Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4802

 124 STAT. 4776 PROCLAMATION 8621—DEC. 22, 2010 and to create communities that are secure and supportive for all Amer- icans. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth. BARACK OBAMA Proclamation 8621 of December 22, 2010 National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Our Nation was founded on the enduring principles of equality and freedom for all. As Americans, it is our solemn responsibility to honor and uphold this legacy. Yet, around the world and even within the United States, victims of modern slavery are deprived of the most basic right of freedom. During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Pre- vention Month, we rededicate ourselves to preventing and ending human trafficking, and we recognize all who continue to fight this seri- ous human rights violation. Human trafficking is a global travesty that takes many forms. Whether forced labor or sexual trafficking, child soldiering or involuntary do- mestic servitude, these abuses are an affront to our national con- science, and to our values as Americans and human beings. There is no one type of victim—men and women, adults and children are all vulnerable. From every corner of our Nation to every part of the globe, we must stand firm in defense of freedom and bear witness for those exploited by modern slavery. At the start of each year, Americans commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863, and the 13th Amendment, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln and sent to the States for ratification on February 1, 1865. These seminal documents secured the promise of freedom for millions enslaved with- in our borders, and brought us closer to perfecting our Union. We also recall that, over 10 years ago, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 renewed America’s commitment to combating modern slavery domestically and internationally. With this law, Amer- ica reaffirmed the fundamental promise of ‘‘forever free’’ enshrined within the Emancipation Proclamation. We cannot strengthen global efforts to end modern slavery without first accepting the responsibility to prevent, identify, and aggressively com- bat this crime at home. No country can claim immunity from the scourge of human rights abuses, or from the responsibility to confront them. As evidence of our dedication to a universal struggle against this heinous practice, the Department of State’s ‘‘Trafficking in Persons Re- port 2010’’ included America in its rankings for the first time, meas- uring our efforts by the same standards to which we hold other na-