The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

c. Department of State’s International EffortsThe President’s Interagency Task Force to Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) is a Cabinetlevelentity mandated by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act whose purpose is to coordinategovernment-wide efforts to combat human trafficking. It is chaired by the Secretary of State.The Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG) coordinates activities of Federal departments andagencies regarding policies, including grants and grant policies, involving trafficking in personsand the implementation of the TVPA. The SPOG consists of senior officials designated asrepresentatives by the PITF members and is chaired by the Director of the Office to Monitor andCombat Trafficking at the Department of State. Three standing committees include Research &Data, Grantmaking, and Public Affairs.Through the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP), the Department ofState helps to lead the international efforts in the global movement to abolish modern-dayslavery. It engages with foreign governments, civil society, and multilateral organizations, tofight human trafficking around the world. G/TIP has built global awareness of modern-dayslavery through nine annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Reports, covering 176 countries in2009(compared to 82 in 2001). The Report is the U.S. Government’s principal diplomatic toolused to engage foreign governments on the subject as well as an important reference for targetingU.S. foreign assistance funding. It is also the world’s most comprehensive compendium of antihumantrafficking efforts and reflects the USG’s global leadership on this key human rightsissue. In preparation for the 2010 Report due to be released in June, the Ambassador-at-Largeand/or G/TIP Reports and Political Affairs staff traveled to 50 countries to meet with foreigngovernment officials, international organizations and NGO representatives.Pursuant to the TVPRA of 2005, the TIP Report now includes assessments of foreigngovernments’ efforts to combat demand, including punishment of its citizens for engaging inchild sexual exploitation overseas. G/TIP has widely disseminated anti-TIP information throughelectronic and print media, the Internet, and digital video conferences – reaching over 1 billionpeople in 2009. In FY 2009, G/TIP obligated more than $26 million for anti-human traffickingprograms: 80 projects in 50 countries totaling approximately $21.85 million, five regionalprojects totaling $2.25 million, and eight global projects totaling roughly $1.9 million. Nearly allof these awards were funded through the office’s annual competitive grant process. A completelist of G/TIP awarded projects and descriptions are available athttp://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/other/2009/131167.htm.G/TIP’s programmatic work is part of a larger effort of United States agencies which has spentover $688 million on international anti-human trafficking programs since FY 2001 – effortsG/TIP helps coordinate by chairing the SPOG. G/TIP has also raised awareness on child sextourism (CST) through funding public awareness and deterrence campaigns, supporting researchon CST, engaging the travel, tourism, and hospitality community, compiling informationalresources, and facilitating educational film releases on the topic.107