End Human Trafficking

Goodbye Note From Trafficking Leader Mark Lagon

by Amanda Kloer

category: Government And Policy

Published January 26, 2009 @ 10:52AM PT

As we celebrate the inauguration of a new President and a new era, we must also sadly say farwell to a great leader in the human trafficking movement. Ambassador Mark Lagon, Former Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of State, left his postition last week. He was a wonderful leader of this office and is repsonsbile for many effective and forward-thinking initiatives during his time in the position. Here is a short farewell message from him:

Dear Friends in the Fight to End Modern-Day Slavery:

This is the last day of my 20 month tenure of diplomacy, public diplomacy, and grant-making-taking me to 27 countries. It's been a privilege working with you in the movement to end today's forms of slavery, and I look forward to continuing to do so as Executive Director of Polaris Project.

To demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the abolitionist movement, President Bush issued a proclamation today to suspend entry into the United States of certain officials of governments who fail to combat human trafficking-falling repeatedly on Tier 3 (below). Additionally, a final rule allowing the U.S. Government to terminate contracts if the contractor engages in trafficking was adopted this week (below). These two achievements are evidence of the President's desire to champion the fight against slavery until the final days of his Administration.

It is crystal clear that the Obama Administration will take up the cause. Secretary of State-Designate Hillary Clinton said in her Senate confirmation hearing. "I take very seriously the function of the State Department to lead our government through the Office on Human Trafficking, to do all that we can to end this modern form of slavery. We have sex slavery, we have wage slavery, and it is primarily a slavery of girls and women."

I am certain intense attention will be paid both to the sexual exploitation and forced labor sides of the "human trade," which victimizes millions of adults and children around the world. It should be no surprise it will be a continued focus. I saw as a Senate staffer the coalition that propelled the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. So too, bipartisan unity on the need to prioritize and fund U.S. Government programs to stamp out slavery has been rock-solid in my tenure (even in a rollicking political season). It only stands to grow. Please help it to build and accelerate, so dehumanized victims become re-humanized survivors-until the day when slavery is no more.

Sincerely yours,

Mark Lagon

Ambassador Lagon, we wish you the best of luck in your new role at Polaris Project. Thank you so much for your years of service!