DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT DELIVERED

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000153 SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC),G/TIP (PUCCETTI AND OWEN); SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KCRM PHUM DR SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT DELIVERED REF: SECSTATE 274601 ¶1. On January 6, Charge and poloff delivered reftel text of the Dominican Republic's Interim TIP Assessment to Deputy Foreign Minister Alejandra Liriano and Luisa Vicioso, MFA Director for Women and Children's Issues. Liriano thanked the charge for delivering the text personally and promised a thorough response after further consideration of the findings. ¶2. Both Liriano and Vicioso expressed concern about the classification of Dominican anti-TIP efforts as "inadequate," pointing to several areas of improvement since the Fernandez administration took power in August, including the formation of a dedicated anti-TIP unit in the Migration Directorate. They pledged to increase efforts, noting in particular the need to address the root causes of trafficking, including "conditions of life" that prompt potential TIP victims to put themselves at risk. They also said the MFA will immediately encourage the authorities to reactivate stalled TIP cases and investigations and will continue the interagency effort to combine resources and share information. KUBISKE