Trafficking in Persons Report 2009.

Mark Kwadwo, in a photo taken by the New York Times in the fall of 2006, was the first child rescued by Touch A Life.

This month, the Trafficking in Persons Report was released by the U.S. Government State Department. Each year, the Department of State is required to submit a report to Congress on the efforts foreign governments are making to eliminate forms of human trafficking. This is the ninth report that has been submitted, and the purpose is to not only fulfill the required law but to also raise awareness of the issue.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton wrote the following in the introduction of the report:

• The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States. In acknowledging America's own struggle with modern-day slavery and slavery-related practices, we offer partnership. We call on every government to join us in working to build consensus and leverage resources to eliminate all forms of human trafficking. This year, there is new urgency in this call. As the ongoing financial crisis takes an increasing toll on many of the world's migrants--who often risk everything for the slim hope of a better future for their families--too often they are ensnared by traffickers who exploit their desperation. We recognize their immense suffering, and we commit to aiding their rescue and recovery.

On page 24 of the report, the famous picture (shown below) of Mark Kwadwo from the New York Times article that caught Pam's attention back in 2006 is used to depict the situation of human trafficking in Ghana.

Check out the report in its entirety here.