Secretary John Kerry released the 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report in Washington, DC yesterday.  The 15th annual TIP Report includes narratives of 188 countries and territories, including the United States.

This year’s Report recognizes that the Government of Nepal has made progress through increased efforts to prevent human trafficking, as well as modest improvements in law enforcement efforts and efforts to protect victims. Recommendations contained in the TIP Report for the Government of Nepal include:  increasing law enforcement efforts against all types of trafficking, including domestic sex trafficking; instituting formal procedures to proactively identify trafficking victims and refer them to protection services; and prosecuting suspected labor trafficking offenders and Nepali labor recruiters accused of charging excessive fees or engaging in fraudulent recruitment.

Discussing the report with Nepalis in Sindhupalchok yesterday, Ambassador Peter W. Bodde said, “This report is important because it really is one of the best means that we have to speak up for adults and children who lack a way to speak for themselves regarding human trafficking.”

According to a press release, Public Affairs Section Embassy of The United States As required by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the annual TIP Report assesses governments around the world on their efforts to combat modern slavery. At the launch event in Washington, D.C., Secretary Kerry also honored the 2015 TIP Report Heroes, men and women whose personal efforts have made a difference in the global fight against modern slavery.   Last year, Lalitpur District Judge Tek Narayan Kunwar was recognized as one of ten TIP Report Heroes from around the world for being at the forefront of efforts in Nepal to counter trafficking in persons.