U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy FY 2017
THE NEED FOR FUNDING AND REPORT LANGUAGE
$1,800,000 to the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) to support efforts to integrate counter-trafficking in persons work and USAID’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy (C-TIP) into other Agency programs both at headquarters and within missions, including but not limited to health, food security, economic development, and democracy and governance.
$1,000,000 to USAID’s Human Rights Fund, which is available to USAID Missions around the world to support integration across all development initiatives.
Summary of Program
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent federal government agency that provides economic, development, and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives.48 USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) brings together “wide-ranging technical expertise and global operational capabilities essential to crisis prevention, response, recovery, and transition efforts.” DCHA focuses on four main objectives, including: Prevention efforts in countries vulnerable to disasters and political instability; response and humanitarian assistance during emergencies; rapid and durable recovery post-disaster; and promoting peaceful political transitions.
Need
USAID released its C-TIP policy in February 2012 and the subsequent Field Guide in April 2013, with the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) taking the lead on anti-trafficking matters within USAID headquarters. While we support USAID’s strategy to combat human trafficking and forced labor around the world, it appears that the implementation of this new strategy in the field is lagging and not reflective of its prioritization by USAID headquarters or the Administration. Therefore, we request that a greater emphasis be placed on implementation of the anti-trafficking strategy in the field by requiring USAID Missions located in Tier 2, Tier 2-Watch List or Tier 3 countries to have a dedicated FTE for anti-trafficking programs and by requiring mandatory training in anti-trafficking policies and programs for USAID staff in these countries. It is critical that all USAID staff operating in Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, or Tier 3 countries knows, understands, and implements the Agency’s anti-trafficking policies and integration strategy that cut across all divisions and programs.
USAID is actively involved in efforts to combat trafficking around the world. Although the FY16 Omnibus directed USAID to report on funds used to combat human trafficking, the agency’s anti-trafficking efforts remain invisible in their FY17 Presidential budget request. We are seeking greater transparency in USAID’s anti-trafficking activities and funding. We request that you include report language within the Funds Appropriate to the President, Operating Expenses, seeking a detailed report on the obligation of all anti-trafficking funds and inclusion of anti-trafficking programs in future annual budget submissions.
Foreign assistance programs should take proactive steps to become aware of, and responsive to, hidden forms of trafficking and forced labor that exist in the communities in which they work. Integrating anti-trafficking measures into the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation processes of foreign assistance programs across sectors ensures that foreign assistance efforts do not inadvertently leave vulnerable community members behind or even increase their vulnerability. Assistance programs that include anti-slavery objectives in India and Nepal, for instance, have begun to show the promise of this approach in contributing positively to broader development objectives. In addition, post-earthquake assistance in Haiti benefited from an understanding of prevalent forms of human trafficking in Haiti, of which many Haitian children were already victims prior to the earthquake, through proper identification of child victims who may otherwise have been returned to situations of extreme vulnerability and abuse.
Solution
We request $1,800,000 to the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) to support efforts to integrate counter-trafficking in persons work and USAID’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy (C-TIP) into other Agency programs both at headquarters and within missions, including but not limited to health, food security, economic development, and democracy and governance.
In addition to funding to DCHA, we request $1,000,000 to USAID’s Human Rights Fund, which is available to USAID Missions around the world to support integration across all development initiatives.
To ensure foreign assistance does not inadvertently promote human trafficking and forced labor, ATEST also requests the following report language.
Proposed Report Language
The Committee directs the Administrator to report to the Committees on Appropriations no later than 120 days following enactment of this Act, on the obligation of all funds expended by the Agency to combat human trafficking and forced labor for FY 2015 and FY 2016. The report shall include a breakdown of funds by division, program and project as well as a detailed report on the Agency’s management structure for obligating funds for these activities. In addition, the Committee urges the Administrator to include detailed and specific budget information on all anti-trafficking and anti-slavery programs and expenditures in future budget submissions.
The Committee urges the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to strengthen implementation of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) policy. The Secretary and Administrator of USAID should specifically ensure that all USAID Mission personnel and partners are appropriately educated and trained according to the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Field Guide. USAID staff, mission personnel and partners should integrate C-TIP activities into larger development programs, tools for designing stand-alone activities, and evaluation techniques. The Committee believes the Secretary and the Administrator should ensure that foreign assistance programs relating to humanitarian assistance, food security, poverty reduction, social and economic growth and development, education, gender-based violence, and democracy and governance contribute to decreasing vulnerability to or prevalence of human trafficking and forced labor, consistent with U.S. policy, including with section 107A(e) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.