The vast majority of uniformed service members and civilian contractors serve honorably in military and peacekeeping operations around the world. Yet their operations are tainted by the minority who purchase sex with trafficked women and girls or who rely on trafficked laborers for construction. The few who actively engage in the grave human rights abuse that is human trafficking – whether forced labor or prostitution – harm efforts to establish security and the rule of law. When peacekeepers commit or facilitate human rights abuses they prolong deployments and undermine missions.
Since 2003, this initiative has sought to:
- Highlight the security implications of this serious human rights violation.
- Advocate for the comprehensive and robust implementation of policies adopted by the Department of Defense, NATO, and the United Nations in 2004.
In addition to exploring the demand for human trafficking, Dr. Mendelson has also examined the experiences and perceptions of those on the supply side. See the CSIS survey project
Listening to Young Russian Women for more information.
The initiative’s current work is modest due to limited resources, but we expect to write an analysis of what nations and international organizations have done in efforts to implement anti-trafficking policies, nearly five years since their adoption. Please look for this analysis in spring 2009.
