On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry released the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which looks at how 188 countries, including the U.S., were tackling this serious crime throughout 2015 and into 2016. For the fourth year in a row, Armenia is a Tier 1 country, recognized as fully committed to fighting trafficking in persons.

The annual report looks at 188 countries, describing the scope of human trafficking, government anti-trafficking efforts, and human trafficking trends all over the world, including in the United States.

The Armenian section of this year’s report highlights the pivotal role played by Armenia’s Anti-TIP Working Group, which includes representatives from government, civil society, and international organizations.

“The success of the working group demonstrates what can be achieved when government and civil society listen to one another and work together,” U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, Jr. said. “The working group is a model for tackling complex, challenging problems.”

Other significant developments which contributed to Armenia’s upholding its ranking is continuation of government allocations for counter-TIP activities, adoption of relevant laws, prosecution of traffickers, prevention and awareness raising activities, as well as establishing of official TIP victims identification commission and finalization of TIP victims’ compensation mechanism.