Due to the Palermo Protocol's lack of a proper enforcement
mechanism, the TVPA has become a standard by which the United States
holds other nations fiscally accountable for their actions. While the TVPA
attempts to supplement the Palermo Protocol's lack of enforcement, the
identification and imbalanced priorities present within the TVPA
perpetuate the same problems existent within the Palermo Protocol. The
United States envisions itself as a global leader in the fight against human
272 trafficking, and yet does not take on this leadership role in a way to
resolve many of the identification and prioritization flaws within the
Palermo Protocol, but rather fiscally enforces this flawed approach both
nationally and on a global scale. While the TVPA may provide human
trafficking standards with the "teeth" that the Protocol lacks, it is
important that the standards the international community is being held
to are those that encourage comprehensive solutions.
Ultimately, the Palermo Protocol and the TVPA do not live up to
their alleged victim-centered approach. With new initiatives coming
forward, the strengthening of measures to properly identify victims, and
then prioritize their protection is essential. In terms of identifying
victims, the focus on protecting one category of victims cannot be done
at the expense of another. The imbalance and identification concerns present within the Palermo Protocol cannot continue to be perpetuated
on the international and national levels if progress is going to be made in
eradicating human trafficking