labour
Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights
of the Child on the Sale of
Children, Child Prostitution
and Child Pornography
Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights
of the Child in Armed Conflict
ILO
Convention 29,
Forced
Labour
ILO
Convention 105,
Abolition of Forced
Labour
ILO
Convention
189,
Domestic
Workers,
2011
Signature Ratification,
Accession (a),
or Acceptance (A)
Ratification Signature Ratification,
Accession (a)
Signature Ratification,
Accession (a)
Ratification Ratification Ratification
Afghanistan

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

Albania

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Algeria

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Angola

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Antigua & Barbuda

X

X

X

X

X

X

Argentina

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Armenia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Australia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Austria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Azerbaijan

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Bahamas, The

X

X

X

X

X

Bahrain

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Bangladesh

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Barbados

X

X

X

X

X

Belarus

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Belgium

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Belize

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Benin

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Bhutan

X

X

X

X

Bolivia

X

X

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

Bosnia & Herzegovina

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Botswana

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Brazil

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Brunei

X

X(a)

Bulgaria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Burkina Faso

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Burma

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

Burundi

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Cabo Verde

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Cambodia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Cameroon

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Canada

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Central African Rep.

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Chad

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Chile

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

China (PRC)

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

Colombia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Comoros

X

X(a)

X

X

Congo (DRC)

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Congo, Rep. of

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Costa Rica

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Cote d’Ivoire

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Croatia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Cuba

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Cyprus

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Czech Republic

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Denmark

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Djibouti

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Dominican Republic

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

Ecuador

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Egypt

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

El Salvador

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Equatorial Guinea

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

Eritrea

X(a)

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Estonia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Ethiopia

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Fiji

X

X

X

X

X

Finland

X

X(A)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

France

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Gabon

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Gambia, The

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Georgia

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Germany

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Ghana

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Greece

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Guatemala

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Guinea

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

X

Guinea-Bissau

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Guyana

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

X

Haiti

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Honduras

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Hungary

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Iceland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

India

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Indonesia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Iran

X

X(a)

X

X

X

Iraq

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Ireland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Israel

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Italy

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Jamaica

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Japan

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Jordan

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Kazakhstan

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Kenya

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Kiribati

X(a)

X

X

X

Korea (DPRK)

X

X

Korea, Rep. Of

X

X

X

X

X

X

Kuwait

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Kyrgyz Republic

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Laos

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

Latvia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Lebanon

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Lesotho

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Liberia

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

Libya

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Lithuania

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Luxembourg

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Macedonia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Madagascar

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Malawi

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Malaysia

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

Maldives

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mali

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Malta

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Marshall Islands
Mauritania

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

X

Mauritius

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mexico

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Micronesia (FSM)

X(a)

X

X

X

Moldova

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mongolia

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Montenegro

X(d)

X

X(d)

X(d)

X

X

Morocco

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mozambique

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Namibia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Nepal

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Netherlands

X

X(A)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

New Zealand

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Nicaragua

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

X

Niger

X

X

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

Nigeria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Norway

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Oman

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Pakistan

X

X

X

X

X

X

Palau
Panama

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Papua New Guinea

X

X

X

Paraguay

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Peru

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Philippines

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Poland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Portugal

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Qatar

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Romania

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Russia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Rwanda

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

St. Lucia

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

St. Maarten

X

X

St. Vincent & the Gren.

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Saudi Arabia

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Senegal

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Serbia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Seychelles

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Sierra Leone

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Singapore

X

X

X

X

Slovak Republic

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Slovenia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Solomon Islands

X

X

X

X

X

Somalia

X

X

X

X

South Africa

X

X

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

South Sudan

X

X

X

Spain

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Sri Lanka

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Sudan

X(a)

X

X(a)

X

X

X

X

Suriname

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Swaziland

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Sweden

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Switzerland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Syria

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Tajikistan

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Tanzania

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Thailand

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Timor-Leste

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

Togo

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago

X

X

X

X

X

Tunisia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Turkey

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Turkmenistan

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Uganda

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Ukraine

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

United Arab Emirates

X(a)

X

X

X

United Kingdom

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

United States

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Uruguay

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Uzbekistan

X

X

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Venezuela

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Vietnam

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yemen

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

Zambia

X(a)

X

X

X

X

X

Zimbabwe

X(a)

X

X(a)

X(a)

X

X

 

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future