President's Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Executive Order 13257 of February 13, 2002

President's Interagency Task Force To Monitor and
Combat Trafficking in Persons

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, including the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000, (22 U.S.C. 7103) (the “Act”), and in
order to combat trafficking in persons, a contemporary
manifestation of slavery whose victims are
predominantly women and children, to ensure just and
effective punishment of traffickers, and to protect
their victims, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) The President's Interagency Task Force
to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons is hereby
established.

    (b) The Task Force shall consist of:

(i) the Secretary of State;

(ii) the Attorney General;

(iii) the Secretary of Labor;

(iv) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(v) the Director of Central Intelligence;

(vi) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(vii) the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development; and

(viii) any additional officers or employees of the United States as may
be designated by the President.

    (c) The Task Force shall be chaired by the
Secretary of State.

Sec. 2. Activities. The Task Force shall, consistent
with applicable law and the constitutional authorities
and duties of the President, carry out the following
activities:

    (a) coordinate the implementation of the Act;
    (b) measure and evaluate progress of the United
States and other countries in the areas of trafficking
in persons prevention, protection, and assistance to
victims of trafficking in persons, and prosecutions and
other enforcement efforts against traffickers,
including the role of public corruption in facilitating
trafficking in persons;
    (c) assist the Secretary of State in the
preparation of the annual reports described in section
110 of the Act;
    (d) expand interagency procedures to collect and
organize data, including significant research and
resource information on domestic and international
trafficking in persons, while ensuring that any data
collection procedures involved, respect the
confidentiality of victims of trafficking in persons;
    (e) engage in efforts to facilitate cooperation
among countries of origin, transit, and destination,
and such efforts shall aim to strengthen local and
regional capacities to prevent trafficking in persons,
prosecute traffickers and assist trafficking victims;
shall include initiatives to enhance cooperative
efforts between destination countries, transit
countries, and countries of origin; and shall assist in
the appropriate reintegration of stateless victims of
trafficking in persons;

    (f) examine the role of the international “sex
tourism” industry in the trafficking of persons and in
the sexual exploitation of women and children around
the world;
    (g) engage in consultation and advocacy with
governmental and nongovernmental organizations, among
other entities, to advance the purposes of the Act; and
    (h) address such other matters related to the
purposes of the Act as the President may determine.

Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The Department of State
shall provide funding and administrative support for
the Task Force, except as otherwise provided by the
Act.

    (b) At the call of the Chair, the Task Force shall
meet as necessary to accomplish its mission.
    (c) Task Force members may designate
representatives from their respective agencies to
represent them at Task Force meetings.
    (d) Whenever the work of the Task Force involves a
matter committed by law or Presidential directive to
the consideration of the National Security Council, or
by Executive Order 13228 of October 8, 2001, to the
consideration of the Homeland Security Council, that
work shall be undertaken, and any communication by the
Secretary of State to the President shall be
undertaken, in a manner consistent with such law,
Presidential directive, or Executive Order.
    (e) The Task Force shall have no directive
authority or other substantial independent authority.
    (f) As necessary and appropriate, the Task Force
shall report to the President, through the Secretary of
State, the following:

(i) progress on the implementation of the Act; and

(ii) recommendations for United States policy to monitor and eliminate
trafficking in persons and to protect the victims of trafficking in
persons.

Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order does not create any
rights or benefits, enforceable at law or equity,
against the United States, its departments, its
agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees,
or any other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)B

THE WHITE HOUSE,

     February 13, 2002.