SIXTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ASSESSMENT-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 GEORGETOWN 000197

SIPDIS

G/TIP
G
INL
DRL
PRM
IWI
WHA/PPC - Michael Puccetti

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF ELAB KCRM KWMN KFRD GY
SUBJECT: SIXTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ASSESSMENT-
GUYANA


REF: STATE 3836


1. (SBU) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of
information requested in reftel for the 2006 Annual
Trafficking in Persons Report:

BEGIN REPORT. Overview of a country's activities to
eliminate trafficking in persons:

-- A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, or
destination for international trafficked men, women, or
children? Specify numbers for each group; how they were
trafficked, to where, and for what purpose. Does the
trafficking occur within the country's borders? Does it
occur in territory outside of the government's control (e.g.
in a civil war situation)? Are any estimates or reliable
numbers available as to the extent or magnitude of the
problem? Please include any numbers of victims. What is
(are) the source(s) of available information on trafficking
in persons or what plans are in place (if any) to undertake
documentation of trafficking? How reliable are the numbers
and these sources? Are certain groups of persons more at
risk of being trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys
versus girls, certain ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)?

Most TIP in Guyana occurs internally. Post has received
reports of limited trans-border trafficking of victims
destined for Suriname and Barbados. Within Guyana,
trafficking reportedly occurs in the interior of the
country, where government oversight is light and law
enforcement is lacking, and between the interior and coastal
communities. Statistical data is limited, but an
International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey of 58
informants released in June 2005 cited 12 examples of
trafficking for forced labor, 24 examples of trafficking for
prostitution, and 8 cases of trafficking for purposes of
domestic servitude.

A typical trafficking profile involves young women from the
rural interior, primarily of Amerindian (indigenous)
descent, who receive promises to work in rum shops and
restaurants on the coast and are then forced to work without
compensation and/or to provide sexual services. The IOM's
assessment, the most comprehensive to date, also found
instances of trafficking for purposes of forced labor that
involved sawmill operators or land-grant owners taking
Amerindian men and boys from their communities and forcing
them to engage in debt bondage.

Sources of information used to compile Post's report include
the Ministry of Labor, Human Services, and Social Security
(MLHSSS),the Guyana Police Force (GPF),Help and Shelter,
the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA),Red Thread, the
IOM, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)and
members of Parliament representing both the Government and
the Opposition.

-- B. Please provide a general overview of the trafficking
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP
Report (e.g. changes in direction). Also briefly explain
the political will to address trafficking in persons. Other
items to address may include: What kind of conditions are
the victims trafficked into? Which populations are
targeted by the traffickers? Who are the traffickers? What
methods are used to approach victims? (Are they offered
lucrative jobs, sold by their families, approached by
friends of friends, etc.?) What methods are used to move
the victims (e.g., are false documents being used?).

Guyana has made progress in moving beyond acknowledging TIP
as a problem and identifying cases to actively prosecuting
traffickers and assisting victims. The past year has seen
several arrests of TIP perpetrators under the Combating
Trafficking in Persons Act of 2005, and political will to

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address TIP remains evident. Significant efforts in the
reporting period included 10 training sessions for community
facilitators to identify and report TIP cases. The MLHSSS
conducted these seminars at various sites across the country
and reached an estimated 361 participants. The MLHSSS also
continued outreach and sensitization campaigns to interior
communities. However, despite overt political will, Guyana's
capacity to secure convictions remains limited. The GOG's
designated TIP coordinator reports that magistrates assigned
to rural areas are unfamiliar with trafficking in persons
law, and cases tried in Georgetown move at an excruciatingly
slow pace amidst Guyana's heavily-backlogged judicial
system. In addition, contacts in the interior report little
active law enforcement activity. TIP enforcement in Guyana
is still very much reactive.

Post has observed little change in the general modus
operandi of traffickers. Destinations for trafficked persons
tend to center around transportation and commercial nodes,
notably in interior logging and mining communities and also
in the Corentyne River region. Young, impoverished
Amerindian women from rural areas remain the major target,
and they are typically lured into jobs as waitresses at
restaurants or rum shops, as domestic workers, or as
salesclerks that ultimately involve sexual exploitation and
uncompensated labor. In some instances, victims are forcibly
abducted. In one case last year, a businessman and two
accomplices were arrested for kidnapping girls from the
Pomeroon River area and bringing them to work as waitresses
in the Corentyne. The traffickers tend to be small business
owners. Post has no information on the use of false
documents in trafficking, although what trans-border
trafficking that occurs generally involves movement without
any documents.

-- C. What are the limitations on the government's ability
to address this problem in practice? For example, is
funding for police or other institutions inadequate? Is
overall corruption a problem? Does the government lack the
resources to aid victims?

The GOG identifies the cost and time required to access
rural communities in which the majority of TIP activity
occurs as a major limitation. The MLHSSS has prioritized
acquisition of radio and communication sets, motorcycles and
an outboard motor engine to access locations that are
typically accessible only by river or several days' hike. In
addition, the government's capacity to prosecute cases is
severely limited. The MLHSSS's TIP coordinator has called
for specialized training for legal personnel to properly
investigate and prosecute TIP cases and has proposed having
a specifically designated magistracy for TIP cases. Post
does not have information on corruption as it specifically
relates to trafficking in persons. The GOG has provided
around USD 30,000 to fund Help and Shelter, a victim
services provider. USAID and UNICEF have also contributed
resources for victim assistance.

-- D. To what extent does the government systematically
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts --
prosecution, prevention and victim protection) and
periodically make available, publicly or privately and
directly or through regional/international organizations,
its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts?

The MLHSSS, the designated lead agency in the GOG's anti-TIP
efforts, issued an annual "Review of Counter Trafficking in
Persons Activities 2004-2005" in January 2006 that included
information on legislation, law enforcement activities,
public awareness and sensitization programs, and victim
protection efforts. The report also included an assessment
of challenges and emerging needs that mainly focused on
policing the vast hinterland and reaching out to Amerindian
communities. In addition, the Ministry periodically released

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activity reports for its Counter-TIP Unit, which includes
dates, locations, and number of participants for its public
awareness and training efforts.


3. PREVENTION:

-- A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a
problem in that country? If no, why not?

The GOG continues to recognize trafficking in persons as a
problem and works with the USG, the IOM, UNICEF and other
stakeholders to combat it. TIP is regularly referenced in
public discourse, and was most recently labeled as a
"growing menace" in the 2006 budget speech.

-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-
trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead?

The Ministry of Labor, Human Services, and Social Security
is the designated lead agency for the GOG's anti-trafficking
efforts. A three-person Counter-Trafficking Unit within the
MLHSSS coordinates the GOG's efforts under the supervision
of Minister Bibi Shadick. In addition, the Guyana Police
Force (GPF),the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, and the
Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) participate in
the GOG's anti-TIP efforts. In the past, Minister Shadick
has said publicly and to USG officials that human
trafficking in Guyana is an Amerindian problem, therefore
responsibility for combating trafficking in persons should
reside with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

-- C. Are there, or have there been, government-run anti-
trafficking information or education campaigns? If so,
briefly describe the campaign(s),including their objectives
and effectiveness. Do these campaigns target potential
trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g.
"clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor).

The MLHSSS has held a series of seminars since July 2004 to
sensitize the public about trafficking in persons. In 2005
the Ministry launched a public awareness campaign that
included an estimated 56 articles in various publications,
radio programs, and meetings with prominent stakeholders in
the religious, mining, business, and local government
communities. Most of these activities have focused on
potential victims and victim identification.

-- D. Does the government support other programs to prevent
trafficking? (e.g., to promote women's participation in
economic decision-making or efforts to keep children in
school.) Please explain.

In January 2006, the non-governmental organization Partners
of the Americas launched a U.S. Department of Labor-funded
US$2 million program to combat child labor through
education. The program will focus on re-entry of truant
children into the school system an awareness campaign to
sensitize parents, educators, and other stakeholders of the
worst forms of child labor and the importance of education.
The MLHSSS has also provided seed money to families to
assist with school expenses as part of its social welfare
program, trained social workers in trafficking awareness,
and plans to promote vocational education programs to
potential trafficking targets. The MLHSSS also sponsors a
domestic violence sensitization and victim assistance
program through Help and Shelter. The domestic violence
public awareness includes a TIP component. The NGO Red
Thread, a non-government organization works with women to
improve economic decision-making: efforts that are generally
lauded by the GOG. The GPF works with the GHRA to provide
human rights training to officers outside of Georgetown and
to new officers during their orientation and training. The
GHRA provides the training free of charge.


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-- F. What is the relationship between government officials,
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of
civil society on the trafficking issue?

As reported in previous submissions, some NGO relationships
with the GOG are strained, while others are getting
stronger. Help and Shelter enjoys a positive relationship
with the MLHSSS, although, privately, the coordinator was
dismayed that Minister Shadick's mentioned of the general
location of the organization's victim shelter in the press;
the location is kept secret for the victim's protection. The
GHRA collaborates with the GOG on training and
identification, but it argues that the GOG should be more
proactive in TIP enforcement. Contacts who represent
Amerindian communities have echoed this claim.

-- G. Does it monitor immigration and emigration patterns
for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement agencies
screen for potential trafficking victims along borders?

The GOG's immigration record-keeping system is antiquated,
and the GOG does not make a concerted effort to cull travel
patterns for evidence of trafficking. To Post's knowledge,
most of the trans-border human trafficking activity occurs
across the country's porous borders with Suriname and
Brazil, making efforts to screen for potential trafficking
victims along borders extremely difficult.

-- H. Is there a mechanism for coordination and
communication between various agencies, internal,
international, and multilateral on trafficking- related
matters, such as a multi- agency working group or a task
force? Does the government have a trafficking in persons
working group or single point of contact? Does the
government have a public corruption task force?

The Counter-TIP Unit within the MLHSSS is the designated
government office for TIP concerns, with Minister Bibi
Shadick as the point of contact. All trafficking cases are
referred to the GPF's Criminal Investigative Division. The
GPF works closely with the MLHSSS to prepare cases for
prosecution. Guyana does not have a public corruption task
force.

-- J. Does the government have a national plan of action to
address trafficking in persons? If so, which agencies were
involved in developing it? Were NGOs consulted in the
process? What steps has the government taken to disseminate
the action plan?

As reported in last year's submission, the GOG has a
national plan of action to address TIP. The GOG, under the
auspices of the MLHSSS consulted the GPF, the GGMC, the
Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Women's Affairs Bureau,
Red Thread, the GHRA, Help & Shelter, Ribbons of Life, a
variety of local women's rights groups, and the IOM to
develop the plan. The National Plan of Action included a
nationwide public awareness campaign. The MLHSSS estimates
that roughly 3,000 participants have attended the town-hall
type meetings in each of Guyana's 10 regions. The Ministry
worked with the IOM to train 30 trainers from each of the
regions to return to their communities and raise awareness.
The National Assembly passed the Combating of Trafficking in
Persons Bill on December 13, 2004 as part of the plan.



4. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS:

For questions A-D, posts should highlight in particular
whether or not the country has enacted any new legislation
since the last TIP report.

-- A. Does the country have a law specifically prohibiting
trafficking in persons--both trafficking for sexual

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exploitation and trafficking for non- sexual purposes (e.g.
forced labor)? If so, what is the law? Does the law(s)
cover both internal and external (transnational) forms of
trafficking? If not, under what other laws can traffickers
be prosecuted? For example, are there laws against slavery
or the exploitation of prostitution by means of coercion or
fraud? Are these other laws being used in trafficking
cases? Are these laws, taken together, adequate to cover
the full scope of trafficking in persons? Please provide a
full inventory of trafficking laws, including civil
penalties, (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws against
illegal debt).

The Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act became law in
April 2005. In addition, perpetrators who kidnap or lure
victims for purposes of sexual exploitation may be charged
under Guyanese Criminal Law Chapter 8.01, Section 87 (forced
detention--sex) and Sections 72 and 73 (procurement). In
addition, the Kidnapping Act Chapter 8.03 (2003) and the
Labor Act (Conditions of Employment of Certain Workers)
Chapter 99.03 may be relevant to TIP cases. The latter
governs employment conditions for workers in rest houses,
rum shops, discos, and other workplaces that typically lure
TIP victims.

-- B. What are the penalties for traffickers of people for
sexual exploitation? For traffickers of people for labor
exploitation?

Traffickers of people convicted on summary judgment (lesser
offenses) are subject to prison terms of 3-5 years.
Traffickers of people convicted on indictment (more serious
offenses) are subject to prison terms of 5 years to life
imprisonment. All convicted traffickers are subject to
confiscation of property used or gained during the course of
the crime and would be ordered to pay restitution to
victims.

In addition convicted traffickers face:

-two additional years imprisonment if the person used,
threatened to use, or caused another to use or threaten to
use a dangerous weapon;
-five additional years imprisonment if the victim suffers a
serious bodily injury or if the crime involves sexual
assault;
-five additional years imprisonment if the trafficking
victim was exposed to life threatening illness or was forced
into any addiction to drugs and/or medication;
-ten additional years imprisonment if the victim suffers a
permanent or life-threatening injury;
-three additional years imprisonment if the crime was
organized by an organized criminal contingent;
-four additional years imprisonment if the crime resulted
from abuse of power or a position of authority.

-- C. What are the penalties for rape or forcible sexual
assault? How do they compare to the penalty for sex
trafficking?

Guyanese criminal law calls for a maximum of life
imprisonment for rape, five years for sexual assault and ten
years for forced detention for purpose of sexual
exploitation. This compares to a possible sentence of 5
years to life under the TIP act.

-- D. Is prostitution legalized or decriminalized?
Specifically, are the activities of the prostitute
criminalized? Are the activities of the brothel
owner/operator, clients, pimps, and enforcers criminalized?
Are these laws enforced? If prostitution is legal and
regulated, what is the legal minimum age for this activity?
Note that in many countries with federalist systems,
prostitution laws may be covered by state, local, and

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provincial authorities.

Prostitution, including the activities of the prostitute and
the brothel owner/operator, clients, and pimps, are illegal
in Guyana, but these laws are rarely enforced. The National
Assembly passed the Age of Consent Bill in October 2005,
raising the age of consent from thirteen to sixteen years of
age.

-- E. Has the Government prosecuted any cases against
traffickers? If so, provide numbers of investigations,
prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, including details
on plea bargains and fines, if relevant and available. Are
the traffickers serving the time sentenced: If no, why not?
Please indicate whether the government can provide this
information, and if not, why not?
(Note: complete answers to this section are essential. End
Note)

To date, the government has secured no convictions under the
Trafficking in Persons Act passed in April 2005. Based on
information provided by the MLHSSS and the GPF, Post is
aware of 10 people who have been charged under the act. All
the matters are still pending before the excruciatingly slow
Guyanese judicial system. To post's knowledge, two
defendants have been remanded to prison pending the outcome
of the trial and eight were released on bail. The GPF
reports 15 pending TIP investigations.

-- F. Is there any information or reports of who is behind
the trafficking? For example, are the traffickers freelance
operators, small crime groups, and/or large international
organized crime syndicates? Are employment, travel, and
tourism agencies or marriage brokers fronting for
traffickers or crime groups to traffic individuals? Are
government officials involved? Are there any reports of
where profits from trafficking in persons are being
channeled? (e.g. armed groups, terrorist organizations,
judges, banks, etc.)

Reports suggest traffickers are independent business people
who typically lure victims into employment at their
enterprises. Several recent arrests have involved cases
where a business person collaborated with residents of rural
areas who trafficked women from their community. Post has no
information on the direct involvement of government
officials.

-- G. Does the government actively investigate cases of
trafficking? (Again, the focus should be on trafficking
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.) Does the government
use active investigative techniques in trafficking in
persons investigations? To the extent possible under
domestic law, are techniques such as electronic
surveillance, undercover operations, and mitigated
punishment or immunity for cooperating suspects used by the
government? Does the criminal procedure code or other laws
prohibit the police from engaging in covert operations?

According to the GPF's designated TIP coordinator, GPF
officers typically apply surveillance to suspected TIP
locations to gather evidence of activity before making a
raid. Criminal procedure does authorize electronic
surveillance, undercover ops and plea bargaining in exchange
for testimony, but Post is not aware of these techniques
being applied to date in TIP cases.

-- H. Does the government provide any specialized training
for government officials in how to recognize, investigate,
and prosecute instances of trafficking?

Police officers have attended the MLHSSS's training sessions
on TIP identification. However, contacts in the rural
Rupununi region report that the police have little

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familiarity with recognizing or prosecuting TIP cases. In
addition, Minister Shadick contends that magistrates
assigned to rural areas are unfamiliar with the intricacies
of TIP investigations and has suggested that a magistrate in
Georgetown be the designated judicial official for TIP
prosecutions.

--I. Does the government cooperate with other governments in
the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? If
possible, can post provide the number of cooperative
international investigations on trafficking?

The MLHSSS reported two incidents of women being trafficked
to Barbados in which the perpetrators were not intercepted.
In addition, cooperation with Barbados authorities
reportedly prevented two victims from being trafficked. The
MLHSSS also works closely with the Brazilian Embassy in
Georgetown to obtain information on potential Brazilian TIP
victims. The previous year's submission referenced links
with Suriname officials established in the wake of the
discovery of women being trafficked into that country from
Guyana.

-- J. Does the government extradite persons who are charged
with trafficking in other countries? If so, can post
provide the number of traffickers extradited? Does the
government extradite its own nationals charged with such
offenses? If not, is the government prohibited by law form
extraditing its own nationals? If so, what is the
government doing to modify its laws to permit the
extradition of its own nationals?

Guyana does not have a legal restriction on the extradition
of its nationals. Post is unaware of any requests to Guyana
from other countries for extradition of suspects to face
trafficking in persons charges.

-- K. Is there evidence of government involvement in or
tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level?
If so, please explain in detail.

Post has no evidence of government involvement in
trafficking of persons. In fact, in one case last year, the
wife of a senior police official in Port Kaituma was
arrested after the police received reports that she was
involved in trafficking. The IOM's study does include one
interview where an informant alleged that people are afraid
to report trafficking to the police because the police in
turn inform the proprietors where they received the
information. On a broader level, weak institutions and
corruption have traditionally aided and abetted migrant
smuggling in Guyana.

-- L. If government officials are involved in trafficking,
what steps has the government taken to end such
participation? Have any government officials been
prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-
related corruption? Have any been convicted? What actual
sentence was imposed? Please provide specific numbers, if
available.

Not applicable.

-- M. If the country has an identified child sex tourism
problem (as source or destination),how many foreign
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or
deported/extradited to their country of origin? Does the
country's child sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial
coverage (like the U.S. PROTECT Act)?

Guyana is not known to be a destination for child sex
tourism.

-- N. Has the government signed, ratified, and/or taken

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steps to implement the following international instruments?
Please provide the date of signature/ratification if
appropriate.

--ILO Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and
immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of
child labor.
--ILO Convention 29 and 105 on forced or compulsory
labor.
--The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child
prostitution, and child pornography.
--The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children,
supplementing the UN Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime.

Guyana ratified ILO Convention 182 on January 15, 2001.
Guyana ratified ILO Conventions 29 and 105 on June 8, 1966.
Guyana has not signed the Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC) on the sale of children, child prostitution, and
child pornography or the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and
Children.


5. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS:

-- A. Does the government assist victims, for example, by
providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and
psychological services? If so, please explain. Does the
country have victim care and victim health care facilities?
If so, can post provide the number of victims placed in
these care facilities?

The MLHSSS provided funding to renovate Help and Shelter's
victim shelter, which was completed in late 2005. In
addition, the MLHSSS's Counter-TIP Unit refers cases to
probation officers who can make referrals for additional
services. Help and Shelter also has a directory of relief
services. According to the IOM, there is no legislation
offering alternative treatment for illegal migrants where
abuse is suspected.

-- B. Does the government provide funding or other forms of
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims?
Please explain.

The MLHSSS provided GY$6 million (US$30,000) to Help and
Shelter to renovate its shelter in 2005. The 2006 budget
includes GY$1 million (US$5,000) for Help and Shelter.

-- C. Is there a screening and referral process in place,
when appropriate, to transfer victims detained, arrested or
placed in protective custody by law enforcement authorities
to NGO's that provide short- or long-term care?

The MLHSSS and law enforcement refer cases to Help and
Shelter. Post notes that the intake forms at the shelter do
not specifically inquire whether the client is a TIP victim,
but the shelter's coordinator says that such information is
usually indicated in the intake worker's case notes. Help
and Shelter is currently not housing any TIP victims.
Children are typically returned to their parents.

-- D. Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims
also treated as criminals? Are victims detained, jailed, or
deported? If detained or jailed, for how long? Are victims
fined? Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws,
such as those governing immigration or prostitution?

Post reported in its 2005 submission that some trafficking
victims from Suriname were detained for immigration
violations. Post has not received additional reports of such

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incidents.

-- E. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the
investigation and prosecution of trafficking? May victims
file civil suits or seek legal action against the
traffickers? Does anyone impede the victims' access to such
legal redress? If a victim is a material witness in a court
case against the former employer, is the victim permitted to
obtain other employment or to leave the country? Is there a
victim restitution program?

There are no known restrictions on material witnesses'
freedom of movement. The GOG does not have a victim
restitution program, and, while victims have the legal
rights to file a civil suit against a perpetrator, this has
not been tested.

-- F. What kind of protection is the government able to
provide for victims and witnesses? Does it provide these
protections in practice? What type of shelter or services
does the government provide? Does it provide shelter or any
other benefits to victims for housing or other resources in
order to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? Where
are child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, foster-care
type systems or juvenile justice detention centers)?

Help and Shelter has a secret location where victims can be
sheltered while their case is prosecuted. In addition to
housing, the shelter provides counseling and medical
services. Renovation is complete, and it is scheduled to
formally reopen in March 2006.

-- G. Does the government provide any specialized training
for government officials in recognizing trafficking and in
the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including
the special needs of trafficked children? Does the
government provide training on protections and assistance to
its embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are
destination or transit countries? Does it urge those
embassies and consulates to develop ongoing relationships
with NGOs that serve trafficked victims?

Government officials have attended the MLHSSS's workshops on
TIP prevention as well as those held by the IOM. In
addition, two MLHSSS representatives and representatives
from two NGOs have attended overseas seminars hosted by the
IOM. The GOG has not engaged its handful of overseas
missions and consulates in TIP matters.

-- H. Does the government provide assistance, such as
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated
nationals who are victims of trafficking?

When the MLHSSS encounters such cases, it refers the victims
to Help and Shelter as well as to the social workers in the
Counter-TIP Unit. The GOG also provides medical attention,
housing, and repatriation allowances to victims. In the
past, repatriated victims have been provided with housing at
the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown before receiving funds
to return to their communities.

-- I. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any,
work with trafficking victims? What type of services do
they provide? What sort of cooperation do they receive from
local authorities? NOTE: If post reports that a government
is incapable of assisting and protecting TIP victims, then
post should explain thoroughly. Funding,
personnel, and training constraints should be noted, if
applicable. Conversely, a lack of political will to address
the problem should be noted as well.

Help and Shelter completed renovation of its shelter in late

2005. In addition, Red Thread and the GHRA work with victims
of domestic abuse, HIV/AIDS, the sex trade, and trafficking

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victims. They provide HIV/AIDS testing, counseling, and
shelter. While most NGOs have not as yet worked directly
with trafficking victims, all have expressed their
willingness to do so. USAID, UNICEF and the IOM have
assisted these efforts. END REPORT.


2. Embassy Georgetown's point of contact is Ed Luchessi,
Economic/Commercial Officer, telephone (592)226-4309, IVG
747-0220, fax (592)227-0240. Embassy officers spent an
estimated 24 hours preparing this report.

BULLEN