Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons

{{Short description|Canadian government organization}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons

| native_name =

| former_name =

| image =

| image_border =

| size =

| alt =

| caption =

| map =

| msize =

| malt =

| mcaption =

| map2 =

| abbreviation = IWG-TIP

| motto =

| predecessor =

| successor = Human Trafficking Taskforce

| formation = 1999

| founder =

| dissolved = {{End date and age|2012|06|06}}

| merger =

| merged =

| type = GO

| status = Ad hoc

| purpose = To develop public policy related to human trafficking in Canada

| professional_title =

| headquarters =

| location =

| coords =

| region_served = Canada

| services =

| membership =

| language =

| general =

| leader_title =

| leader_name =

| leader_title2 =

| leader_name2 =

| leader_title3 =

| leader_name3 =

| leader_title4 =

| leader_name4 =

| key_people =

| main_organ =

| parent_organization =

| subsidiaries =

| affiliations =

| budget =

| num_staff =

| num_volunteers=

| slogan =

| website =

| remarks =

| footnotes =

}}

The Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons (IWG-TIP) was the body responsible for the development of public policy related to human trafficking in Canada{{Cite book|page=2610|title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008|editor=Jeffrey T. Bergner|publisher=Diane Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1437905229}} until the organization was replaced by the Human Trafficking Taskforce in June 2012.{{Cite web|title=Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography |page=2 |publisher=Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children |date=October 5, 2012 |url=http://rightsofchildren.ca/wp-content/uploads/CCRC-Response-to-List-of-Issues-on-OPSC.pdf |accessdate=October 21, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022054200/http://rightsofchildren.ca/wp-content/uploads/CCRC-Response-to-List-of-Issues-on-OPSC.pdf |archivedate=October 22, 2013 }} The IWG-TIP was established in 1999 and was co-chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and the Department of Justice.{{Cite book|page=99|title=Combatting Trafficking in Persons: A Handbook for Parliamentarians|publisher=United Nations|year=2009|edition=16}} Seventeen agencies and departments of the Government of Canada participated in the working group.{{Cite book|pages=82–83|title=Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons|publisher=United Nations|year=2008|isbn=978-9211337891}} The group produced a pamphlet in 14 languages with the intention of educating at-risk women about how they might avoid being trafficked.{{Cite news|work=View Magazine|title=Human Traffic: Foreign Girls are Paying for Canada's Laxed Laws|date=June 24–30, 2004|url=http://www.viewmag.com/view-story.php?id=2075|accessdate=November 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003804/http://www.viewmag.com/view-story.php?id=2075|archive-date=December 3, 2013|url-status=dead}} This pamphlet was distributed internationally.{{Cite web|title=Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling|date=May 23, 2013|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development|url=http://www.international.gc.ca/crime/human-traf-personne.aspx|accessdate=November 28, 2013}} The IWG-TIP promoted the idea that victims of human trafficking should be primarily served by community organizations.{{Cite book|page=379|title=The Voices of NGOs: Demand and Supply for Protection Services for Victims of Trafficking|author=Jacqueline Oxman-Martinez|author2=Jill Hanley |author3=Marie Lacroix |publisher=Presses de l'Université du Québec|year=2008|isbn=978-2760519886}} In 2004, the IWG-TIP was mandated to create a national anti-human-trafficking plan, and both politicians and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) proceeded to remind the IWG-TIP of this unfulfilled mandate for the following eight years.{{Cite web|title=2012 Trafficking in Persons Report: Canada Chapter|year=2012|publisher=United States Department of State|url=http://canada.usembassy.gov/key-reports/trafficking-in-persons-report/2012-trafficking-in-persons-report-canada-chapter.html|accessdate=November 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110223151/http://canada.usembassy.gov/key-reports/trafficking-in-persons-report/2012-trafficking-in-persons-report-canada-chapter.html|archive-date=January 10, 2014|url-status=dead}} The IWG-TIP continued to promise to establish such a plan throughout these years.{{Cite web|title=UBC Legal Expert Releases Canada's First Stats on Foreign Human Trafficking Victims|date=October 28, 2008|publisher=University of British Columbia|url=http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2008/mr-08-143.html|accessdate=November 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207193953/http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2008/mr-08-143.html|archive-date=December 7, 2013|url-status=dead}} On March 31, 2004, the IWG-TIP website was updated to state that it was having a meeting with academics and NGOs "to discuss various elements of a potential federal anti-trafficking strategy," but no more updates were made to the website over the following four years.{{Cite news|newspaper=Toronto Sun|title=Canada turns its back on victims: 'If you compare what the U.S. is doing to what Canada is doing, it's shameful'|author=Tamara Cherry|date=October 1, 2008|url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2008/10/01/6937226-sun.html|accessdate=November 28, 2013}}