Businesses Leaders Joining Forces to End Human Trafficking in ...

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Seattle, WA ? Business and community leaders today announced the launch of the first business-led initiative in the country committed to ending human trafficking in local communities.

Human trafficking poses serious risks not only to the victims who are exploited, but also to businesses. Traffickers use local businesses to fund and facilitate their crimes.? Business leaders are taking action by partnering with the non-profit organization, Washington Engage, to launch the Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Alliance.

Human trafficking, a modern form of slavery, is the fastest growing international crime and the second most profitable organized crime, behind drug trafficking. Not only is human trafficking occurring at a global level, but it is a significant and growing problem in Washington state:

• For the past three years, more prostituted children have been rescued in Seattle than in any other city in the U.S.
• An estimated 300-500 youth are prostituted in King County. Over the past 43-months, 67 traffickers have been charged.? The majority of these crimes took place in hotels and motels in King County.
• Among foreign national trafficking victims that have been rescued locally, 9% were exploited for commercial sex and 91% were exploited for labor.
• Victims have been discovered in construction, cleaning services, domestic servitude, agriculture, nail and hair salons, massage parlors, and other industries.
• Both sex and labor trafficking are occurring in other counties in Washington as well, including Snohomish, Pierce, Yakima and Spokane.

BEST is working with local business leaders to implement the Washington BEST Code of Conduct that will prevent the exploitation of the vulnerable in our communities while protecting businesses from the legal, reputational and financial risks posed by human trafficking.

BEST is also organizing workshops this spring to help businesses understand trafficking and implement the code. At these workshops, businesses will assess trafficking risks/impacts and create an implementation plan and goals for the first year. Online tools and resources will also be available.? BEST?s goal is to have 200 businesses join the initiative in the first year.

A launch celebration for BEST will be held on March 27^th, 2012 at the Palace Ballroom in downtown Seattle. Business and community leaders will be hand along with presentations by local and international leaders dedicated to fighting human trafficking.

For more information on BEST, please see the Media Kit.

Source: http://waengage.com/general/businesses-leaders-joining-forces-to-end-human-trafficking-in-washington-state/2012/03/

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