NR Switzerland Speech
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
(GENEVA, SWITZERLAND) ---Attorney General Gary King this morning spoke to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. He explained how the AG’s office in Chihuahua, Mexico and his office forged an agreement to combat human trafficking on both sides of the international border. Attorney General King told the group, made up of representatives from around the world, that the agreement will help protect children from falling victim to traffickers.
“It is my hope that our collaborative efforts with Chihuahua may serve as a model for other states and nations while our New Mexico human trafficking legislation can be a template for similar laws around the world,” AG King said.
The United Nations committee invited the attorney general to report to its membership partly because of the uniqueness of local officials coming together to address an issue that has international ramifications. AG King credited adoption of the agreement to cooperation between Chihuahua and New Mexico staff members combined with support of their respective federal governments.
AG King went on to tell the committee about New Mexico’s recently adopted law that makes human trafficking a felony crime. The attorney general says the next step is to aggressively seek out and prosecute anyone who would sell a child into slavery, sex abuse, prostitution or pornography.
“It is my hope that our collaborative efforts with Chihuahua may serve as a model for other states and nations while our New Mexico human trafficking legislation can be a template for similar laws around the world,” AG King said.
The United Nations committee invited the attorney general to report to its membership partly because of the uniqueness of local officials coming together to address an issue that has international ramifications. AG King credited adoption of the agreement to cooperation between Chihuahua and New Mexico staff members combined with support of their respective federal governments.
AG King went on to tell the committee about New Mexico’s recently adopted law that makes human trafficking a felony crime. The attorney general says the next step is to aggressively seek out and prosecute anyone who would sell a child into slavery, sex abuse, prostitution or pornography.