This year’s Trafficking In Persons Report proved to be a motivator for many English-speaking Caribbean and CARICOM nations. While none of them attained Tier 1 status, they were also spared a Tier 3 ranking.
Those which have been placed in Tier 2 include The Bahamas, Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. Others have been relegated to Tier 2 Watch List status which Trinidad and Tobago shared in the 2013 TIP Report. Current Tier 2 Watch List nations in the region are Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Due to the manner in which the annual TIP Report is compiled, there is no reason to believe that nations in Tier 2 Watch List cannot be upgraded once they demonstrate greater effort to combat human trafficking during this reporting period.
We now brace for the slew of complaints and criticisms from regional governments displeased with their ranking in this year’s TIP Report. This has become an annual diplomatic issue as many governments and academics criticize the manner of compilation and lack of transparency in the TIP Report.
At the end of the day, however, the TIP Report (not unlike the UNODC’s Report on Trafficking In Persons) serves as a “wake-up call” for nations to gauge their efforts to combat the worst form of human rights violation in our modern times.
Below is the extract from the 2014 TIP Report which outlines the Methodology used by the US Department of State:-
“Methodology
The U. S. Department of State prepared this Report using information from U.S. embassies, government officials, non-governmental and international organizations, published reports, news articles, academic studies, research trips to every region of the world, and information submitted to tipreport@state.gov. This email address provides a means by which organizations and individuals can share information with the Department of State on government progress in addressing trafficking.
U. S. diplomatic posts and domestic agencies reported on the trafficking situation and governmental action to fight trafficking based on thorough research that included meetings with a wide variety of government officials, local and international NGO representatives, officials of international organizations, journalists, academics, and survivors. U. S. missions overseas are dedicated to covering human trafficking issues. The 2014 TIP Report covers government efforts undertaken from April 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014.”
End Human Trafficking in the Caribbean 