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