ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the reader to the complex issue of human trafficking. "Human trafficking" or "trafficking in persons" and "modern slavery" are terms often used interchangeably to refer to a variety of crimes associated with the economic exploitation of people. Non-governmental organizations and activists assumed a grass-roots role in the fight against human trafficking and have been instrumental in bringing the issue to the attention of governments around the world. At the international level and largely consequent of international agreements reached at the UN, the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) was initiated in March 2007 to support the global fight on human trafficking. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report documents and evaluates the anti-trafficking efforts of foreign governments. Countries are ranked in tiers depending on the extent to which they are compliant with minimum standards established by the Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA).
