The National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking from the government of Canada, as a comprehensive plan, builds on Canada’s responses and commitments to address this crime and proposes strategies and initiatives to prevent the trafficking of persons, identify victims, protect the most vulnerable, and prosecute perpetrators.
In line with internationally accepted best practices, outlined in the Trafficking Protocol, Canada focuses on four core areas, known as the 4-Pillars (the 4-Ps):
- The prevention of human trafficking.
- The protection of victims.
- The prosecution of offenders.
- Working in partnership with others both domestically and internationally.
The National Action Plan highlights the key elements and activities that will be pursued in Canada and abroad. A full compendium identifying activities and the departments responsible can be found in Annex C.
The National Action Plan will also:
- Launch Canada's first integrated law enforcement team dedicated to combating human trafficking.
- Increase front-line training to identify and respond to human trafficking and enhance prevention in vulnerable communities.
- Provide more support for victims of this crime, both Canadians and newcomers.
- Strengthen coordination with domestic and international partners who contribute to Canada's efforts to combat human trafficking.
Furthermore, the Government will be investing over $6M on an annual basis on Human Trafficking activities (for more details, please see p. 10 of the National Action Plan).
As part of Canada’s commitment to prevent and combat human trafficking, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the creation of a human trafficking enforcement team in 2012. This is the first dedicated trafficking team in Canada mandated to investigate human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced labour. This team works closely with law enforcement partners to fight human trafficking in Canada and abroad.