DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS VISIT KINGSTON TO EVALUATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINGSTON 001784 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: DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS VISIT KINGSTON TO EVALUATE GOJ PROGRESS ON TIP REF: A. STATE 01444 ¶B. KINGSTON 01611 ¶C. SIEBENGARTNER-BENT EMAIL 7/20/05 ¶D. KINGSTON 00211 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) On July 14 and 15, G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen and WHA/PPC Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti visited Kingston to assess what actions the GOJ had taken to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) in the 60-day grace period following the June 1 publication of the 2005 TIP Report (Ref A). Poloff accompanied Owen and Puccetti to all of their meetings, which included non-governmental and international organizations in addition to a meeting with National Security Minister Peter Phillips, the GOJ's TIP Task Force, and a visit to the office of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's newly formed TIP Unit. Each meeting revealed recent or previously undocumented anti-TIP actions on the part of the GOJ, including police raids of several local establishments suspected of human trafficking. Emboffs were very encouraged at the conclusion of the two-day visit. End Summary. -------------- Background to the Visit -------------- ¶2. (U) Jamaica was downgraded to Tier 3 status in the 2005 TIP Report, eliciting strong negative reactions from senior GOJ officials. Following some posturing and disingenuous finger-pointing, however, the GOJ appears to have begun taking significant steps toward combating trafficking in Jamaica. G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen and WHA/PCC Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti traveled to Kingston on July 14 and 15 to assess recent GOJ actions and to determine whether sufficient effort has been made for the GOJ to be upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List and avoid Tier 3 sanctions. A Presidential Determination will be made in September. -------------- -------------- UNICEF and GOJ Collaborating to Implement Child Care Act -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met with resident UNICEF officials, including Representative Bertrand Bainvel, Child Protection Officer Rachel Verity Rushton, and Program Coordinator Nada Marasovic. Bainvel explained that UNICEF has worked closely with the GOJ, primarily through the Ministry of Health's Child Development Agency, to protect children in Jamaica and to educate the public on children's rights and raise awareness of trafficking. Bainvel said UNICEF has provided technical and financial support to assist with the establishment of the Children's Advocate and Children's Registry, both of which were mandated by the 2004 Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA). He added that UNICEF has assisted in the drafting and production of 2,000 copies of CCPA handbooks and the design of training modules that will be used to educate approximately 1,000 adults and children on the Act, which explicitly prohibits trafficking, as early as August 2005. Bainvel further explained that UNICEF had been approached recently by the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the GOJ TIP Task Force to measure the scope of trafficking in Jamaica, and to assist in the development of an action plan to address the problem. -------------- PACT Says GOJ Embracing NGO Assistance on TIP -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Later on July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met with representatives of People's Action for Community Transformation (PACT),a local USAID-funded NGO that recently concluded a one-year program on TIP education. In attendance were Program Director Sheila Nicholson, Consultant Hervin Chung, and Claire Spence, FSN Deputy Office Director, Kingston USAID Mission. Post is familiar with PACT's activities over the past 12 months, but was interested to learn of cases in which the GOJ acted of its own initiative to request assistance from PACT in combating trafficking. Chung reported that PACT had trained 23 new Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) recruits at the police academy at the request of Deputy Commissioner Jevene Bent, and that the police had subsequently developed its own TIP curriculum for all incoming officers. In addition, he said that the JCF had requested to sit on PACT's consultative committee on TIP, which meets monthly with civil society groups. Chung also noted that the Bureau of Women's Affairs had developed its own public education training on TIP, and had reached nearly 500 people at sessions held across the island. More recently, Chung said, the Office of the Prime Minister had requested a training session for its staff, and the Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security had requested additional training. During its TIP project, Nicholson reported that PACT had worked with local actors to produce a video that will be used in future training sessions. -------------- Government Homes Protects Vulnerable Children -------------- ¶5. (U) On the evening of July 14, Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff visited Homestead, a Child Development Agency Place of Safety in Kingston for girls between the ages of 14 and 18. Accompanying Department visitors and Poloff on the visit were Anne-Marie Bonner, Principal Director, Policy Analysis and Review Unit, Cabinet Office; Alison Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Child Development Agency; Jennifer Williams, Research Coordinator, Bureau of Women's Affairs; and Annette Richards, Parish Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, Ministry of National Security (MNS). Anderson explained that the facility was different from a traditional shelter in that children are remanded to places of safety by the courts and are not permitted to leave until other arrangements can be made. The home is protected by round-the-clock security and razor-wire fences. Children are thus protected from situations in which they were previously vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, including commercial sex work. At the time of the visit, sixty girls resided at the facility, which was recently renovated and appeared in good condition. Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff spoke briefly with the director of the shelter, who explained that she had at least seven staff members on duty at one time, including a full-time trained counselor. The Child Development Agency maintains similar places of safety in each of Jamaica's 14 parishes, said Anderson. -------------- -------------- GOJ Task Force Outlines Recent Efforts to Combat TIP -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On July 15, Department visitors and Poloff attended a meeting with the GOJ's TIP Task Force, an interagency working group formed in response to the 2004 TIP Report to devise a national strategy to combat trafficking. In attendance were representatives from nearly 10 government agencies, including Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary, MNS; Pamela Ingleton, International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Karl Hamilton, Security, Intelligence, and Operations Division, MNS; Osborne Bailey, Senior Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, MNS; Superintendent Devon Watkis, Superintendent of Police, Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); Charles Scarlette, Deputy Commissioner of Police, JCF; Gladys Young, Counsel, Attorney General's Office, Ministry of Justice; Marva Ximmines, Director, Ministry of Labor and Social Security; Mary Clarke, Director, Social Planning and Gender Unit, Planning Institute of Jamaica; Audrey Budhi, Program Director, Child Development Agency; and Jennifer Williams, Alison Anderson, and Anne-Marie Bonner. ¶7. (SBU) In the area of prosecution, Deputy Commissioner of Police Scarlette informed the group of the JCF's "zero tolerance approach" to TIP, and described recent covert operations that led to raids of at least three bars and nightclubs in Portmore and Montego Bay, as well as the closure of a notorious "sex market" in Culloden, Westmoreland. Scott added that the Ministry of Justice plans to introduce fast-track legislation specific to trafficking in order to charge individuals in such cases. In the area of protection, the Ministry of Labor explained that a pilot program funded by UNICEF was focused on community-based counseling and psychosocial support for local children. In the area of prevention, the Child Development Agency reported that it was disseminating details of the Child Care and Protection Act to entertainment venues around the country, and that hotlines were set up to be used for reporting children's issues, including trafficking. Bonner added that the GOJ was planning an event in August in Kingston's Emancipation Park to sensitize the public to trafficking. Further details of the recent actions taken by the GOJ to combat TIP will be reported septel. -------------- National Security Minister Focused on TIP -------------- ¶8. (SBU) At an appointment that had to be rescheduled on short notice due to the approach of Hurricane Emily, Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff met next with National Security Minister Peter Phillips at the Ministry of National Security. Also in attendance at the meeting, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, were Permanent Secretary Gilbert Scott; Grace Allen Young, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; Carol Palmer, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Faith Innerarity, Director of Social Security, Ministry of Labor and Social Security; Charles Scarlette, Deputy Commissioner of Police; George Williams, Assistant Commissioner of Police; and Anne-Marie Bonner. ¶9. (SBU) Phillips opened the meeting by recounting some of the complaints he had raised at a June 28 meeting with Charge (Ref B),including concern over damage to Jamaica's public image caused by the Tier 3 designation, and so-called communication problems leading up to the downgrade to Tier 3. However, he quickly abandoned his criticisms as "water under the bridge" and moved on to concede that, when forced to examine the issue, Jamaica had indeed identified "areas we can address," including cases of suspected trafficking. Offering that "if you go looking, (you can) find things you didn't know were there," Phillips explained that two recent police raids of nightclubs in Portmore, St. Catherine and Montego Bay had turned up cases of suspected trafficking. He deferred to Deputy Commissioner Scarlette for the details. Scarlette did not offer specifics on the two raids, but said that the JCF was employing a "multisectoral" approach to the cases, using health department codes and liquor license violations to shut down the some of the clubs that had been raided. He added that a more recent, third investigation in the parish of Portland had uncovered a minor working in the commercial sex trade. -------------- GOJ Combating Cross-border Sex Trafficking -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Phillips went on to say that, although it was not a focus of the Department's 2005 TIP Report, the GOJ had undertaken policy reviews of Jamaica's entertainment sector with the goal of identifying and eliminating cases of cross-border exploitation. Led by the Ministry of National Security, Phillips said the review will include the Ministry of Labor's work permit system and the Foreign Ministry's visa policy. The Prime Minister, Phillips said, will not have Jamaica's hospitality exploited; he does not want Jamaica to become a center for the sex industry, which Phillips pointed out often has links to narcotics and terrorism. Because the success of the country's large tourist industry depends on the safety and security of its visitors, Phillips said, the GOJ is acting urgently to "prevent a permissive atmosphere" in Jamaica. (Note: Prior to Owen and Puccetti's visit, Phillips offered the cooperation of Dave Anderson, his national security advisor, to discuss the matter of cross-border trafficking with Post. Anderson subsequently met with Post's DHS/BICE officer to share information and collaborate on investigations.) ¶11. (SBU) Puccetti thanked Phillips for his views on TIP and added that recent comments on trafficking by Information Minister Burchell Whiteman in the Jamaica Gleaner were constructive (Ref C). Phillips replied that the government is trying to "mobilize the public consciousness" against trafficking, calling the effort a struggle against "attitudes that are permissive." He said that a lot of work was going into the nation's children's homes, and that the Children's Advocate would soon be appointed by the Child Development Agency. Phillips added that the GOJ was considering omnibus legislation that would incorporate the provisions of the UN protocol on trafficking in persons into domestic law. In closing, Phillips promised that the dialog on TIP would continue. -------------- Veteran Detectives Selected for TIP Unit -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Department visitors and Poloff next visited the JCF's Organized Crime Investigations Division, from which two officers, Detective Sergeant Allan Love and Detective Sergeant Dorrett Brown, have been assigned to a specialized "Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Unit." Love is a 15-year veteran of the JCF, while Brown has served on the force for 20 years. Both officers report to Deputy Superintendent Osmond Wright, a 16-year JCF veteran currently under the supervision of Superintendent Devon Watkis. All three officers -- Love, Brown, and Wright -- have received TIP training from the International Organization for Migration, and Wright has attended a Department of Homeland Security training session in Miami on child smuggling. Within the Organized Crime Investigations Division, Love and Brown have been given their own, shared office, which at the time of the visit was furnished and appeared operational. The team has so far established a mechanism for recording trafficking investigations, but lacks a computer and other resources that would make these processes more efficient. During the meeting, Watkis specifically requested assistance to ease the officers' system of data collection and reporting. Poloff reported that Post was hopeful to be able to provide assistance that would facilitate the work of the new TIP unit and ensure its viability. (Note: Post submitted a proposal to help fund the TIP Unit on January 24 (Ref D). End Note.) ¶13. (SBU) Superintendent Watkis welcomed Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff to the Organized Crime Unit and reported that the JCF has raised its commitment to confronting TIP, and said that he was aware that efforts should be strengthened in each of the "three Ps: prosecution, protection, and prevention." Watkis explained that the police had already identified places that are centers of suspected trafficking activities, including exotic clubs, massage parlors, and schools, where students are often vulnerable to traffickers. He said that the police already work with schools to educate students on the risks of rape, sexual abuse, and kidnapping. In Culloden, Westmoreland, Watkis said that his officers were monitoring the activities of a notorious "sex market" that serves as a job fair for young women from around the island seeking employment in nightclubs, exotic clubs, and similar business linked closely to the commercial sex industry. The activities, Watkis reported, had been disrupted when police shut down the operation for failing to meet minimum Ministry of Health standards. He also said that the Bureau of Women's Affairs had initiated vocational programs in the area to help vulnerable young people develop employment skills. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶14. (SBU) It is clear that the GOJ took very seriously the visit of Owen and Puccetti to Kingston, as evidenced by the impressive orchestration of one cabinet minister and approximately 30 mid- and senior-level officials, including permanent secretaries, who attended the meetings over two days even while many businesses were shuttered in anticipation of the approaching Hurricane Emily. The fact that the very responsive Cabinet Office has assumed the portfolio in recent weeks demonstrates attention to the issue at the highest levels of the GOJ. The careful timing of police raids was obviously intended to coincide with the visit, but also demonstrates the GOJ's ability to get things done when the political will exists. It also made it clear that the JCF can coordinate covert investigations and take appropriate action when the right pressure is applied. Overall, the meetings gave the impression that a concerted and well-organized interagency effort is being made within the GOJ to increase efforts of prosecution, protection, and prevention of trafficking in persons. Post will continue to monitor the GOJ for follow-through on current commitments and any further developments. End Comment. TIGHE