Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KINGSTON1622
2005-06-30 18:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kingston
Cable title:  

CABINET OFFICE HOSTS TIP WORKING SESSION

Tags:  KCRM KWMN OPRC PHUM PREL SMIG JM TIP 
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UNCLAS KINGSTON 001622 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (OWEN) AND (ETERNO)
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J7

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN OPRC PHUM PREL SMIG JM TIP
SUBJECT: CABINET OFFICE HOSTS TIP WORKING SESSION

REF: A. KINGSTON 01611


B. SIEBENGARTNER/BENT FAX 06/29/05

UNCLAS KINGSTON 001622

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI)
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (OWEN) AND (ETERNO)
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J7

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN OPRC PHUM PREL SMIG JM TIP
SUBJECT: CABINET OFFICE HOSTS TIP WORKING SESSION

REF: A. KINGSTON 01611


B. SIEBENGARTNER/BENT FAX 06/29/05


1. On June 28, the Cabinet Office hosted a working meeting
with USAID Mission Director and Poloff to review actions
taken to date by the GOJ to combat trafficking in persons
(TIP). The meeting had been scheduled as a follow up to a
June 24 meeting on TIP at the Ministry of National Security
(MNS) hosted by Minister of National Security Peter Phillips
(Ref A). In attendance from the GOJ were Ann-Marie Bonner,
Principal Director, Policy Analysis and Review Unit, Office
of the Cabinet; Gladys Young, Attorney General's Chambers,
Ministry of Justice; Woodrow Smith, Principal Director, MNS;
Karl Hamilton, Security, Intelligence, and Operations
Division, MNS; Allison Anderson, Chief Executive Officer,
Child Development Agency (CDA); Audrey Budhi, Director of
Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, CDA; and Pamela Ingleton,
International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Foreign Trade.


2. The meeting was chaired by Bonner, whose office has taken
the lead on TIP for the GOJ. Bonner expressed that, in
anticipation of the July 14-15 evaluation visit by Department
TIP representatives, the GOJ is very interested in USG
feedback on the actions it had already taken against
trafficking, which were outlinted in a document shared with
emboffs on June 24 (Ref B). Poloff replied that, while the
apparent progress was promising, the lack of detail provided
on each of the actions was likely to raise questions from
Department visitors. The remainder of the meeting, which
lasted approximately 90 minutes, was devoted to a
point-by-point review and clarification of GOJ actions taken
to date. For example, where the GOJ indicated that "A Task
Force is in place," Poloff requested a list of its members,
their titles, and the GOJ agencies they represented, in
addition to how often the group had met and what the tangible
results of its meetings had been. A similar line of
questioning was introduced for each GOJ action, at the
conclusion of which Bonner promised that she would prepare a
written response for the Embassy.


3. Bonner also asked about the agenda of the July 14-15 visit
by Department representatives. Poloff replied that the
schedule was currently being planned, but that the Embassy
would welcome input from the GOJ on whom they considered to
be the most appropriate and effective points of contact
during the visit. Poloff assured Bonner that the visitors
would like a detailed briefing from the GOJ TIP Task Force,
and suggested that some involvement by a senior GOJ official
might be impactful. Bonner said that her office would
respond with a proposed schedule of GOJ meetings for the July
visit.


4. Comment: Despite Peter Phillips' disingenuous posturing in
front of Charge on June 24 (Ref A),it appears that the GOJ
has in fact begun to take concrete steps in response to
Department's suggested Tier 3 Action Plan. The involvement
of the Cabinet Office on this matter, possibly at the request
of the Prime Minister himself, seems to be just the impetus
the GOJ needs to get its disparate agencies lined up behind
the TIP issue. With one day's notice, Bonner was able to
assemble seven mid- to high-level officials representing five
different ministries, a feat that under normal circumstances
might have required weeks of planning and at least one
diplomatic note. The GOJ should now have a thorough
understanding of USG expectations during this 60-day grace
period, and appears to have completed approximately one-third
of the fifteen suggestions in the Tier 3 Action Plan, with
another one-third reasonably achievable in the short-term.
End Comment.
TIGHE