Statement of Interest - Trafficking in Persons

The U.S. Department of State's 2011 TIP Report (http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2011/) noted that throughout the decade since the U.N. adopted the Palermo Protocol and the U.S. enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 142 countries have become parties to the Protocol, and most have passed laws criminalizing all forms of human trafficking and have begun to develop victim assistance mechanisms. However, the numbers of victims identified and assisted and traffickers convicted remains alarmingly low. Through this solicitation and in keeping with the priorities identified in the TIP Report, the U.S. Embassy seeks to fund programs that combat human trafficking, expand victim assistance services, demonstrate model approaches to combating human trafficking, and add to our knowledge and understanding of how best to eradicate modern slavery through research and evaluation.Grants will be awarded to eligible candidates working in partnership with civil society that create anti-trafficking programs to address human trafficking---the act of obtaining or maintaining another person in compelled service, which includes forced labor, sex trafficking, bonded labor, debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor and child soldiers. Partnerships will involve and leverage public and private sector resources. Potential partners may include a wide variety of entities such as foundations, arts organizations, business owners, community organizations, as well as public entities. Areas of project focus include but are not limited to activities that:•Enhance specialized support services available to trafficking victims. •Increase efforts to raise awareness and/or provide training to non-governmental organizations, police, prosecutors, and judges about human trafficking.•Educate the general public in efforts to combat trafficking in persons. •Develop mechanisms or protocols to identify trafficking victims and refer them to protection services. •Improve trafficking data collection.•Strengthen coordination between law enforcement and NGO partners on human trafficking.