In 2022, more than 115,000 human trafficking victims were identified, and 24,000 of those were victims of forced labor – almost two times the number of victims in 2016. Mercy Investment Services is continuing to support organizations advocating for victims and joining other shareholders to engage companies on identifying victims and eliminating forced labor in their operations and supply chains.
A key tool for shareholders, the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, released earlier this month, assesses the current global state of human trafficking. This year’s report continues to emphasize prevention, prosecution and protection, while focusing on survivors, both through assistance and legislation.
The TIP report ranks all countries and their efforts to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, with Tier 1 being in compliance and Tier 3 indicating the country has neither met the standards nor is attempting to do so. Uzbekistan remains Tier 2 and Turkmenistan Tier 3 due to the governments’ use of forced labor in the cotton industry. Mercy Investment Services has actively participated in the Cotton Campaign to end this practice and continues to monitor the countries’ activities. View each country’s ranking on this map.
Mercy Investment Services and other shareholders use this important resource to engage with companies on their efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of trafficking, both in their own operations and in their supply chains.