When the Palermo Protocol was first presented to the General
Assembly, it was praised for paying "equal attention to the repression of
illegal conduct and the protection of the victims, fill [ing] in many gaps in
international law and provid[ing] an effective instrument for international
cooperation."'( The Protocol's purpose was intended to balance
prevention of trafficking, protection of the victims, and prosecution of the
traffickers. 7 Although the Protocol itself does not mention prosecution in
its statement of purpose, it is encapsulated within the Protocol's
commitment to "combat" trafficking." The main goals throughout the
drafting process were twofold. First, that the Protocol would define
trafficking "to include all trafficking into forced labor, slavery and
servitude, no matter whether it is within or across a country's borders" and
second, to "recognize[] the rights and meet[] the needs of trafficked
persons.