2005 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO CZECHS

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000854 SIPDIS FOR G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KWMN PHUM PREL SMIG EZ SUBJECT: 2005 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO CZECHS REF: STATE 97920 ¶1. Poloff delivered the demarche regarding the release of the 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report on Monday, June 6, 2005, to First Deputy Interior Minister Miroslav Koudelny and to Dr. Pavel Rotyka, Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Justice. Minister Koudelny, who is the Czech Republic's National Coordinator for the fight against trafficking in persons, was pleased to learn that the Czech Republic retained its Tier 1 status in the 2005 report but assured Poloff that he realizes there is much more to be done on this important issue, and that combating trafficking will remain a top priority for the country. Koudelny mentioned in particular that more will be done to enhance and expand the country's victim assistance model. Although the Deputy Minister of Justice was unavailable, his Advisor, Dr. Rotyka, was pleased to hear the TIP demarche and acknowledged the fact that more convictions and tougher sentences for traffickers were the Czechs' main areas for improvement. Rotyka was eager to use the 2005 TIP Report to impress upon judges and prosecutors how imporatant the TIP issue is to the USG, and said that the Justice Ministry would like to post the report on its own webpage. Poloff told him that in addition to the copy given at the demarche, the report is available in both English and Czech on the Embassy's webpage, and that the Department encourages the Ministry to give the report the widest distribution possible. ¶2. Embassy has also passed the TIP report to the Czech Foreign Ministry, but not yet been able to meet with their Human Rights Department. CABANISS