WHEREAS, human trafficking involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, buying, or selling of human beings for their labor and services by means of force, fraud, or coercion; and
WHEREAS, human trafficking is a borderless crime against individuals that violates their basic human rights and deprives victims of human dignity and freedom, regardless of race, religion, gender, age, citizenship, or socioeconomic status; and
WHEREAS, given our location on the east coast and the major highways across North Carolina, human trafficking is a progressive challenge in our state, consistently ranking within the top ten for occurrences of human trafficking; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative that North Carolina’s communities, families, and individuals recognize the risk factor and signs of sex and labor trafficking and report suspected incidences to the 24-hour National Human Trafficking hotline; and
WHEREAS, 350 human trafficking victims were served last year by North Carolina’s state funded sexual assault agencies, according to the data collected by the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, 266 cases of trafficking were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, ranking North Carolina 11th among the 50 states in cases reported; because human trafficking is a crime which hides in the shadows, the true number of cases in North Carolina is likely much higher; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission is committed to remaining informed about the problem, working to protect victims of human trafficking with effective services and support, encouraging prosecution of traffickers through consistent enforcement of the law, and preventing human right abuses by examining the causes of this horrific crime; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina will continue protecting its residents and ending human trafficking through prevention, prosecution, protection, and partnership; the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission, the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, the North Carolina Department of Administration, and many other dedicated stakeholders will continue to educate and serve as a resource for North Carolina communities, families, and individuals;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim January 11, 2021 as “HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY” and January, 2021, as “HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.