Goals of AMR20(3)

Human Trafficking (HT) is the illegal trade and exploitation of persons through the use of force, fraud or coercion for various purposes, primarily forced labor, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude. It involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of individuals through means such as threat, debt bondage, deception, or abuse of power. It is a crime against humanity that affects individuals from all socioeconomic status, but primarily vulnerable populations. The transportation engineering profession is devoted to providing a transportation system that is safe and secure for all users while supporting the growth of vibrant and healthy communities. The system, however, is often abused by those seeking to maximize their own gain—whether through operating grossly overweight trucks to increase shipping profits or to engage in illicit activities such as human trafficking. The transportation community around TRB recognizes the need to take actions that contribute to the disruption of HT. The creation of this Joint Subcommittee has garnered support from the following co-sponsoring Standing Committees:  

• AMR20 Disaster Response, Emergency Evacuations, and Business Continuity (Host), Felipe Aros-Vera as liaison: AMR 20 is concerned with vulnerabilities and vulnerable communities, and how such vulnerabilities make a person at higher risk of being trafficked.

• AME70 Transportation and Public Health, Ipek Sener as liaison: HT is widely recognized as a public health problem. Survivors are affected by: physical and mental health, infectious disease transmission, and sexual and reproductive health problems. Access to healthcare services is recognized as one of the opportunities to identify potential victims of HT.

• AME20 Women and Gender in Transportation, Kezban Yagci Sokat as liaison: women, girls, and members of the LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionally affected by sex trafficking.

• AME30 Native American Transportation Issues, Margo Hill as liaison: Native Americans women and girls are affected by human trafficking as they travel from rural tribal territories to urban centers.

AMR 20 (3) Activities