Smith Urges UN Security Council to Step Up Fight on Human Trafficking in Peacekeeper Operations

Press Release

Just before their historic White House meeting today with President Trump, all 14 members of the United Nations Security Council were briefed by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House panel on International Organizations, on the critical matters that will help form the agenda U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley sets as the new President of the Council.

"The Security Council is at the core of our post-World War II world," said Smith, who also serves as Congress' Representative to the U.N.. "To give a presentation to all members of the security council, to exchange views and to work to persuade them on critical geo-political issues offered an extra-ordinary opportunity," the senior foreign policy lawmaker said.

Smith highlighted the scourge of human trafficking to the Security Council Members, and urged them step up their efforts to fight trafficking. While individual countries have implemented legislation to combat human trafficking, such as Smith's landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in the United States, fully ending this horrendous practice will take further international cooperation and follow through by Security Council members.

"The U.N.'s unfinished business on human trafficking is real and final accountability," said Smith. "Regrettably, we have peacekeepers who engage in human trafficking with impunity. Sometimes they are removed from their deployment but almost never are they prosecuted when they are sent home. There are 112,000 peacekeepers in 16 deployments worldwide. Zero tolerance means prosecution of the abusers, not reassignment."

At the event held at the Blair House this morning, Smith was joined by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), who also serves with Smith on the House panel on International Organizations. During the discussion, each member was given the opportunity to brief the U.N. Security Council Ambassadors on topics currently neglected by the Security Council.

On North Korea, Smith spoke directly to Chinese ambassador Liu Jieyi urging China's greater involvement in thwarting the means of delivery of nuclear weapons. Smith also forewarned of the dangers of the fanatical worship of the Kim family and government as a state religion, sometimes called Juche, enabling the Korean people to "blindly follow Kim even into nuclear war."

On Syria, Smith urged the Security Council members to consider the establishment of a specific war tribunal for the region noting that the ICC has been ineffective and a regional tribunal will allow for investigation and accountability for all who have committed crimes against humanity.

Smith, who led a fact-finding human rights mission to South Sudan last August, noted that the U.N. deployment there has significantly enhanced their mission and mitigated violence and abuse.

"With the United States once again taking the lead in the Security Council, and with Nikki Haley at the helm, I am optimistic the weight of this body can be used to truly make a positive difference in the world," said Smith. "The Ambassador has proven herself to be an effective leader and I look forward to working with her to help end human trafficking and address the many other global security concerns."

At the meeting were representatives from Ethiopia: H.E. Mr. Tekeda Alemu, Bolivia: H.E. Mr. Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz, China: H.E. Mr. Liu Jieyi, Italy: H.E. Mr Sebastiano Cardi, Russia: Mr. Petr V. Ilichev, France: H.E. Mr Francois Delattre, Egypt: H.E. Mr. Amr Abde-latif Aboulatta, Senegal: H.E. Mr. Fode Seck, Sweden: H.E. Mr. Olof Skoog, U.K.: H.E. Mr. Matthew Rycroft, Uruguay: H.E. Mr. Elbio Rosselli, Ukraine: H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Yelchenko, Japan: H.E. Mr Koro Bessho and Kazakhstan: H.E. Mr. Kairat Umarov

The presidency of the Security Council rotates between the members of the Security Council every month, with order determined by the English alphabetical order of the Member States names. The president of the Security Council has the important role of calling meetings and approving the provisional agenda of meetings.

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