2008 Press Releases

U.S. OFFICIAL VISITS KENYA TO DISCUSS TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ISSUES

January 24, 2008

The senior U.S. State Department official in charge of the office of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Ambassador Mark P. Lagon, will visit Kenya January 25-26, 2008 to consult with government officials, non-governmental organizations, and other donors regarding the progress Kenya has made in combating trafficking in persons, particularly for the purposes of child labor and sexual exploitation. 

Ambassador Lagon has served as the Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State since May 2007.  The TIP Office coordinates U.S. Government activities in the global fight against modern-day slavery, including forced labor and sexual exploitation.

According to U.S. Government-sponsored research completed in 2006, approximately 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across national borders, which does not include millions more trafficked within their own countries.