GUATEMALA REQUEST FOR ESF, INCLE ANTI-TIP FUNDS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUATEMALA 000171

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP:ETERNO, BURY; WHA/PPC:PUCCETTI; AND
A/LM/AQM/IP:SNEARLY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PHUM ASEC ELAB EAID SMIG GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA REQUEST FOR ESF, INCLE ANTI-TIP FUNDS

REF: A. 04 STATE 247994


B. 04 STATE 265981


1. Summary: We request that Washington offices allocate
INCLE funds to one Guatemalan project to improve the criminal
justice sector in regard to trafficking in persons and
allocate ESF funds to two Guatemalan projects to improve care
to trafficking victims. End summary.

Guatemala's need for anti-TIP support
--------------

2. Currently a Tier 2 Watchlist country, Guatemala is in need
of resources to combat trafficking in persons. As a source,
transit, and destination country, the Government of Guatemala
(GOG) and the international community are properly motivated
to fight this practice, as we noted in our contributions for
the Interim TIP Report. For this reason, resources allocated
to Guatemala can be used efficiently and effectively.

INCLE funds
--------------

3. Based on the Ref (A) request, we recommend USD 87,500 for
the Guatemala office of End Child Prostitution, Child
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
(ECPAT) to fund the law enforcement components of ECPAT's
larger Reduction of Trafficking of Children program.


4. Law Enforcement Project:

- Title: Reduction of Trafficking of Children through and
from Guatemala: Building Capacity for Prevention,
Protection, Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration

- Recipient Organization: End Child Prostitution, Child
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
(ECPAT)

- Duration: 18 months

- Description: ECPAT signed an agreement with the Guatemalan
Ministry of Government to allow it to develop and present
anti-trafficking training and resource materials to the
National Civilian Police (PNC),Immigration Service, and
other governmental offices. The GOG has committed to provide
anti-trafficking training to all PNC and Immigration agents.
ECPAT will develop a national training plan and initiate a
train-the-trainer capacity for Guatemalan law enforcement.
ECPAT would develop the curriculum for the PNC's Police
Academy and would undertake the initial training seminars.
Those officials designated to conduct permanent training
modules would attend these sessions with the intent to take
over training activities when appropriate.

ECPAT further wishes to design an information campaign both
to improve prevention efforts and to create a stronger
linkage between the criminal justice sector and civil
society. The activity will use all forms of media, but will
concentrate on radio, as the most effective way to reach the
majority of the population. Given the haphazard nature of
anti-TIP efforts, ECPAT will begin the project with a rapid
assessment of the relevant governmental offices and their
activities to date and contribute to a National Action Plan
throughout the project.

While the long-term capacity building will be conducted at
the Police Academy and at other government locations in
Guatemala City, the project will need to undertake training
and informational activities in other parts of the country,
particularly in border crossing areas known to contain
trafficking activities.

- Justification: Although the PNC and the Attorney General's
Office have developed special units to combat trafficking,
the rank and file of Guatemala's criminal justice sector is
ill equipped to address the situation. A common complaint by
prosecutors is that the PNC officers do not know how to
develop evidence to obtain a successful conviction nor is
there a common understanding that trafficked women forced
into prostitution are victims rather than criminals.

There is a dire need to institutionalize anti-TIP training in
order to develop a broad understanding of both the basis of
the problem as well as the tradecraft to address it.

- Performance Indicators: Rapid Assessment Report,
Curriculum handbooks and training modules, National Action
Plan, numbers of trainers trained, takeover of training by
the trainers, numbers of informational messages broadcast and
published.

- Evaluation: While contact between Embassy POC and the
project will be continuous, a formal review will be conducted
every six months with project officers, GOG officials, and
Embassy POC.

- Budget breakout:

training plan (including equipment) 18,500
rapid assessment plan 3,000
vehicle 26,000
vehicle maintenance (200 per month) 3,600
public awareness campaign 25,000
administration 11,400

total 87,500

- Host Government Contribution: PNC and Immigration officers
to become trainers.

- Proposed Funding Mechanism: Letter of Agreement.

- Embassy POC: Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer.

ESF Funds
--------------

5. Based on the Ref (B) request, we recommend USD 86,400 for
the Guatemala office of End Child Prostitution, Child
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
(ECPAT) to fund the protection and rehabilitation components
of ECPAT's larger Reduction of Trafficking of Children
program. We also recommend USD 90,000 for Catholic Relief
Services for the Guatemala component of its regional
anti-trafficking project.


6. Project one:

- Title: Reduction of Trafficking of Children through and
from Guatemala: Building Capacity for Prevention,
Protection, Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration

- Recipient Organization: End Child Prostitution, Child
Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes
(ECPAT) and Casa del Migrante.

- Duration: 18 months

- Description: ECPAT intends to expand immediate and
long-term care for trafficking victims. Together with its
partner, Casa del Migrante, ECPAT wishes to expand the
capacity of the shelter in Tecun Uman (a town on the border
with Mexico where many trafficking victims are found) to
provide shelter and food, and to institute health care,
immediate legal assistance, and post-traumatic stress
disorder therapy.

- Justification: The trafficking situation in Tecun Uman is
dire. Current facilities for shelter and care are woefully
insufficient and health care and legal assistance are
virtually non-existent.

- Performance Indicators: number of facilities established,
number of victims aided.

- Evaluation: visit facility every six months.

- Budget breakout:

social services 18,000
equipment and infrastructure 7,000
psychological consultancy 9,300
health and nutrition 17,000
legal consultancy 9,300
repatriation costs 7,000
reintegration costs 7,500
administration 11,300

total 86,400

- Host Government Contribution: none.

- Proposed Funding Mechanism: Letter of Agreement.

- Embassy POC: Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer.

- Other donors: Various other donors, including CRS, provide
funds for the Casa del Migrante in Tecun Uman. These
donations, however, are for the current operations. There
are no other donors involved in the expansion of basic
operations or in extended legal, psychological, or physical
health assistance.

7. Project two:

- Title: Countering Trafficking in Guatemala

- Recipient Organization: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
- Duration: 24 months

- Description: CRS is developing a regional Central American
Trafficking response that will harmonize activities and
create a document that identifies characteristics, trends,
trafficking routes, vulnerable populations, and victim
profiles. CRS will conduct the research together with the
Facultad Latino Americana de las Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO).
CRS Guatemala hopes to expand current assistance programs and
to use the regional document to target assistance more
properly.

- Justification: As trafficking is generally a cross-border
issue, the project to plan anti-trafficking activities on a
regional basis is important. Furthermore, the expansion of
care and the need to evaluate care procedures is timely.

- Performance Indicators: Provision of Guatemalan data to
the regional planning document and numbers of victims
assisted.

- Evaluation: Meet with CRS officials every six months.

- Budget breakout:

conduct survey 40,000
increase food assistance to shelters 15,000
medical/psychological care 15,000
expand shelter capacity 20,000

total 90,000

- Host Government Contribution: none.

- Proposed Funding Mechanism: Letter of Agreement.

- Embassy POC: Troy Fitrell, Labor Officer.

- Other donors: none.

Comment on Recipient Organizations
--------------

8. As we noted in our Interim TIP Report, ECPAT is an
extremely able organization taking on many roles in the fight
against trafficking. ECPAT's two proposals listed above are
each part of the larger anti-trafficking proposal for which
they have been seeking support for several months. The GOG
is eager to see these proposals put into action but does not
have the resources itself to fund them. For this reason, the
INCLE and ESF opportunities are timely. The CRS proposal
represents a component of intended regional operations.
CRS's institutional capacity is well known and we urge
Washington offices to consider its request.
HAMILTON