State Department Highlights Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking, Continued Challenges in New Report

The U.S. State Department published its annual report monitoring the efforts of 188 countries and territories to address human trafficking.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 22, 2024. Pablo Porciuncula/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department marked 13 countries as the worst at protecting against human trafficking in its 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, which it released on Monday.

“The 2024 Trafficking in Human Persons Report is a comprehensive, objective assessment of the state of anti-trafficking efforts across 188 countries and territories, including the United States,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a June 24 event unveiling the new report.