MEASURABLE PROGRESS ON DUTCH TIP EFFORTS

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002909

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FROM AMBASSADOR SOBEL TO DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PHUM KWMN NL
SUBJECT: MEASURABLE PROGRESS ON DUTCH TIP EFFORTS

REF: (A) THE HAGUE 2741

CONTAINS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION THROUGHOUT.
PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.


1. MR. SECRETARY: FIVE MONTHS OF FOCUSED ATTENTION AND
INTENSIVE G/TIP, EMBASSY AND DUTCH EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED
TANGIBLE RESULTS (REFTEL). THE RECORD DEMONSTRATES DUTCH
COMMITMENT AND CONCRETE ACHIEVEMENTS IN FIGHTING THE
TRAFFICKING PROBLEM IN THE NETHERLANDS. THE EXTENT OF THE
DUTCH TIP EFFORT IN THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IS BETTER THAN
PREDICTED - ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE STRONG DUTCH SENSE OF
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY/RIGHT TO SET THEIR OWN TIP PRIORITIES
WE RECEIVED WHEN AMB. MILLER DELIVERED THE BENCHMARKS.
THANK YOU FOR SENDING HIM HERE - YOUR PHONE CALL WITH
FOREIGN MINISTER BOT AND AMB. MILLER'S PARTICIPATION IN THE
JUNE 7 MEETING REALLY GAVE THE DUTCH A JOLT THAT WE
CAPITALIZED ON WITH G/TIP SUPPORT.


2. IN OUR AUGUST MEETING, I PROMISED YOU FACTS NECESSARY FOR
AN OBJECTIVE MID-TERM EVALUATION OF DUTCH PROGRESS IN
FIGHTING TRAFFICKING. WELL, THE FACTS ARE IN. AS WE
REQUESTED, THE DUTCH IDENTIFIED AND ASSISTED MORE VICTIMS
THAN LAST YEAR, SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDING THE LEVELS WE SET
FOR THEM. THEIR AWARENESS AND INFORMATION EFFORTS REACHED
APPROXIMATELY 15,000 PROSTITUTES AND CLIENTS IN THE
AMSTERDAM AREA. IN ADDITION, TIP INFORMATION WAS BROADCAST
TO THE PUBLIC. THE DUTCH ALSO DISTRIBUTED TIP BROCHURES TO
POLICE DISTRICTS, SHELTERS AND NGOS FOR DISSEMINATION TO
POSSIBLE TIP VICTIMS. THE GOVERNMENT REVISED AND EXPANDED
TIP TRAINING FOR POLICE, JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS, AND IT
FUNDED A PROGRAM TO FIGHT TIP IN THE ANTILLES.


3. THE DUTCH DID NOT ATTACK EVERY BENCHMARK THE SAME WAY WE
WOULD HAVE, BUT THEY MADE SERIOUS EFFORTS WITH APPRECIABLE
PROGRESS IN EACH BENCHMARK AREA. FOR EXAMPLE, THE DUTCH
DECIDED TO SCREEN FOR TIP VICTIMS IN THE AMSTERDAM RED LIGHT
DISTRICT "AT THE STREET LEVEL, NOT AT THE PAPER LEVEL,"
WHICH AMB. MILLER AND JUSTICE DONNER AGREED WAS THE BEST
APPROACH. INSTEAD OF SENDING BUREAUCRATS WITH CLIP BOARDS
TO CONDUCT A CENSUS-TYPE SURVEY, THE DUTCH REPEATEDLY SEND
SPECIALLY TRAINED POLICE WITH STREET SAVVY UNANNOUNCED AT
RANDOM TIMES TO CHECK ALL AMSTERDAM BROTHELS FOR TIP VICTIMS
AND SITUATIONS. LIKEWISE, THE DUTCH ARE TRYING DIFFERENT
APPROACHES TO THEIR INFORMATION/AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS BESIDES
JUST DISTRIBUTING TIP PAMPHLETS. THE TIP HOTLINE NUMBER IS
POSTED ON WEBSITES USED BY SEX INDUSTRY CLIENTS. TELEVISION
VIEWERS IN THE NETHERLANDS ARE SEEING "TIP SPOTS" WITH THE
TIP HOTLINE NUMBER ON TV, AND SOON, THE MOST AT RISK GROUP,
THE YOUNG, WILL SEE A VIDEO ON TIP JOINTLY PRODUCED BY A
GOVERNMENT-FUNDED NGO AND MTV.


4. WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE WHAT THE DUTCH ARE DOING ON THEIR
OWN INITIATIVE. THEY MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS ON THEIR
OWN NATIONAL TIP PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY PROTECTING MINORS
AGAINST TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE BY SEXUAL PREDATORS AND
CLEANING UP THE ESCORT INDUSTRY. THESE FACTS ARE
SIGNIFICANT SINCE THE TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING MANY OF THE
GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP MEASURES DOES NOT CULMINATE UNTIL
JANUARY 2005. THEY ARE ALSO ATTACKING TIP INTERNATIONALLY,
PROVIDING NEARLY 2 MILLION EUROS TO IOM AND OSCE VICTIM
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN THE BALKANS.


5. DUTCH PERFORMANCE ON TIP WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
THE GOVERNMENT WILL PRESENT A NATIONAL TIP ACTION PLAN TO
PARLIAMENT IN DECEMBER, INCORPORATING THE NATIONAL
RAPPORTEUR'S RECOMMENDATIONS. OUR ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, WITH
STRONG G/TIP SUPPORT, HAS HELPED IDENTIFY AREAS THEY ARE NOW
INCLUDING IN THAT PLAN. THEY ARE ALREADY TALKING TO US
ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE COMPILATION OF STATISTICS. WE
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR INITIATIVES AND PUSH THEM TO
IMPROVE VICTIM IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS AND EXPAND OUTREACH.


6. SINCE YOUR INITIAL DECISION TO PLACE THE NETHERLANDS ON
TIER ONE, ALL WE HAVE SEEN IS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY THE
DUTCH ATTACK THE TIP PROBLEM HERE: NEW INITIATIVES, MORE
VICTIMS IDENTIFIED, INNOVATIVE OUTREACH EFFORTS, INCREASED
FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL ANTI-TIP PROGRAMS. THERE HAS BEEN
NO BACKSLIDING, ONLY FORWARD MOVEMENT WITH CONCRETE
PROPOSALS, SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS AND MEASURABLE RESULTS.

SOBEL