Washington —
During the release of the U.S. Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, Secretary of State John Kerry underscored the need for concerted efforts to combat human trafficking around the world. The annual TIP Report “is a detailed analysis of the challenges that we face. It’s a targeted roadmap to measure how we can better overcome the challenges. And it is a clarion call – to each of us, to everybody in the world – to do all we can to eradicate these horrors and to hold – hold countries accountable to a higher and better standard of behavior,” said Kerry.
The TIP Report assesses governments around the world on their efforts to combat modern slavery. This year’s Report includes narratives of 190 countries and territories. Nepal continues to remain in Tier 2, assessed as not fully complying with the minimum standards, but making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with those standards.
During the report release ceremony, Secretary Kerry also recognized Nepal’s new anti-trafficking hero Superintendent of Police Kiran Bajracharya, Chief of the Bhaktapur District Police Office, for her persistent work “to investigate crimes against women and children, including human trafficking” during the unveiling of the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) at the U.S. Department of State headquarters yesterday. The 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report recognizes eight TIP Report Heroes for their efforts to fight human trafficking in their home countries.
This year, SP Bajracharya was recognized for her leadership in investigating cases of human trafficking in Nepal, her dedication to educating vulnerable groups about human trafficking, and her tenacity in enabling the prosecution of members of organized crime networks perpetrating trafficking. She has led efforts to identify trafficking victims at local hotels and restaurants; developed a training manual for junior officers on investigating crimes against women and children; and worked to ensure that human rights standards, police ethics, and gender equality are integrated into all police curricula and training programs.
Between 2013 and 2015, SP Bajracharya served as Superintendent in the Central Investigation Bureau, where she investigated organized transnational crime and initiated at least 14 human trafficking cases, an increase from just one case in prior years. These cases resulted in numerous arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, including the arrest of 10 criminal gang members. In her current role as District Police Chief, SP Bajracharya continues to lead on human trafficking through orientation and awareness, and has set up checkpoints to inspect buses carrying individuals who may be trafficking victims.