[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9688 of December 29, 2017

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2018

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we
recommit ourselves to eradicating the evil of enslavement. Human
trafficking is a modern form of the oldest and most barbaric type of
exploitation. It has no place in our world. This month we do not simply
reflect on this appalling reality. We also pledge to do all in our power
to end the horrific practice of human trafficking that plagues innocent
victims around the world.
Human trafficking is a sickening crime at odds with our very humanity.
An estimated 25 million people are currently victims of human
trafficking for both sex and labor. Human traffickers prey on their
victims by promising a life of hope and greater opportunity, while
delivering only enslavement. Instead of delivering people to better
lives, traffickers unjustifiably profit from the labor and toil of their
victims, who they force--through violence and intimidation--to work in
brothels and factories, on farms and fishing vessels, in private homes,
and in countless industries.
My Administration continues to work to drive out the darkness human
traffickers cast upon our world. In February, I signed an Executive
Order to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including those
that perpetuate the crime of human trafficking. My Interagency Task
Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons has enhanced
collaboration with other nations, businesses, civil society
organizations, and survivors of human trafficking. The Department of
Health and Human Services has established a new national training and
technical assistance center to strengthen our healthcare industry's
anti-trafficking response. The Department of State has contributed $25
million to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, because of the
critical need for cross-nation collaborative action to counter human
trafficking. The Department of Labor has released an innovative,
business-focused mobile app that supports private-sector efforts to
eradicate forced labor from global supply chains. And this month, I will
sign into law S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial
Vehicles Act and S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act.
These bills will keep those who commit trafficking offenses from
operating commercial vehicles, improve anti-human trafficking
coordination within Federal agencies and across State and local
governments, and improve efforts to recognize, prevent, and report human
trafficking.
In addition to these governmental actions, Americans must learn how to
identify and combat the evil of enslavement. This is especially
important for those who are most likely to encounter the perpetrators of
slavery and their victims, including healthcare providers, educators,
law enforcement officials, and social services professionals. Through
the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign, all Americans can
learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking and how to report
suspected instances. By taking steps to become familiar with the tell

[[Page 2598]]

tale signs of traffickers or the signals of their victims, Americans can
save innocent lives.
Our Nation is and will forever be a place that values and protects human
life and dignity. This month, let us redouble our efforts to ensure that
modern day slavery comes to its long overdue end.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2018 as
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in
the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1, 2018. I
call upon industry associations, law enforcement, private businesses,
faith-based and other organizations of civil society, schools, families,
and all Americans to recognize our vital roles in ending all forms of
modern slavery and to observe this month with appropriate programs and
activities aimed at ending and preventing all forms of human
trafficking.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
December, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
second.
DONALD J. TRUMP