DECEMBER 8, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALGARY – The Future Group applauds a landmark Motion tabled today in the House of Commons by Joy Smith, MP, calling on the federal government to adopt a comprehensive strategy to combat the trafficking of persons. Such a commitment is long overdue and urgently needed to head off the expected explosion of human trafficking in the lead up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

As Canada has been playing catch-up when it comes to combating human trafficking, this motion provides hope for the implementation of appropriate measures to prevent human trafficking, protect trafficking victims, and prosecute traffickers and commercial sex-users.

“We applaud recognition of the need for a determined strategy to confront human trafficking,” said Sabrina Sullivan, Managing Director of The Future Group, “It is imperative that immediate measurable steps are taken to confront this issue both internationally and within our borders. Canada can no longer ignore this modern-day slave trade.”

The Motion comes on the heels of a powerful presentation to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women last month by The Future Group, which blasted the 17-member Interdepartmental Working Group on Human Trafficking for its failure over several years to meet its mandate to create a national strategy to combat trafficking in persons.

The Future Group has also made recommendations on how Canada can get back on track:

          I.      Creation of a Canadian Counter-Human Trafficking (CCHT) Office

        II.      Establish a $100 Million endowment to fight human trafficking

       III.    Annual reporting to Parliament on progress towards confronting human trafficking

       IV.    Enforcing Canada’s human trafficking and extra-territorial child sex tourism laws

The Future Group is a leading Canadian non-partisan, non-governmental organization founded in 2000 that specializes in combating human trafficking and has worked with victims in Southeast Asia, West Africa and Latin America.

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