Human trafficing is the most widespread crime globally. The United States, through its Department of State — specifically the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons — exerts intensive efforts to address this phenomenon in cooperation with various countries, UN offices, and civil society organizations.

These efforts include multilateral diplomacy, bilateral diplomacy with strategic partners, like Egypt, and US-supported foreign assistance programmes worldwide to combat trafficking.

Additionally, the US State Department publishes an annual report evaluating the state of human trafficking worldwide, including in the United States. It focuses on establishing a precise definition of human trafficking.

During his recent visit to Cairo to follow up on cooperation in this field, Hickey commended Egypt’s efforts in combating human trafficking. These efforts have ranked Egypt in Tier 2 in the US government’s latest annual report. This advancement reflects Egypt’s increasing efforts to combat and eradicate human trafficking through conducting more investigations and prosecutions, improving and developing shelters for victims, and launching awareness campaigns.

Hickey highlighted that the United States is proud of its partnership with Egypt in combating human trafficking. For this reason, the office collaborates with Cairo and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on a $1.5 million project to train officials and civil society partners and expand support for victims of human trafficking. He added that the United States is open to exploring new opportunities to deepen its partnership with Egypt, the ILO, and other partners to combat human trafficking and forced labour-related crimes.

He noted that his visit to Cairo included meetings with several relevant government officials, UN office representatives, and members of civil society organizations. Hickey emphasized that effectively tackling this critical issue requires cooperation between countries and international and civil society organizations. He pointed out that victim protection must be central to the collective response, regardless of factors such as age, gender, migration status, or nationality. This response includes ensuring victims receive prompt support, such as shelter and psychosocial assistance.

Hickey praised the efforts of Ambassador Naela Gabr, chairperson of the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons, and expressed his appreciation for her leadership on this crucial file and her team’s efforts in addressing this crime.

He stated that strategic partnerships play a significant role in combating this heinous crime by enhancing the efforts of governments, NGOs, and organizations working to assist survivors, particularly in investigations, prosecutions, and victim protection. These partnerships amplify the impact of initiatives in progress.

When asked about Egypt’s intensive efforts to combat human trafficking and the US perspective on these efforts, Hickey affirmed that the US appreciates these endeavours. This appreciation is evident in Egypt’s higher ranking in the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, attributed to its advances in prosecutions, protection, and prevention. These advances included increasing the number of specialized prosecutors and courts, following specific cases, and launching innovative campaigns to raise public awareness about this issue.

Regarding the nature of cooperation between Egypt and the US in this field and the support provided — whether technical or financial — Hickey explained that cooperation exists on several levels, including diplomatic efforts. This is important because human trafficking is linked to broader issues, like transnational crime and corruption. Financial support is also provided, as previously mentioned, through the ILO. Furthermore, the two countries exchange expertise, including using partnerships, to combat this crime as effectively as possible.

Regarding the ongoing cooperation between Egypt and international organizations, Hickey pointed out that Egypt has active partnerships in this regard and regular communication with UN organizations, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as other international organizations with extensive experience in combating human trafficking.

As for how the US government handles countries that fail to comply with anti-trafficking standards, Hickey explained that when countries are ranked poorly in the Trafficking in Persons Report, this may result in sanctions on non-humanitarian and non-trade-related aid.