Abstract
The U.S. government estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 persons are trafficked across international borders annually; however such estimates of global human trafficking are questionable. The accuracy of the estimates is in doubt because of methodological weaknesses, gaps in data, and numerical discrepancies. For example, the U.S. government's estimate was developed by one person who did not document all of his work, so the estimate may not be replicable, casting doubt on its reliability. Moreover, the quality of existing country level data varies due to limited availability, reliability, and comparability. There is also a considerable discrepancy between the numbers of observed and estimated victims of human trafficking. The U.S. government has not yet established an effective mechanism for estimating the number of victims or for conducting ongoing analysis of trafficking related data that resides within various government agencies.
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We identified six desirable characteristics to include in a national strategy: (1) purpose, scope, and methodology; (2) problem definition and risk assessment; (3) goals, subordinate objectives, activities, and performance measures; (4) resources, investments, and risk management; (5) organizational roles, responsibilities, and coordination; and (6) integration and implementation. See GAO, Combating Terrorism: Evaluation of Selected Characteristics in National Strategies Related to Terrorism, GAO-04-408T (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 3, 2004), and Prescription Drugs: Strategic Framework Would Promote Accountability and Enhance Efforts to Enforce the Prohibitions on Personal Importation, GAO-05-372 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 8, 2005).
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The study concluded that a country's legal position on prostitution was not the only factor that influences the number of women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation and that a final evaluation of the legislative model and the impact on the number of victims should be based on a wider, more reliable and comparable set of data. Transcrime, Study on National Legislation on Prostitution and the Trafficking in Women and Children, a report prepared for the European Parliament, August 2005.
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Government Accountability Office. Human trafficking: Better data, strategy, and reporting needed to enhance U.S. antitrafficking efforts abroad. Trends Organ Crim 10, 16–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-006-1023-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-006-1023-6