This report is available on Verité’s website:
Verité—Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal and Corporate Supply Chains
* Each of these reports was funded by the Department of State.

Children from Cote d’Ivoire and other  West  African  countries are subjected to forced labor in
Ivorian cocoa fields, which produce approximately 40% of the world’s cocoa beans.

Due to lack of legal status, Syrian refugees and other displaced  persons,  both adults and children, are extremely vulnerable to human trafficking, including in   Gulf countries.

PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS 23

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
Government action is crucial in prosecuting trafficking cases, protecting victims, and preventing trafficking. By strengthening efforts in these areas, and by continuing to build partnerships with civil society and the private sector, governments are making serious strides in fighting modern slavery.
Governments can also play an important leadership role in combating human trafficking in supply chains. At home, governments can model and encourage multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnerships to bring together businesses and anti-trafficking experts to generate ideas and solutions and promote voluntary responsible business conduct initiatives. Governments should set clear expectations for businesses on human rights issues and adopt policies that promote greater transparency and better reporting on anti-trafficking efforts in supply chains. For example, in March, the United Kingdom enacted the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which requires—among other things—commercial organizations with annual sales above a certain threshold to prepare annual statements outlining the steps they have taken to prevent human trafficking from occurring in their supply chain or in any part of their business.
Of course, governments have the responsibility to enforce labor laws, treat all workers fairly, including lawfully present and irregular migrants, and root out corruption—all factors that can help prevent trafficking. International cooperation to strengthen labor migration policies and manage the increasing flows of migrant labor is critical to reducing the number of people who fall prey to human traffickers. Better regulation of private labor recruiters can also help protect workers.
Further, governments can provide a model for the private sector by better monitoring their own supply chains, which look much like those of the private sector. Tiers of subcontractors, lack of transparency, and the sheer magnitude of expenditure all make it extremely difficult for governments to ensure that taxpayer money is not supporting the illicit business of human trafficking. Nevertheless, the massive spending by governments to procure goods and services each year gives them enormous influence and leverage in the marketplace to minimize the risks of human trafficking.

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Governments can, and often do, prohibit government employees and contractors from engaging directly in trafficking in persons. In addition, some governments have policies in place that require contractors and subcontractors to ensure that employees have not participated in those activities that can lead to trafficking: charging recruitment fees, engaging in contract switching, and confiscating or retaining identification documents. These prohibitions must be backed up with effective enforcement.

PREVENTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS 25

BEYOND  WITNESS  TESTIMONY

Victim testimony can be crucial to human trafficking prosecutions, but recounting exploitation and directly confronting traffickers can be traumatizing, especially when traffickers threaten retaliation or psychologically manipulate victims to distrust authorities and avoid seeking assistance. In addition to protecting victim-witnesses from their traffickers, governments should ensure victims have access to comprehensive services, including medical and mental health care, legal services, and if desired by the victim, case management support throughout the criminal justice process. Such protections are key to minimizing the likelihood victims will be traumatized again during the investigation and prosecution of their accused traffickers.
Governments that embrace a victim-centered approach have adopted the following promising practices in witness protection:

CARE
• Provide an opportunity for victims to consider their options and make an informed decision about participating in criminal proceedings.
• Provide access to legal counsel for victims who wish to participate in the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers.
• Permit a professional, such as a social worker, legal advocate, or counselor, to accompany and support victims throughout investigations and prosecutions.
• Collaborate with civil society and NGOs to ensure victims receive comprehensive support services, including mental health care, if requested.
• Offer victims placement in non-restrictive shelters that provide care appropriate to age, gender, and special needs.
• Help  victims  secure  safe, long-term accommodation.
• Conduct safety planning and extend protection to victims’ relatives, if necessary.
For example, the Australian program Support for Trafficked People, administered through the Australian Red Cross, provides income support, safe accommodation, and legal assistance, among other services, to victims, irrespective of their willingness or ability to assist with the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers. After 45 days of support, those who choose to aid the prosecution are eligible for additional support, including long-term accommodation, income and employment assistance, and skills training. Victims who are willing but unable to assist the prosecution are also eligible for extended support.
In addition, countries party to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings must provide victims with a reflection period of at least 30 days to stabilize and carefully consider whether to participate in the prosecution of their traffickers. During this period, governments cannot make a decision to remove the victim from the country, nor can a previous removal decision be brought into effect.

CONFIDENTIALITY
• To the extent permissible by law, protect victims’ identities and privacy.
• Allow victims to provide testimony in a manner that is less threatening, such as testimonies that are written or recorded, delivered via videoconference, or produced with audio or visual distortion.
• Provide a separate waiting area for victims, for example in court, to minimize interaction with the accused traffickers or their associates.

COMMUNICATION
• Explain to victims how their testimony will be delivered and to what extent their identity will be revealed, if at all, to the defendant and the public.
• Establish a point person to communicate in a language the victim understands and provide updates on the status of the case and information about available services.
• Inform and prepare victims on what to expect before testimony and court examinations, including realistic expectations in the sentencing phase.

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