JUSTICE TRUTH TRANSPARENCY Using technology to combat human traf昀椀cking Over 12 million Ukrainians have 昀氀ed their homes online sexual services was playing a role in fueling since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of the this risk. Online demand for sex with Ukrainian country, according to UN data. With an estimated women and girls spiked by 120% to 600% in 昀椀ve million 昀氀eeing to neighboring countries and European countries as the war in Ukraine entered the another seven million believed to be displaced inside Western news cycle. Ukraine, the war has created the ideal conditions Armed with this information, we were able to form a for human traf昀椀cking. For decades, organized crime public-private partnership with OSCE to launch the syndicates have leveraged geopolitical con昀氀icts to Be Safe campaign, a joint campaign to get critical prey on vulnerable populations, using sophisticated, safety advice to Ukrainians to help them spot the transnational networks to perpetuate acts of sexual Commemorating 150 years of West Publishing exploitation and forced labor. signs of traf昀椀ckers and how to get help. It included the launch of a new ‘Be Safe’ advisory website in Thomson Reuters celebrated an important mile- More importantly, though, West’s forethought to Thomson Reuters has committed to using our English, Ukrainian, and Russian and a social media stone in 2022, not only for our business, but also develop the underlying legal taxonomy — the ability data, analytics, and subject matter expertise to campaign. The campaign was also showcased at for the very foundation of the legal system as we’ve to code, catalog, and search judicial decisions help intergovernmental organizations and law key international forums such as the United Nations, come to know it today. It was 150 years earlier, in immediately after they were made — would create enforcement agencies stop these abuses. In helping to mobilize support from policymakers, law 1872, that a St. Paul, Minnesota-based book and a legacy that is still supporting access to justice response to the war in Ukraine, we partnered with enforcement, and NGOs around the world. of昀椀ce supply salesman named John B. West opened and continued innovation 150 years later. Today, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in We are proud to work with organizations such as the the doors of his eponymous publishing and book everything from basic legal research to AI-powered Europe (OSCE) to research the demand for Ukrainian sales operation. John B. West Publisher and Book contract review and litigation analytics are made women and girls for sexual exploitation and provide OSCE to support the 昀椀ght against human traf昀椀cking. Seller would become the 昀椀rst business of its kind in possible by the annotation process West pioneered. a data snapshot to arm policymakers and diplomats. Our partnership re昀氀ects the power of public-private the region specializing in gathering, publishing, and Using our investigative tools, our analysis of internet partnerships and demonstrates Thomson Reuters’ annotating legal texts, and it would eventually create purpose by informing the way forward using our patterns found clear signals that human traf昀椀ckers teams, technology, and our people to deter and the standard taxonomy used to catalog caselaw. were preying on Ukrainians, and that the demand for prevent human traf昀椀cking. It was West’s problem-solving spirit that would give the rapidly expanding western United States its 昀椀rst taste of equal justice. At the time, the US legal system was a collage of laws and caselaw. Then, just as now, access to justice under the law was predicated on a clear understanding of how courts have treated citizens in criminal and civil matters, and that required fair access and consistent interpretation of the nation’s laws. In 1872, Minnesota had only been a state for 14 years, and published Watch this video to hear from our Westlaw Attorney court decisions took months or years to 昀椀nd their way Editors about how these editorial enhancements from courts in the east to the state’s law of昀椀ces and courtrooms. West’s focus on fast, equitable access to help conduct more accurate and ef昀椀cient legal the latest legal opinions helped to close that gap. research. 10
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