Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04YEREVAN2165
2004-10-01 06:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:  

GOAM TAKING ACTION TO FIGHT TRAFFICKING

Tags:  PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN PHUM AM KTIP 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002165 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR G/TIP, DRL AND EUR/CACEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN PHUM AM KTIP
SUBJECT: GOAM TAKING ACTION TO FIGHT TRAFFICKING


Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.

-------
SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 002165

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR G/TIP, DRL AND EUR/CACEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN PHUM AM KTIP
SUBJECT: GOAM TAKING ACTION TO FIGHT TRAFFICKING


Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (U) Although much work remains to be done, the
Armenian government has made considerable efforts over
the past three years and, despite being a country of
origin for trafficking, has graduated from Tier 3 to
Tier 2 (Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2004).
Government actions have had the following results: in
2002 the GOAM established an Inter-Agency Commission on
TIP and in 2004 it created a Law Enforcement Commission
on TIP; the GOAM Department for Migration and Refugees
(DMR) has maintained a Migrants Service Point and a
hotline for prevention of irregular migration and
trafficking; and the Prosecutor General's Office has
investigated a number of cases on trafficking and
pimping, several of which resulted in convictions and
jail sentences. The GOAM has signed an agreement on
implementing a large-scale program on anti-TIP with the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). US
assistance plays an important role in ensuring
continued progress on TIP issues. End Summary.

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GOVERNMENT ANTI-TIP COMMISSIONS
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2. (SBU) The GOAM Inter-Agency Commission on TIP draws
members from a number of State bodies: the MFA,
Department on Migration and Refugees (DMR),Ministry of
Labor and Social Affairs, National Police, Border
Troops, and the Prosecutor General's Office.
International organizations and local NGOs, under an
expanded UN Theme Group on Anti-Trafficking, serve as
experts and consultants for the commission. This
Commission, with assistance from the UN Theme Group,
developed a Concept Paper and a National Plan of
Actions (NPA) on Counter Trafficking, which the
Government approved on January 15, 2004. The creation
of the Law Enforcement Commission (LEC) on anti-TIP
started as a result of US-Armenian cooperation.
According to Advisor to the Foreign Minister Karen
Nazaryan, the LEC will have the following goals: to
make the anti-TIP efforts of law enforcement bodies
more effective and to ensure funding for implementation
of anti-TIP programs.


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UNDP ANTI-TIP PROJECT
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3. (SBU) The UNDP, in cooperation with the GOAM and in
line with the NPA, designed and implemented a program
on Capacity Building and Victims Assistance. The
approximate cost of the project is USD 620,000--Norway
and the Netherlands are the donors--and the project got
underway in May 2004. The UNDP is implementing the
project together with the United Methodist Committee on
Relief (UMCOR) and International Organization on
Migration (IOM). The UNDP project has three
components: capacity building framework for
institutional strengthening and policy elaboration,
awareness raising and victims assistance. UMCOR
maintains a shelter and a hotline for TIP victims.
UMCOR is increasing efforts to raise public awareness
about the project and the problem of trafficking.

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DMR MIGRANTS SERVICE POINT AND HOTLINE
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4. (SBU) The Deputy Head of DMR, Lyalya Aslanyan, told
us that trafficking issues are part of a larger program
of DMR on prevention of illegal migration. The
Department has established a Migrants Service Point
(MSP) with a hotline for answering potential migrants'
questions. IOM and the USG funded the hotline for its
first year as part of a program called "Awareness
Campaign on Irregular Migration," the DMR now maintains
the service point. MSP workers explain foreign
countries' regulations on illegal employment, and
inform callers about various situations (including
trafficking risks) people may encounter while seeking
jobs abroad. According to a survey conducted by the
Armenian Sociological Association, there was a 25
percent increase in the number of persons aware of the
real situation for illegal migrants, compared with data
collected before the Awareness Campaign and the launch
of MSP. In addition to this, the DMR has developed
three programs on anti-trafficking aimed at raising
public awareness in the Armenian regions, assisting the
victims of trafficking and conducting an in-depth
research of the situation with labor trafficking. The
Department is in the process of identifying sources for
possible funding of those projects.

-------------- --
CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF PIMPING AND TRAFFICKING
-------------- --


5. (SBU) Nelly Harutyunyan, the Foreign Liaison of the
Prosecutor General's Office, provided us with the
following data on cases involving trafficking and
pimping for 2003-2004. Eight cases were investigated
on charges of Article 262 of the Criminal Code,
Organization of Prostitution (i.e., pimping). Out of
this number, 5 cases involving 12 people have already
been successfully prosecuted, 2 cases involving 2
people have been suspended as the suspects have fled,
and one case involving 3 people is still under
investigation. On charges of Article 132 of the
Criminal Code, Trafficking in Humans, one case
involving trafficking of a child is in progress. The
"Association of Investigative Journalists" NGO follows
the investigation and trials of trafficking cases, and
according to NGO president Edik Baghdasaryan most of
the pimping cases were, in fact, trafficking.

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PUNISHMENT TERMS FOR TRAFFICKING AND PIMPING
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6. (U) Punishments envisaged by Article 132 of the
Criminal Code on Trafficking in Humans include: fines
(of up to a current maximum of USD 12,000),corrective
labor (maximum 1 year),detention (maximum 2 months),
and imprisonment (from 1-4 years). In the presence of
aggravating factors (e.g., trafficking in minors,
crossing borders illegally) the length of imprisonment
may range from 4-7 years, and in case of death of the
victim, from 5-8 years. Article 262 on the
Organization of Prostitution stipulates the following
punishments: fines (of up to a current maximum of USD
12,000),corrective labor (maximum 2 years),and
imprisonment (from 1-4 years). If the perpetrator is a
law enforcement official, prison terms can range from 2-
6 years, if the victim is a minor, the terms range from
3-10 years.

-------------- --------------
COMMENT: GOAM MAKING PROGRESS, STILL A LONG WAY TO GO
-------------- --------------


7. (U) GOAM actions over the past three years are a
good start, and the first, crucial step of getting
Armenians to acknowledge the problem. Government
officials, as well as society as a whole, now
acknowledge the problem's existence. The change of law
enforcement and official mentality is clear and is
reflected in regular, official media reporting on
trafficking cases and frequent NGO activities in this
field. More work remains, however, to improve and
strengthen anti-TIP legislation, and to develop
effective mechanisms to identify trafficking victims.
GODFREY