W elcome to our conference on sexual trafficking. We have seven speakers this afternoon who bring a very broad range of knowledge and experience about the sexual exploitation of women and children. Some of the participants attended the Second International Conference, held in Yokohama, Japan, in December 2001, just a few months ago, and they will report on the events that occurred there.

I might add that in November of 1999, the Women's Freedom Network held a national conference in Washington, D.C., on sexual trafficking. At that time, we were hopeful that a bill originally introduced in the House of Representatives by Christopher Smith, would be adopted into law. There were various changes and different sponsors, but the bill eventually was enacted into law in 2000. A very important provision of that law grants political asylum to victims who come forth and help prosecute their traffickers. Also, the law provides severe punishment, up to and including life imprisonment, for persons convicted of sexual trafficking of children or sexual trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, or deception.

It is clear to me that sexual trafficking is modern-day slavery.