LexisNexis Global

In today's Washington Post, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton makes a strong case that stopping the crime of human trafficking is a top State Department priority because it is a problem that threatens both basic individual human rights and world peace.

Secretary Clinton notes the strong tie between human trafficking and involuntary sexual servitude by women and children. With more than 12 million victims and global criminal trafficking rings, the problem is not limited in numbers or to a particular geographic region.

Secretary Clinton emphasizes that the Obama administration is committed to combating trafficking both domestically and abroad by efforts coordinated with governmental and nongovernmental entities. In addition to taking on traffickers, she advocates identifying and removing the root causes, financial and otherwise, for trafficking.

For more information, read the U.S. State Department's 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report.

If you are not a LexisNexis subscriber, you may access the Washington Post article directly by clicking here:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061602628.html