*EPF306 03/29/00
Transcript: Council on Women's Botti's Opening Remarks at ARIAT
(Trafficking involves many issues with international impact) (1490)
The trafficking of women is not just a "women's issue," but an international issue involving transnational, organized crime and corruption, says Anita Botti, deputy director of President Clinton's Inter-Agency Council on Women.
Botti is the co-chair of the U.S. delegation attending this year's ARIAT meeting in Manila, which is being sponsored by the Philippine and U.S. governments. ARIAT -- The Asian Regional Initiative Against Trafficking of Women and Children -- is bringing together the governments of more than 23 countries to find ways to focus on the problem many call "modern-day slavery."
During her remarks March 29 for the opening of the three-day conference, Botti maintained that because trafficking is a global phenomenon it must have a global response.
Trafficking, she said, is a human rights issue as well as a migration issue in that it involves the movement of people, most often against their will.
Trafficking also impacts the economy. "It's a very lucrative field," she said, and "it is now competing with firearms and narcotics worldwide in terms of revenue."
"The United States is very committed to working to forge a regional plan," she said, "one that is comprehensive, one that is a model that can be used for other parts of the world."
Following is a transcript of Botti's remarks at the start of the conference:
(begin transcript)
ANITA L. BOTTI
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT'S INTER-AGENCY COUNCIL ON WOMEN
CO-CHAIR, U.S. DELEGATION
REMARKS AT THE OPENING OF THE ARIAT MEETING
MARCH 29, 2000, HERITAGE HOTEL, MANILA
Good morning. Secretary Siazon, Undersecretary Manalo, Ambassador Hubbard, members of the diplomatic corps, delegates from the region and from other parts of the world, let me say on behalf of the United States how honored I am to be here with you. It is difficult to be the last speaker as my colleagues have already done such an excellent job addressing the issue of trafficking. I will try and summarize and integrate, to the degree I can, some of the high points.
First let me start by saying that I am pleased to be here representing the President's Inter-agency Council on Women for the United States. The Council was initiated by President Clinton and, as some of you may know, our chair is currently the Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, and our Honorary Chair is Hillary Clinton.
I think this is important to mention because, as we work on issues around the world, two things are clear. We have a very good spokesperson, certainly, in our First Lady, and we have a Secretary of State who has made the integration of women's issues a key part of U.S. foreign policy.
The Council works intensely on two key issues, both on the international and domestic level. The first is the issue of enhancing political participation for women around the world and advancing their economic opportunities. The second major area is elimination of violence against women. That area, particularly, is the one that I've worked on over the last two and a half years. I was asked to come in and chair the Inter-agency Council which coordinates work on the issue of trafficking of women and children for the United States.
This is an issue that has come to global attention. It is one, that when we agree to work on this, we look at not only on our domestic issues but also internationally. We are able, through the Council, to draw on the organizations and agencies across the United States Government. For us, this was important and, as was mentioned, was critical when the President of the United States issued an executive order in 1998 directing the Council to coordinate the policies and activities for the United States domestically and internationally.
As was mentioned by Mr. (Ralph L.) Boyce (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs), the U.S. is honored to be here co-hosting this meeting with the Philippine government. For the purposes of highlighting what has been said, let me just comment on a few key areas.
One, trafficking is not a women's issue. Very often when I talk to people about trafficking I am told you must go talk to the women's department or the women's bureau. I counter this by saying, let me share with you how this international issue takes on diverse characteristics.
First and foremost, as was mentioned by (Philippine Foreign Affairs) Secretary Siazon, the issue of human rights is a priority. The fact that we are into the 21st century and we have modern-day slavery, worldwide, defies logic.
Another related issue that was mentioned was the whole issue of migration, the movement of people, most often against their will.
A third area that was also mentioned is the economy. If you are a trafficker, it's a very lucrative field, and those of you who follow the profits know, it is now competing with firearms and narcotics worldwide in terms of revenue. So the profits are there if you are a trafficker. If you are a victim, the state of the economy affects you significantly. When we look at these issues, you can very often see the push and pull factors involved.
A fourth area, which has again attracted very significant attention in the global arena, is the transnational crime and corruption element of trafficking. Organized crime has a big part to play in this and, in our response, we must be very cognizant of that.
The last area, but certainly not exhaustive, is the issue of health. We are seeing the increased incidents of AIDS due in part to a growing number of traffic victims, often when these victims are returned home, they are pariahs in their own country. If you look at the elements of trafficking, regardless of whether you are talking about this in the region where we are, or if you're talking about it in Africa, or Latin America or South Asia, or the Middle East, they all present these common characteristics.
Because trafficking is a global phenomenon, solutions to these issues must also represent global response. We find ourselves here today to review not only our national approaches but also attempt to develop a regional approach, which, hopefully, will feed into a global response.
I often think about global trafficking as a series of concentric circles. It's the world, the regions, the nations, the villages and the individuals involved here. You have to think about this, when you look at how we deal with those elements that are not mutually exclusive, but are quite inter-related. Our response must be that as well.
Taking that into consideration, when we look at the areas of prevention, protection, prosecution and re-integration, they, too have to be thought of as not mutually exclusive. I think it is fair to say that the best minds around the world, looking at this today, will tell you that if you do one without the other, that we will fail, that you must work on all the areas and you must recognize them in a very concerted and equal way.
You are the experts in the room. We are all, for better or for worse, in the same state. There is no country in the world today, including the United States, who has the answer. I think we are struggling today to figure out how to approach this, and I think that our desire is to utilize the expertise over the next few days to see if we can address some of these issues. There are a number of people around the world watching because they, too, are looking at whether or not we can come up with concrete suggestions as opposed to just talking to each other, actually moving the agenda along, again, integrating it always.
I think that what we do here will be very much something that will be able to help people around the world as they look at this issue themselves. I know having worked with some of you in the room, the EU, the OSCE, SAARC, and African countries and the Middle East, to try and do this comprehensively is difficult. Many people move away from it. It is easier to say we'll go after the bad guys. This approach is difficult. The agenda before you, as has been stated, is complicated. The United States is very committed to working to forge a regional plan, one that is comprehensive, one that is a model that can be used for other parts of the world.
To that end, I will close. Thank you and my best to the government of the Philippines, and I look forward to working with you over the next three days.
Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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