Policy and legislative solutions: The Power of DNA to Fight Human Trafficking

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Policy and legislative solutionsThe Power of
DNA to Fight Human Trafficking
Tim Schellberg, President Gordon Thomas
Honeywell Governmental Affairs
2nd International Forensic Science
Symposium November 14, 2011 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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A Global Problem
The number of slaves today is higher than any
other point in history.
Approx. 2.5 million people forced into labor
(including sexual exploitation) annually.
Nearly 56 of those trafficked occur in Asia and
the Pacific.
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A Global Problem
161 countries affected
People are trafficked from 127 countries to be
exploited in 137 countries, affecting every
continent and every type of economy
Large profits Estimated annual global profits
31 billion USD
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A Global Problem
In 2006 5,808 prosecutions. Only 3,160
convictions.
Delivering Justice
This can change.
For every 800 people trafficked, only 1 person
was brought to justice.
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DNA-Prokids Vision
Establishing international collaboration to share
DNA profiles across borders for the purpose of
finding missing or trafficked children.

• DNA ProKids has a growing list of countries ready
  to share
• samples
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Guatemala
• Indonesia
• Mexico
• Nepal
• Philippines
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• United States

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DNA to Resolve Human Trafficking
SUCCESS begins with a strong country policy.
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CHINAHuman Trafficking is a Priority
Since April 2009 nearly 39,000 human
trafficking cases have been solved.
The national DNA database has reduced child
trafficking in China. Chen Shiqu, Director of
the anti-human trafficking office of the Ministry
of Public Security.
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CHINAHuman Trafficking is a Priority
Successful program, and growing
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GUATEMALAFirst country to pass DNA database
legislation to fight human trafficking

• Legislation passed in 2010
• Requires all unidentified children to be tested
  and samples input into the database.
• Facilitates parents of missing children to be
  tested.

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Considerations for Model Legislative Policy

• Who will operate the database?
• Same entity that operates criminal database
• Separate entity to control privacy concerns

• Encourage DNA collection from Parents

• Aggressive educational campaign

• Sensitivity towards paternity issues
• Keep human trafficking database separate from
  criminal database
• Do not search human trafficking databases against
  criminal casework database

• Mitochondrial DNA testing
• Consider other relatives if no parents

• Sampling of parents to become protocol once child
  reported missing

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Consideratins for Model Legislative Policy

• Require DNA from children
• Homeless
• Criminal acts
• Prostitution
• Child labor
• Adoption

• Proactive collection strategies
• Taskforce
• Inspection and sampling from at-risk institutions
• Orphanages
• Prostitution houses
• Factories

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Consideratins for Model Legislative Policy

• Adoption regulations
• Require samples from birth parents and child
  before adoption approval

• International Sharing
• Require participation in international data
  sharing program
• Limit information that is sent to international
  entity

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Overcoming Political and Human Rights Challenges

• Strategies to reduce the concerns
• Separate databases
• Criminal penalties for misuse of data
• Limiting government officials that have access to
  information

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Human Trafficking vs. Missing Persons Databases
Programs exist worldwide that focus on human
remains, not trafficking

• Consider policies from these programs
• United States model policy

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CODIS 7.0