WHEREAS, human trafficking is a form of oppression that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act, often targeting vulnerable populations; and

WHEREAS, human trafficking denies freedom to 50 million people in the United States and around the world; and

WHEREAS, the International Labor Organization estimates that human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide, with over $99 billion generated from forced sexual exploitation; and

WHEREAS, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 240 cases in Arizona in 2021; and

WHEREAS, the 2022 Youth Experiences Survey found that almost half of the young adult participants experienced at least some form of human trafficking; and

WHEREAS, the Governor's Council to Combat Human Trafficking in Arizona has made significant strides in the areas of public awareness, victim services, training, and data collection to protect Arizonans against this crime; and

WHEREAS, the Governor's Council to Combat Human Trafficking in Arizona has trained more than 60,000 community stakeholders on how to identify, report, and respond to victims of trafficking, including but not limited to legislators, law enforcement, medical professionals, tribal communities, school staff, faith-based organizations, and businesses; and

WHEREAS, to better serve the community, Arizona launched a statewide Human Trafficking Hotline in 2023 to reach potential victims of trafficking in real-time; and

WHEREAS, the Arizona Human Trafficking Hotline received 71 calls in 2023 connecting individuals in need to local law enforcement and victim-serving organizations; and

WHEREAS, with continued cross-sector, multi-agency collaborative efforts, Arizona is committed to protecting victims' rights and restoring their freedom and dignity; and

WHEREAS, Human Trafficking Prevention Month provides the opportunity to enhance awareness, education, and prevention efforts around trafficking in all its forms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Katie Hobbs, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim January 2024 as

HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to
be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona

GOVERNOR

DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on this twenty-seventh day of
December in the year Two Thousand and Twenty-Three and of
the Independence of the United States of America the Two
Hundred and Forty-Eighth.

ATTEST: