Human trafficking in all its forms is a modern-day scourge found in every corner of the globe, including the U.S. Fortunately, the work that started at the dawn of this century is being continued, with a strong push from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Ivanka Trump.

That matters, because in an administration that has sought to undo much of its predecessors' work, the commitment to U.S. leadership on this issue appears to be intact. The State Department's new Trafficking in Persons report pulls no punches on China, calling it out for failing to seriously address multiple issues including forced labor at government facilities, corrupt officials who facilitate sex trafficking, bonded labor and few protections for victims. Tillerson's State Department dropped China to Tier 3, its lowest ranking for nations, down in the sewer with other chronic offenders such as Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and others.

An estimated 20 million men, women and children are victims of sex trafficking, forced labor, forced domestic servitude or forced military service, in which even young children are turned into unwilling suicide bombers and executioners. And the impact of such atrocities goes far beyond those numbers. Tillerson, a former head of Exxon Corp., rightly pointed out last week that Americans may play an unwitting role because "supply chains creating many products that Americans enjoy may be utilizing forced labor." Trafficking, he said, "splinters families, distorts global markets, undermines the rule of law, spurs transnational criminal activity … and threatens public safety and national security."

Minnesota's acting U.S. attorney is in the midst of prosecuting the largest international sex trafficking case in the country, having used skilled teams of investigators and prosecutors working with multiple federal agencies and local police departments to crack a ring of Thai sex traffickers. Ivanka Trump acknowledged that the U.S. has its own work to do in wiping out such activity, and urged all governments "to adopt the most effective strategies and tactics" in bringing human traffickers to justice.

That is a message she must be willing to carry in the strongest possible terms to her father, President Donald Trump. So, too, with Tillerson, who affirmed the U.S. as a leader in this fight, saying that "we seek justice for victims and accountability for offenders" and that he is "committed to the elimination of human trafficking."

That's a lofty goal, and it won't come without a price. Minnesota's U.S. attorney and others need to know that the Trump administration will back words with resources. The cases involved are complex, time-consuming, and require specialized skills, experience and trusted networks built over time. The report notes as much, concluding that: "No government can hold human traffickers accountable or address the needs of victims without stringent and comprehensive human trafficking laws, strong law enforcement and prosecutorial capacity funded with adequate resources, and an informed judiciary." The deep cuts to the departments of State and Justice that Trump has proposed are incompatible with the action needed.

Tillerson and Ivanka Trump are obliged to ensure that the U.S. will lead by example.