Ambassador George H. Walker

Remarks on the Occasion of Equipment Donation to the Hungarian National Police

Budapest, Hungary
September 28, 2004

Ambassador Walker delivering his remarks.

These remarks were delivered on September 28, 2004, at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, where representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation handed over their donation of computers and other equipment to the Hungarian Police, to assist them in the cross-border fight against trafficking in persons.

Good morning. I am delighted to be here to present this equipment which has been donated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the Hungarian National Police (HNP).

This equipment is being provided under the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) to assist the police in its endeavors to reduce the effects of organized crime in this region.

Specifically, this donation will be used to address the serious threat posed by human traffickers and alien smugglers.

Human traffickers and criminal organizations do not recognize political borders, but we recognize that we can stop them only through international cooperation.

The United States Department of Justice and the FBI are actively investigating human trafficking organizations, alien smugglers, and organized crime groups, who can face severe criminal penalties, including life imprisonment. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the United States is using sanctions against governments to discourage human trafficking.

The State Department publishes the annual human trafficking report, called the "TIP Report," and it is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons. This report includes 140 countries determined to be countries of origin, transit, or destination for a significant number of victims of severe forms of trafficking, and it includes a section on U.S. Government efforts in stopping human trafficking.

Hungary has also taken up the call to stop this heinous crime, by creating an Anti-Trafficking Unit, by providing training of police and customs officials for neighboring countries, and through anti-trafficking legislation. I am pleased that the Hungarian National Police and FBI will co-host a regional trafficking conference for law enforcement officials here in late October.

President Bush is aware of these and other efforts by Hungary and applauds them.

Hungary has a unique geographical position at the crossroads of Europe, and the current government understands the particular problems this presents. That is why it has taken measures to ensure that its law enforcement services are equipped to address this serious criminal problem.

This computer equipment that we are donating today has been designated for the primary use of the Hungarian law enforcement entities engaged in this crucial effort. I am confident that with these additional resources, the Hungarian government will continue to make great strides in combating this pervasive evil.