Human Trafficking: Department of State Collaborates with Partner Governments on Child Protection Compacts but Should Strengthen Oversight
Fast Facts
The U.N. estimates a third of human trafficking victims worldwide are children. The State Department creates partnerships or "compacts" with selected countries, like Ghana and Peru, to combat child trafficking.
The U.S. and partner countries meet annually to discuss steps taken to address child trafficking. But State hasn't set key discussion guidelines for the meetings or measurable goals to assess countries' progress. Nor has it tracked countries' contributions or plans to sustain ongoing efforts. Doing so would help State better assess whether these partnerships are effective.
We recommended that State address these issues.
Child-Friendly Space in Police Station in Falmouth, Jamaica, Created under the Child Protection Compact Partnership
Highlights
What GAO Found
Child Protection Compacts (CPCs) are partnerships, lasting at least 4 years, between the U.S. government and selected partner countries to combat child trafficking. The U.S. and partner governments develop plans to achieve shared objectives through U.S.-funded projects aimed at strengthening countries' efforts to prosecute and convict child traffickers, provide comprehensive care for child victims, and prevent child trafficking. As of January 2023, the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), which leads U.S. efforts for the CPCs, had selected and signed partnership documents with seven partner countries (see figure).
Timeline of Child Protection Compact Partnerships, 2015 to 2027, as of January 2023
The TIP Office has tools to help monitor CPC progress, but none of them include discussions of key performance indicator data or indicator targets. According to TIP Office officials, the primary monitoring tool is the annual dialogues, meetings between agency officials, partner governments, and project implementers, to share information on CPC efforts. Participants at the dialogues provide examples of various activities, but they do not identify key CPC performance indicators beforehand to discuss or directly mention any during the dialogues. The TIP Office developed two new tools that include indicators to assist with collecting performance data, a broad CPC framework and a country-specific reporting template, but neither addresses the need for indicator targets. TIP Office officials said they have not focused on indicators or targets because they did not prioritize them, although based on agency guidance, the annual dialogues should include discussions of indicators. By not identifying and discussing key indicators at the dialogues and creating targets, the TIP Office has its limited ability to monitor the performance and better understand the progress of the CPCs.
Stakeholders GAO interviewed described some CPC activities, but the TIP Office does not track partner government contributions or sustainability measures. The activities included creating child-friendly spaces for victims and increasing coordination among agencies addressing child trafficking. However, the TIP Office does not formally track partner government contributions to the CPCs like personnel or funding. Stakeholders also noted the importance of sustainability measures like the sustainability plans called for in the partnership documents, but the partner governments did not provide such plans nor did the TIP Office follow up on them. Without information on partner government contributions and sustainability measures, the TIP Office lacks knowledge on partner country contributions and plans to sustain progress under the CPCs.
Why GAO Did This Study
Trafficking in persons, or human trafficking, is a longstanding problem throughout the world. The United Nations estimates about one third of detected victims of trafficking are children. CPCs are a key State effort to combat international child trafficking. The TIP Office supports CPCs by providing funding to project implementers that assist partner country governments in strengthening their capacity and efforts to combat child trafficking.
GAO was asked to review progress of the CPC program since it began in 2015. This report examines the TIP Office's monitoring of CPC performance, and tracking of partner country CPC contributions and sustainability measures, among other objectives.
GAO analyzed State documentation on CPC country selection, monitoring, and evaluation, and interviewed TIP Office officials. GAO also conducted site visits, virtually or in person, in three countries to interview U.S. embassy officials, partner government officials, and project implementers. GAO selected these countries based on various factors, including the opportunity to observe stakeholder discussions on CPC progress.
Recommendations
GAO is making six recommendations to State, including sharing information on key CPC performance indicators at annual dialogues; creating targets for CPC performance indicators; tracking partner country contributions; and discussing CPC sustainability measures with partner governments at annual dialogues. State agreed with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office, in collaboration with partner country governments, identifies, in advance of each annual dialogue, key CPC performance indicators to discuss at these meetings. (Recommendation 1) |
State concurred with this recommendation. According to a State TIP Office official, with more recent child protection compacts (CPCs) with Peru, Colombia, and Cote d'Ivoire occurring between September 2024 and January 2025, State revised its approach to CPC partnership performance indicators and reduced the number of indicators to better align with implementing partner efforts. The TIP Office now has a listing of 7-8 standard indicators as a starting point for each CPC and these indicators are considered to be key indicators. In CPC annual dialogue agenda and discussion question documents that the TIP Office prepared in advance of these meetings with Peru, Colombia, and Cote d'Ivoire, CPC indicators were listed as a topic for discussion. By regularly identifying key performance indicators for discussion at annual dialogues, the TIP Office and partner government officials may be better able to assess yearly progress and make the best use of their limited time at the dialogues. The participants may also now have an opportunity to identify areas that need improvement and adjustments that may be beneficial over the course of a CPC.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office, in collaboration with partner country governments, discusses CPC performance indicator data at each annual dialogue. (Recommendation 2) |
State concurred with this recommendation. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office included child protection compact (CPC) indicators as a topic of discussion at CPC annual dialogues with three partner countries-Colombia, Peru, and Cote d'Ivoire-that took place from September 2024 to January 2025. By discussing performance indicator data at annual dialogues, the participants will have a better understanding of CPC performance and challenges and the changes that might be beneficial for current or future CPCs.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office, in collaboration with partner country governments, creates annual targets for performance indicators in each CPC reporting template for ongoing and future CPCs. (Recommendation 3) |
State concurred with this recommendation. According to a State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office official, the child protection compact (CPC) reporting template has been eliminated and indicator targets are instead established as part of annual dialogue discussions. CPC annual dialogues with three partner countries-Colombia, Peru, and Cote d'Ivoire-that took place from September 2024 to January 2025 included annual targets for CPC as part of the discussion agenda on indicators. By establishing annual performance indicator targets, the TIP Office and the partner government officials are better able to compare planned and actual CPC progress, understand real-time individual CPC performance in more detail, and use measurable results to make needed adjustments to program efforts.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office references the need to establish CPC performance indicator targets in key guidance documents, such as the CPC framework. (Recommendation 4) |
State concurred with this recommendation in its October 2023 letter providing updates on recommendation progress. As of November 2024, child protection compact (CPC) guidance documents did not mention the need for CPC performance indicator targets. However, during a discussion with GAO in December 2024, a State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office official noted that the office will review its CPC guidance and will plan to add reference to the need for such targets where appropriate. GAO will review this revised guidance when it becomes available. In May 2025, GAO requested an update from the TIP Office on efforts to address this recommendation.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office, in collaboration with partner country governments, annually tracks partner government contributions to the CPCs, such as personnel, funding, or other types of contributions. (Recommendation 5) |
State concurred with this recommendation. During three annual dialogues that took place in 2024 and 2025-with Columbia, Peru, Cote d'Ivoire-the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office discussed partner countries' child protection compact (CPC) contributions. Obtaining information on partner governments' contributions would improve the TIP Office's understanding of their engagement with CPC efforts, the impact of the CPCs, and the value of continuing them.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of the TIP Office, in collaboration with partner country governments, discusses CPC sustainability measures of partner country governments, such as at each annual dialogue. (Recommendation 6) |
State concurred with this recommendation. Summaries of child protection compact (CPC) annual dialogues that took place from September 2024 to January 2025 with Colombia, Peru, and Cote d'Ivoire noted that sustainability was a topic of discussion. By obtaining information on sustainability at annual dialogues, the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office and partner governments are better able to assess whether CPC efforts may be successful in creating long-term practices and resources in CPC countries to combat child trafficking.
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