Global Anti-Human Trafficking Movement at a Crossroads

Date: January 22, 2026

Time and Schedule of Events:
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Panel Discussion
Coffee reception to follow for further conversation.

Location: Walter A. Slowinski Courtroom, Columbus School of Law, 3600 John McCormack Rd., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20064

 

For over a quarter of a decade the United States has been a global leader in anti-trafficking efforts. At the forefront of that international leadership has been the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Created in 2000 as part of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Congress designed this State Department bureau to implement a comprehensive global program to end trafficking led by an Ambassador at Large who reported directly to the Secretary State. Since then, this leadership has beenamong the most influential in the world and Congress has tasked it with several legislative mandates. These include the annual publication of the most influential trafficking report on the globe, the TIP Report; the distribution of more than $300 million to support more than 960 anti-trafficking projects worldwide to prevent, protect, and prosecution human trafficking.

However, since January of 2025 the current administration has reversed course on anti-trafficking efforts. It has cut the Office by more than 70%, merged the office into a larger bureau, failed to name an ambassador, and terminated 69 international programs aimed at combating child labor, forced labor and human trafficking potentially undermining decades of progress in protecting vulnerable workers globally.

This panel will commemorate Human Trafficking Awareness Month and the 25th Anniversary of the TCPA by convening the last five Ambassadors to Combat Trafficking in Persons to discuss these changes and their implications for ending modern slavery throughout the world.

 

Panelists

  • Mark Lagon (Bush Administration, 2007–2009)
    Currently chief policy officer at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Ambassador Lagon strengthened multilateral collaborations and shaped groundbreaking strategies to combat modern slavery as ambassador.
  • Luis C.deBaca (Obama Administration, 2009–2014)
    Ambassador C.deBaca is a professor of practice at the University of Michigan Law School. He played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. trafficking policy and advancing global standards for combating human trafficking.
  • Susan Coppedge (Obama and Trump Administrations, 2015-2017)
    Now executive director of Georgia Legal Services, Ambassador Coppedge’s tenure was marked by a focus on survivor services, incorporation of survivor voices through the U.S. Advisory Council, and interagency cooperation to strengthen prevention and protection efforts.
  • John Cotton Richmond (Trump Administration, 2018–2021)
    Serving as Chief Impact Officer of Atlas Free and President of the Libertas Council, Ambassador Richmond is a noted legal expert and strategist in combating human trafficking. He has received national recognition for his innovative approaches to victim-centered prosecutions and foreign policy engagement.
  • Cindy Dyer (Biden Administration, 2023–2025)
    Currently Chief Program Officer for the McCain Institute, Ambassador Dyer’s career has been defined by her commitment to human rights and the eradication of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She has championed policy development, international collaboration, and survivor empowerment throughout her distinguished public service.