Human Trafficking at World Sporting Events

Kai Seidenberg

Introduction

Large international sporting events, like the Olympics and the World Cup, long known as

celebrations of athletic excellence, often elicit contradictory sentiments. Supporters of such

events highlight the benefits of global unity, national pride, community engagement, and short-

and long-term economic growth. Opponents of such events emphasize the potential harm caused

by increased instances of human trafficking. International concern about world sporting events

and human trafficking emerged in the lead-up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. 1 The

international community expressed fears that the World Cup would be plagued with sex

trafficking. Though these fears proved unfounded, the situation raised concerns about the

potential relationship between international sporting events and increased human trafficking.

Empirical data on trafficking is scarce, making it difficult to verify whether concerns for

surges in human trafficking at global sporting events are justified. Nevertheless, the rationale for

fear is logical. The large number of people attending these events and the influx of thousands of

migrant workers naturally increase the potential for increased instances of human trafficking,

both for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.

1
Hennig, Jana, et al. 2006, Trafficking in Human Beings and the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
 This report explores the connection between international sporting events and human

trafficking. Part 1 sets forth the international definition of human. Part II outlines our current

understanding of international human trafficking patterns. Part III examines past events’

instances of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor and analyzes the efficacy

of the correlation between international sporting events and increased instances of human

trafficking. Part IV examines countries’ anti-trafficking efforts and the international

community’s preventative preparation effectiveness. Finally, Part V explores the implications of

anti-trafficking actions for future events.

I. Definition of Human Trafficking

The United Nations' Palermo Protocol2 is an international agreement to enact legislation

to prevent and combat trafficking in persons and to protect and assist victims of trafficking with

respect to their human rights.3 The Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as consisting of

three elements:

1. Acts ("the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons"4);

2. Means ("by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction,

of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the

giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having

control over another person"5);

2
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children Supplementing
the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, art 3(a), Nov. 15 2000, S. TREATY Doc.
No. 108-16 (2004), 40 I.L.M. 335
3
Ibid., 42.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
 3. Intent ("for the purpose of exploitation;" "exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the

exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced

labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of

organs."6)

With 190 signatories, including the United States, the international community defines human

trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of people through

force, fraud, or deception, intending to exploit them for profit.

II. Status of Human Trafficking Globally

After much neglect and indifference, the world is beginning to wake up to the realities of

the modern form of slavery. Human trafficking is an affront to the inherent dignity and the equal

and inalienable rights of all people in the pursuit of freedom and justice. Already the third largest

criminal industry in the world7, human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry, 8 with

an estimated 24.9 million victims worldwide at any given time. 9 The United States is not exempt

from the evils of human trafficking, reporting 16,658 identified victims in 2020.10 Predicated on

the exploitation of vulnerable communities, this form of slavery is a stain on the conscience of

6
Ibid.
7
UNODC. United Nations Publication, 2009, p. 11, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2009.
8
Chon, Katherine, and Derek Ellerman. “Soccer With a Side of Slavery.” The Washington Post, 10 June 2006,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2006/06/10/soccer-with-a-side-of-slavery/18544daf-0ca4-45e6-
aef4-def857890739/. Accessed Aug. 2022.
9
“About Human Trafficking – United States Department of State.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of
State, 18 Aug. 2022, https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking-about-human-trafficking/#:~:text=With%20an
%20estimated%2024.9%20million,them%20for%20their%20own%20profit.

10
Polaris, https://polarisproject.org/.
humankind, and combatting its corruption would reaffirm everyone's right to life, liberty, and

security.

We still lack a global understanding of human trafficking and how its components

interact, but we are beginning to see progress in tackling the issue. Many questions persist about

the scope of human trafficking and the extent to which preventative measures are sufficient and

effective. So far, the international community has not attained much knowledge on human

trafficking; therefore, initiatives have been inadequate and disjointed. Policy can be effective if it

is evidence-based, but evidence has been scanty. To answer these questions, we must understand

the trends of the problem so we can enact policy that successfully prevents further harm. As

more data emerges on the subject, we are beginning to understand the forces at play in modern

slavery markets.

Human trafficking primarily functions on the social and economic imbalance of

opportunity and support. Victims of human trafficking are disproportionately represented by

society's most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Traffickers target victims in difficult

circumstances, taking advantage of pre-existing conditions like economic need, children in

dysfunctional families or deprived of parental care, immigration status, and limited education or

knowledge of foreign language.11 Exploiting these vulnerabilities, traffickers employ deception

to recruit victims and maintain control through violence and threats.12

While the profile of victims can change widely in different parts of the world, women and

children continue to be particularly affected by human trafficking. For every ten victims detected

globally, five were adult women, and two were girls. 13 About one-third of detected victims were

11
UNODC. United Nations Publication, 2020, p. 9, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2020
12
Ibid., 52.
13
Ibid., 9.
children, while 20 percent were adult men.14 Global trends show that children, and particularly

girls, increasingly represent a greater proportion of victims.

These victims are primarily trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Broadly,

fifty percent of victims detected were trafficked for sexual exploitation, and thirty-eight percent

were trafficked for forced labor,15 but different victim profiles are trafficked for various

purposes. Most women are trafficked for sexual exploitation (77%), whereas men are mainly

trafficked for forced labor (67%).16 Because it is more frequently reported, sexual exploitation of

women has become the most documented type of trafficking.17

In addition to victim trends, the question of 'who' commits the crime often informs its

scope and impact. Human trafficking is perpetrated by actors with different levels of

organizational structure. Most trafficking is perpetrated by business-enterprise-type organized

criminal groups with three or more systemically engaged traffickers (36%), with the rest being

perpetrated by opportunistic traffickers (29%) and individual traffickers (26%). 18 Organized

criminal groups can traffic more victims over a longer time and with more violent means. As

such, most victims detected are trafficked by organized criminal groups. Additionally, traffickers

predominantly operate within geographically close areas, with most detected victims being

citizens of the countries where they are detected.19

The crisis we face of fragmented knowledge and disjointed responses intensifies a crime

that shames us all. In order to act against the atrocities of human trafficking, we need to

understand better the factors that facilitate trafficking. Human trafficking is a hidden crime; by

14
Ibid., 31.
15
Ibid., 34.
16
Ibid., 33.
17
These trends may be a result of statistical bias. By and large, the exploitation of women and children tends to be
more visible than other forms of trafficking.
18
Ibid., 42.
19
Ibid., 54.
bringing visibility to the issue, we can help develop solutions capable of addressing root causes,

prosecuting offenders, protecting the vulnerable, and supporting victims. Systemic solutions

must rely on broad, multi-faceted partnerships between governments with the support of

international and regional organizations.

We all have a part to play in preventing human trafficking, and the time has come to

reaffirm our faith in the fundamental dignity of everyone in society.

III. Human Trafficking in Relation to International Sporting Events

International sporting events have long been controversial among human rights activists.

The pride many feel in seeing their country represented at the pinnacle of sports is often

contradicted by the opportunity for illegal activities. Events like the Olympics and the World

Cup must contend that they may contribute to increased opportunities for human trafficking.

Many people in the anti-trafficking movement are troubled by the possible surges in

forced labor and sexual exploitation that seem to coincide with the preparations for hosting

international sporting events. While there is not widespread consensus on any direct causal

relationship between these events and increased human trafficking, the circumstances for hosting

events like the Olympics and the World Cup certainly have the potential to be hotbeds for human

trafficking enterprises.

Many scandalous accusations have led people to believe that sexual exploitation is

inseparable from international athletic competitions. World sporting events are plagued with

concerns that the influx of people attending the events will cause an increase in human

trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In the lead-up to the 2006 World Cup in
Germany, people were shocked to hear that an estimated 40,000 women and children would be

imported to Germany to provide commercial sex for the month-long competition. 20 Similar

reports have been circulated by U.S. print media positing a link between the Super Bowl and

increased sex trafficking, with one headline claiming that "the Super Bowl is the largest human

trafficking event in the country." 21

While these stories may reveal a correlation between international sporting events and

increased instances of human trafficking, further analysis finds that the causal relationship has

not yet been proven. Despite the media's allegations of large-scale sex trafficking in relation to

the 2006 Germany World Cup, German officials and trafficking experts quickly dismissed the

claims as unrealistic.22 Once the World Cup was underway, the estimated 40,000 victims of

trafficking did not materialize, and there is little evidence indicating there was any dramatic

increase in sex trafficking.23 Similarly, there was no reported increase in sex trafficking at the

2004 Athens Olympics or the 2008 Beijing Olympics24, and available empirical evidence does

not support a link between the Super Bowl and a substantial increase in sex trafficking.25

Granted, the lack of empirical evidence regarding a correlation between international

sporting events and sex trafficking does not indicate it is not occurring. There are no reports

available about sex trafficking for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but reports on prostitution suggest

20
Chon, Derek, supra note 8.
21
L Martin and A Hill, ‘Debunking the Myth of “Super Bowl Sex Trafficking”: Media hype or evidenced-based
coverage’, Anti-Trafficking Review, issue 13, 2019, pp. 13-29, https://doi.org/10.14197/atr.201219132.
22
Anne Marie Tavella, Sex Trafficking and the 2006 World Cup in Germany: Concerns, Actions and Implications
for Future International Sporting Events, 6 NW. J. HUM. RTS. 196 (2008).
https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/njihr/vol6/iss1/8
23
Victoria Hayes, Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation at World Sporting Events, 85 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 1105
(2010), pg 1124.
24
Ibid., 1122-1131.
25
Martin, Dr. Lauren, and Dr. Annie Hall. 2017, “Sex Trafficking and the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis: A
Research Brief,” https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/226835/SuperBowl%20Research
%20Brief%20PUBLIC%20document%206-3-17.pdf?sequence=1. Accessed 27 Aug. 2022.
that prostitution continued to occur during the games.26 The absence of r on trafficking victims

identified during or around sporting events may indicate sex trafficking occurring more covertly

due to increased scrutiny by law enforcement and protection agencies. 27 As information is

dependent on known cases of trafficking, it is possible that people were trafficked and not

discovered.

The rationale for the fear of increased human trafficking at global sporting events is

logical. The large number of people attending world sporting events naturally increases the

demand for prostitution in a host city. Traffickers could see this as a business opportunity. The

added benefit is that these events also make recruitment easier for traffickers. Unaware of

traffickers' true intentions, people may believe they are being offered legitimate jobs in the host

country. Traffickers can also take advantage of the travel visas issued for these events by

masquerading their victims as spectators.28

Sexual exploitation at international sporting events is a real possibility. With a large

influx of people attending these events, often millions of people at a time, there is a natural

increase in demand for prostitution. Traffickers may see this as an opportunity and traffic people

to the event to meet that demand. There is certainly a potential for increased sex trafficking at

international sporting events, but under the right preventative circumstances, the harms of human

trafficking can be mitigated. Whether or not our fears of trafficking will be realized, even the

possibility of human trafficking should be met with full preventative force.

On the other hand, there is substantial evidence correlating international sporting events

and increased human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor. Reports on labor conditions in

26
Haye, supra note 23, pg 1130.
27
Ibid., 1123.
28
Ibid., 1106.
preparation for the Russian Olympics in Sochi in 201429 and the Russian World Cup in 2018

found numerous instances of forced labor.30 Amnesty International also discovered abuses and

exploitation of migrant workers building the Khalifa Stadium for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.31

Hosting an event like the World Cup or the Olympics is a great honor, but it comes at a

high cost. Most countries do not meet the minimum infrastructure requirements necessary to host

these events, which include criteria for stadiums, hotels, transit, and communications and

electrical grids, forcing billions of dollars worth of construction projects. In the bid to host the

2022 World Cup, Qatar pledged an estimated $200 billion-plus infrastructure package.32

These transformative construction projects are made possible by fast-paced construction

schedules and an influx of thousands of construction workers. Many migrant workers face

exploitation, poor working conditions, and little recourse for abuse. The Human Rights Watch

found that despite programs instituted by Russian officials, the Fédération Internationale de

Football Association (FIFA),33 and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 34 to monitor

labor conditions, there were extensive instances of abuse. Investigations identified concerns

regarding non-payment of wages, retaliation against workers who complain, and the failure to

provide written employment contracts.

Workers building the infrastructure necessary for hosting the Olympics and the World

Cup in Russia were vulnerable to abuse. Many instances of exploitation stem from workers'

29
Race to the Bottom: Exploitation of Migrant Workers Ahead of Russia's 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
Human Rights Watch, 2013.
30
Buchanan, Jane. Red Card: Exploitation of Construction Workers on World Cup Sites in Russia. Human Rights
Watch, 2017.
31
“Qatar World Cup of Shame.” Amnesty International, 29 July 2021,
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/qatar-world-cup-of-shame/.
32
Published by Statista Research Department, and Aug 17. “Qatar 2022 World Cup Operational Expenses by FIFA
2021.” Statista, 17 Aug. 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1298801/world-cup-qatar-fifa-operational-
expenses/.
33
See Race to the Bottom, supra note 30.
34
Buchanan, supra note 30.
employment and residency status being irregular. Often escaping poverty and unemployment,

migrant workers are lured to host cities with the prospect of economic opportunity but are found

in servitude when they are left with high recruitment fees or withheld employment contracts.

High recruitment fees leave workers in debt, and the lack of employment contracts leaves

workers with little legal recourse because of the risk of deportation, often making migrants

reluctant to seek assistance from the authorities in case of abuse. This leaves them vulnerable to

abuses like non-payment and severe delays in wages, working in extreme conditions like

excessive working hours, and inadequate employer-provided housing and food. And even when

workers reported labor concerns, they were often met with threats and retaliation.35

There were similar concerns about human rights abuses of migrant workers in Qatar for

the upcoming 2022 World Cup. An investigation by Amnesty International found that migrant

workers were subject to appalling living conditions, lies about salary, and withholding of

residence permits allowing workers to leave the camps or the country. Workers who refused to

work were threatened with having their pay deducted or handed over to the police for deportation

without receiving the compensation they were owed.36

Hosting an international sporting event comes with the cost of large infrastructural

projects. These projects lead to an influx of tens of thousands of migrant construction workers.

These workers suffer abuse and exploitation owing to their irregular resident status. Under an

atmosphere of intimidation, suspicion, and secrecy, workers are forced to endure poor working

conditions with little recourse for redress.37

35
Ibid., and see supra note 30.
36
See “Qatar Cup of Shame,” supra note 31.
37
It is important to note that countries like Russia and Qatar have long-standing and well-documented issues with
human rights violations. The types of exploitation and abuse of workers described in this report are pervasive in
Russia's and Qatar's construction industries. Other host nations like London have noted concerns about instances of
forced labor in relation to international sporting events, but none have reported substantial increases. Russia and
Qatar's poor record with human rights may indicate how an absence of preventative regulation can lead to an
increase in human trafficking and should lend credence to the argument that preventative measures are necessary for
 The hosting of international sporting events could potentially increase instances of human

trafficking. The large influx of fans for the events could increase demand, which traffickers may

see as a business opportunity. The large infrastructure projects required for hosting these events

lead to an influx of tens of thousands of migrant workers who are vulnerable to exploitation and

abuse. Because international sporting events risk increasing instances of human trafficking, host

nations should take the appropriate measures.

IV. Responses to Human Trafficking at International Sporting Events

The United Nations' passage of the Palermo Protocol in November 2000 provided the

first legally binding instrument to prevent, suppress, and punish human trafficking. In the last

two decades, we have seen a large-scale comprehensive international response to human

trafficking through increased awareness and the passage of anti-trafficking legislation. Most

countries that have adopted the Palermo Protocol have passed some form of anti-trafficking

legislation to combat the major forms of human trafficking. 38 This political response coincides

with increased international awareness of human trafficking, providing a platform for many non-

governmental organizations.

Increased global awareness of the concerns of human trafficking resulted in heightened

scrutiny of potential catalysts for human trafficking—including sporting events. International

concern about world sporting events and human trafficking emerged during the 2006 German

World Cup. Predictions that 40,000 women and children would be brought to serve the needs of

effectively preventing human trafficking.

38
UNODC, supra note 7, pg 8.
the millions of fans before and during the World Cup in Germany pushed German officials to

take several proactive measures to reduce the risk of increased sex trafficking during the event.

German authorities made extensive efforts to combat sex trafficking at the World Cup. Their

efforts included comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and policies, intelligence gathering,

coordination between national and regional enforcement agencies and enforcement and NGOs,

and awareness-raising and informational campaigns. Preceding and during the event, there were

four major information campaigns on sex trafficking that included victim support. These

information campaigns raised awareness by distributing leaflets and other informational

materials to garner support to increase prevention and prosecution efforts. The government

established three national hotlines—two for victims and a third that allowed prostitution

customers to report suspicious situations. A year before the event, German law enforcement

coordinated anti-sex trafficking measures between national and international law enforcement

agencies and between law enforcement and NGOs. The enforcement measures included large-

scale raids on brothels looking for trafficked victims while gathering intelligence from red light

districts and other sources like hotels and internet and newspaper advertisements.39

The Canadian government also took a hard-lined approach toward preventing sex

trafficking for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The event was used to reinforce existing

anti-trafficking strategic approaches and operational procedures. The critical measures developed

and implemented before the games were designed to ensure that a solid, proactive, and multi-

faceted strategy was in place to anticipate, plan, and prepare for a possible increase in sex

trafficking. Canadian officials identified four main priorities, which include developing tools,

protocols, and guidelines to facilitate human trafficking investigations; coordinating national

awareness/training and anti-trafficking initiatives; identifying and maintaining lines of

39
Annie, supra note 22, pg 209-210.
communication as well as identifying issues for integrated coordination and providing support;

and coordinating intelligence and facilitation the dissemination of all sources of

information/intelligence. Federal departments, local law enforcement agencies, and NGOs

organized human trafficking awareness workshops. Mass information and awareness campaigns

provided information on domestic and transnational sex trafficking, relevant legislation and

elements of the offenses, sex trafficking indicators, and referral mechanisms and protocols for

responding to the needs of trafficking should cases arise, including local support services.40

While it is unclear what the effectiveness of these awareness and prevention efforts, what

is known is there was no reported increase in trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation

during the events. The question is whether the increased attention prevented the increase or if no

increase would have occurred without the efforts. Germany and Canada's increased anti-

trafficking efforts, education campaigns, and increased police presence looking for forced

trafficking victims may have dissuaded customers from visiting prostitutes. Still, the nature of

human trafficking is such that it is impossible to know if the efforts were successful.

Nonetheless, the increased efforts should be encouraged as world sporting events provide a

unique opportunity to raise awareness due to the mass appeal of the events.

Conspicuously missing from international attention toward human trafficking at global

sporting events is a concern for the possibility of forced labor. Anti-trafficking discussions and

public awareness campaigns tend to have a singular preoccupation with human trafficking for the

purpose of sexual exploitation at the expense of serious consideration of the trafficking of labor

as an issue of concern. National governments and private companies are responsible for ensuring

labor protections under national and international law. Still, there is an unwillingness or inability

40
2010 Winter Games Analysis on Human Trafficking. Public Safety Canada, 2013,
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/wntr-gms-2010/index-en.aspx#s7f
on the part of host nations and private companies to guarantee the fundamental rights of migrant

workers. There has been no significant effort to address the correlation between instances of

labor abuses and sporting events.41

Success in preventing trafficking from occurring during the German World Cup and the

Vancouver Olympics is likely attributable, at least partly, to the preventative measures taken by

law enforcement and NGOs in the host nations. Dismissing a possible connection between

trafficking and international sporting events would be irresponsible. Events like the World Cup

and the Olympics bring the global community together but also risk providing a venue for

exploiting the world's most vulnerable people. These events should be used to combat both forms

of human trafficking at the events themselves and worldwide.

V. Policy Recommendations and Conclusion

Despite incomplete empirical evidence proving a causal relationship between

international sporting events and a drastic increase in human trafficking, concerns about human

trafficking are warranted. Host nations should take the issue of human trafficking seriously, and

effective preventative measures require comprehensive planning. But even where the harms of

human trafficking may be particularly negligible regarding world sporting, these events provide

an opportunity to increase global awareness about the evils of human trafficking, allow the host

country to review their anti-trafficking legislation and national action plans for combating it and

showcase their commitment to fighting human rights issues. Trafficking is a growing

international concern that can only be effectively addressed through intergovernmental

FIFA has an existing labor monitoring system, but investigations have found that it is limited and ineffective.
41

Moreover, neither FIFA nor the IOC incorporates human rights criteria for evaluating bids to host events.
cooperation and global support. Such events should be used to combat human trafficking, both at

the events and as a platform for further progress worldwide.

The United States should use the 2026 World Cup as an opportunity to showcase its

commitment to addressing the issue of human trafficking. The U.S. government has

demonstrated a serious and sustained effort in eliminating trafficking, maintaining a Tier 1 status

of full compliance with the standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act

(TVPA).42 They should use their position as a global leader to set a benchmark for anti-

trafficking efforts. A successful effort to prevent trafficking demands broad, multi-faceted

cooperation between government law enforcement and NGOs to adopt effective and proactive

national and international anti-trafficking measures before and during the event.

Recommendations:

 Examine the histories of and the lessons learned from previous international sporting

events as well as the policies and practices implemented by other host nations.

 Strategic planning and implementation should include the development of a clearly

defined human trafficking prevention plan with milestones and benchmarks, the fostering

of partnerships, networks, coordination, and information sharing among relevant

government agencies, enforcement bodies, and NGOs, and the establishment of

appropriate investigative protocols and referral mechanisms to monitor the situation on

the ground and to respond to the support needs of trafficked persons. Key partnerships

and consultations on strategic planning should also involve Indigenous, youth, sex

42
Department of State. 2021, p. 585, Trafficking in Persons Report.
 workers, and migrant worker organizations/advocates as well as grassroots community-

based groups.43 Increase investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases.44

 Establish mechanisms based on a consistent definitional methodology to track trafficking

in persons information, data, and measurements, and conduct data collection prior,

during, and after the event.

 In consultation with relevant NGOs and community-based partners, ensure that

appropriate and funded service strategies are in place to serve the needs of trafficked

persons.

 Conduct targeted trafficking in persons awareness training of enforcement personnel

(police officers, immigration, and border officials), criminal justice officials, labor

inspectors, first responders, NGO partners, and private sector employers and employees

in such areas as construction, hospitality services, and transportation.

 Devise and initiate national or regional trafficking in persons public awareness campaign,

with input from all relevant community stakeholders. Such a campaign should be

accurate, evidence-based, and adhere to the principle of "do no harm."

 Ensure labor trafficking receives equal attention to trafficking for the purpose of sexual

exploitation, and prevention initiatives, including guiding principles for employers,

should be initiated during the infrastructure and venue construction phase.45

 Strengthen efforts to examine the role of demand reduction in preventing human

trafficking.46

43
2010 Winter Games Analysis, supra note 40.
44
Department of State, supra note 42, pg 585.
45
2010 Winter Games Analysis, supra note 40.
46
Department of State, supra note 42, pg 585.
 Human trafficking has received growing attention in the last decade at the global,

regional, and national levels. International agencies, national governments, and NGOs have

stepped up to combat this heinous crime, yet the problem persists. Large international sporting

events may contribute to the perpetuation of human trafficking, but this does not have to be the

case. Such events should utilize the upsurge in global unity, national pride, and community

engagement they cause to advocate on behalf of combatting human trafficking.

We must call on the global community to hold ourselves to a higher standard of human

dignity and strive to eliminate crimes against the right to life, liberty, and security.