DIPLOMATIC NOTE RECEIVED ON GON CONCERNS WITH 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 002142 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KWMN OPRC PHUM PREL SMIG NU SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE RECEIVED ON GON CONCERNS WITH 2005 TIP REPORT REF: A. MANAGUA 1660 ¶B. SECSTATE 109082 ¶1. On July 15, post received diplomatic note MRE/AN/0122/07/05 from the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry. The diplomatic note relates to the GON's concerns regarding the Department's 2005 Trafficking in Persons report (discussed in reftels). Informal translation of the diplomatic note follows. The original Spanish-language version will be faxed to WHA/CEN. ¶2. Informal translation of the GON diplomatic note: (Official Government Seal) Ministry of Foreign Relations MRE/AN/0122/07/05 DS/RMC/AAG The Ministry of Foreign Relations presents its compliments to the honorable Embassy of the United States of America and refers to the Embassy's diplomatic note number 89, by which the Embassy delivered a copy of the 2005 report on trafficking in persons published by the Department of State. The Ministry takes the opportunity to note that Nicaragua is making significant advances in the fight against this crime, including the ratification of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which was ratified by means of decree number 11-2004 of 20 February 2004, which was published in the Official Record (number 38) on 24 February 2004 and approved (by the National Assembly) on 15 June 2004, and officially announced on 1 July 2004. The instruments of ratification were sent to the permanent Nicaraguan mission to the United Nations in New York in September 2004, so that they could be archived with the U.N. Secretary General. Likewise, this ministry believes that the formation of a national coalition comprised of both government institutions and civil society actors involved in the subject of trafficking in persons is an important advance. This initiative has been supported by the honorable Embassy of the United States of America. By means of this coalition, the government has also opened an office dedicated to coordinating the fight against trafficking in persons. This office includes a virtual library open to all persons interested in the subject and disseminates information to a wide variety of people. It also serves as a means of coordinating the activities of the different institutions that make up the national coalition. The coalition has also developed an action plan that includes a series of anti-trafficking proposals to be implemented in the next two years. During 2004, as part of ongoing prevention activities, training seminars and discussions on sexual abuse and trafficking in persons, aimed at students and their parents, were carried out in various high schools all over the country. Similarly, security measures were strengthened in schools in order to ensure that students would not be exposed to traffickers on school grounds. It is important to mention that during the last year a nationwide system of registering trafficking cases was designed and implemented, which will make possible the analysis of the trafficking problem in all of its aspects, including recruitment, transportation and study of activities and circumstances in which trafficking takes place, as well as the treatment that victims should receive according to the type of case. As part of the implementation of the registry, the heads of all the women's police stations ("Comisarias de la Mujer") in the country, as well as all persons charged with providing psychological and social support to trafficking victims, were trained in the use of the registry. The work of the National Police is of central importance in the fight against trafficking and the National Police has made trafficking one of its main priorities in its efforts against organized crime. The police have also implemented the trafficking registry and have set up a web page to track all missing persons. Taking all of the above into account, this ministry feels that Nicaragua made important strides during 2004 to fight this crime that affects our societies, despite the fact that the Nicaraguan government has limited economic resources available. While recognizing that these efforts should grow and become more intensive during 2005, this ministry is concerned by the fact that Nicaragua has been placed in the Special Watch List of category two in the State Department's report, on the same level with other countries that present serious problems related to trafficking. The Ministry of Foreign Relations takes the opportunity to reiterate to the honorable Embassy of the United States of America the interest and commitment of Nicaragua to fight against trafficking in persons at the national and international levels. The Foreign Ministry also assures the Embassy of its highest consideration. Managua, 14 July 2005 (Signature of Foreign Minister Norman Caldera and official Foreign Ministry Seal) GARZA