SLOVAKIA SUBMISSION FOR TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000903

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PGI, AND G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN SMIG PREL LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA SUBMISSION FOR TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT

REF: STATE 188750

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) Below, please find responses to the post-specific
questions raised reftel outlining the progress the Government
of Slovakia has made in the following areas:


A. CREATING A NATIONAL COORDINATING EXPERT WORKING GROUP AND
APPOINTING A NATIONAL COORDINATOR:

The Slovak Republic appointed Pavol Draxler, previously head
of the Ministry of Interior's Anti-Extremism Unit, to the
position of National Coordinator for the Fight Against
Trafficking in Persons. Draxler, a close advisor to Minister
of Interior Vladimir Palko and a straightforward,
results-oriented interlocutor, assumed his new position
October 1.

The National Coordinating Expert Working Group has been
meeting since April 2005. The sixteen members are:

-- Pavol Draxler, National Coordinator for the Fight Against
Trafficking in Persons
-- Captain Anna Babincova, head of the national police
anti-trafficking and sex crimes unit
-- Igor Urbancik, office of the Deputy Prime Minister for
Human Rights
-- Juraj Kubla, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
-- Peter Matula, Ministry of Finance
-- Alexander Kunosik, Ministry of Justice
-- Zuzana Kulasikova, Ministry of Labor, Social and Family
Affairs
-- Pavel Khun, Ministry of the Interior
-- Daniela Stabova, Ministry of the Interior
-- Eva Tomkova, Ministry of Education
-- Milan Bodocky, Police Presidium
-- Peter Sufliarsky, office of the General Prosecutor
-- Anna Bystianska, General Secretary of the
Inter-ministerial Council for Drug Abuse and the Control of
Drugs
-- Peter Mikus, Office of the Roma Plenipotentiary
-- Jana Siposova, Victim Support Slovakia (NGO)
-- Zuzana Vatralova, International Organization for Migration
(IOM)

The expert working group meets monthly; Draxler has requested
that the group continue to meet indefinitely even after the
approval of the national action plan. Draxler has already
been provided with funding to:

-- Increase the victim assistance network in Slovakia;
-- Acquire additional equipment and training for police;
-- Establish an improved "hotline" for trafficking victims;
-- Execute a media campaign to raise awareness of
trafficking, and to distribute educational materials to
police stations and high schools.



B. COMPLETING AND ADVANCING A NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR A
COORDINATED GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING, AND
INCREASING SUPPORT FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE:

Draxler told us that the national action plan is nearly ready
for submission to the parliament. He expects it to be
finished in November, then submitted to the cabinet in
December. After a two week period of government review and
public comment, Draxler expects the national action plan to
be approved by the end of the calendar year. (COMMENT:
Despite the government's good intentions we can not rule out
that the parliament could be sidetracked by an early
beginning to next year's election cycle. END COMMENT)

One of the major aspects of the national action plan will be
increased support for victim assistance. Under the proposed
plan, Slovakia will expand its basic network of assistance
for trafficking victims and codify relationships with NGO
partners. Victims will move through two "phases" of support;
the first will be providing shelter and security, the second
will focus on education and re-intergration to society.

According to Draxler, under the action plan IOM will provide
the first phase of support for victims, offering them shelter
and working on repatriation, where appropriate. The second
phase -- offering counseling, support, education, and
re-intergration assistance -- will be handled by Lifehouse, a
Slovak NGO. Draxler says that the new structure has already
been implemented and funded through 2006, and that victim
support is a major facet of the action plan because, in the
past, too many victims were "lost" in the system.


C. INCREASING COOPERATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NGOs
FOR SCREENING AND REFERRING VICTIMS FOR ASSISTANCE:

As mentioned above, Draxler is already coordinating closely
with several NGOs and International Organizations to codify a
victim support network.

In addition, the GOS will be undertaking additional training
for police in cooperation with the NGO Citizens and Democracy
November 24-28. This training will focus on the
identification and referral of trafficking victims. There
will be additional NGO training for police working
specifically on trafficking prevention December 4-6.

The GOS will also be launching a media campaign December
10-20 to raise awareness of the trafficking victim hotline,
which victims and witnesses can call to report suspected
incidents of human trafficking. In addition, printed
materials for police officers and high school students is
being distributed as part of the awareness campaign, as the
GOS has identified women between the ages of 16-18 as being
particularly at risk for trafficking in Slovakia. According
to Draxler, other changes are in the works, but will require
legislative changes that will not be possible until 2006.


2. (U) Post looks forward to discussing and exploring the
details of Slovakia's anti-trafficking efforts during the
visit of G/TIP Megan Hall and EUR/PGI Jody Buckneberg
November 14-16.
SILVERMAN


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