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