Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LILONGWE125
2006-02-08 16:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

INCLE PROPOSAL FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

Tags:  KWMN KCRM PHUM ASEC EAID ELAB PREL SMIG MI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLG #0125/01 0391636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081636Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2339
UNCLAS LILONGWE 000125 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, AF/S
USAID FOR AFR/SA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN KCRM PHUM ASEC EAID ELAB PREL SMIG MI

SUBJECT: INCLE PROPOSAL FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
PROJECT - MALAWI

REF: A) STATE 221178 B) STATE 226696

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000125

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G/TIP, AF/S
USAID FOR AFR/SA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN KCRM PHUM ASEC EAID ELAB PREL SMIG MI

SUBJECT: INCLE PROPOSAL FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
PROJECT - MALAWI

REF: A) STATE 221178 B) STATE 226696


1. Lilongwe submits the following proposal for funding under
INCLE. This proposal is second priority, ranked below a
separate ESF-funded proposal that is being submitted septel.
Proposal format is keyed to ref A, para 21.


A. Establishment of a Regulatory Framework to prohibit
trafficking in persons and to punish acts of trafficking in
Malawi.


B. US Department of Justice working with Malawi Ministry of
Justice, Law Commission, Ministry of Gender, National
Parliament, and Malawi Police

- US Department of Justice (OPDAT and ICITAP) have particular
skills in legislative drafting and capacity building of police
and prosecutors. Both OPDAT and ICITAP will be already
actively engaged with the key counterpart organizations in
Malawi as part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Threshold Country Plan.
- Ministry of Justice drafts most legislation for the
Government of Malawi (GOM) and houses the Department of Public
Prosecutions, which has expressed a particular wish for the
tool TIP legislation would provide.
- The Law Commission is an independent body, established under
the Malawi Constitution to review laws against the
Constitution and to propose necessary revisions. The Law
Commission also has legal draftspeople.
- The Ministry of Gender is a technical lead ministry on anti-
trafficking in Malawi
- Malawi police are often on the front line of discovering and
investigating TIP. With the passage of legislation, they will
be most effective on the front lines of implementation if they
are adequately trained.


C. 18 months. This is a new project.


D. Description

Objective

The objective of the proposed project is to provide assistance
to the Government of Malawi in its efforts to formulate, pass,
and implement a best-practices law which will prohibit,
punish, and deter trafficking in persons.

Activities


1. Department of Justice will provide technical assistance to

the Ministry of Justice and the Law Commission to support
drafting and review of anti-human trafficking legislation for
Malawi.

2. US Department of Justice will provide technical assistance
to support the broad understanding of the legislation amongst
Members of Parliament, key committees in the Malawi National
Assembly, and select civil society organizations to facilitate
consideration and passage of the act.

3. Department of Justice will provide technical assistance and
training to judges, magistrates, lawyers, prosecutors, and
police to support their awareness, understanding, and
implementation of the act. DOJ will also provide appropriate
training to professors at the University of Malawi Chancellor
College School of Law.

4. A limited amount of material assistance will be provided to
assist police and prosecutors have adequate facilities and
equipment to meet the special needs of trafficking cases.

Sustainability

This project seeks to enact and support implementation of a
law for which there is public support in Malawi and which the
Ministry of Justice and law enforcement agencies would
welcome. The law is sustainable and political will exists to
implement it.


E. Justification

Malawi is rated by the US Department of State as a Tier 2
country, meaning that it does not comply with minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons.
Malawi is not in Tier 3, because it is making "significant
efforts" to bring itself into compliance with minimum
standards, but the country is seriously chQQ\hQu`Qf)PlwQeTQ>!Qitself into compliance with minimum standards because of its
extreme poverty.

Trafficking in Malawi is poorly documented, but is

characterized by the US Department of State as "a country of
origin and transit for men, women and children trafficked for
the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation."
Anecdotal evidence from police, prosecutors, business people,
civil society activities, human rights leaders, and the
religious communities is so widespread and consistent, that
the existence of a trafficking problem appears undeniable.
Malawi's lack of anti-trafficking legislation is a distinct
impediment to the work of police and prosecutors in punish the
crime and assisting victims since they must stretch tenets of
the penal code regarding "unlawful carnal relations," forgery
or misuse of travel documents. Alternatively, they rely on
the constitutional prohibition of slavery and the abuse of
children or the Employment Act prohibition to forced labor.


F. Performance Indicators


1. Best practices Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act is
formulated and presented to the National Assembly.

2. Three cases of Trafficking in Persons Cases prosecuted in
year following passage of the Act.

3. Malawi able to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2003 by providing US Department of
State with data on trafficking related investigations,
prosecutions, convictions, and sentences.


G. Evaluation Plan

USAID, working with the US Department of Justice, will
facilitate the formation of a task force, comprised of
Government of Malawi, National Assembly, and civil society
stakeholders, as well as key multilateral counterparts such as
UNDP and UNICEF. The task force will meet on a monthly basis
to review progress towards the project objective, stated
above, and to determine what contributions need/should be made
by the stakeholders to promote the legislation and its
implementation. The proposed task force will link to the
already established inter-ministerial anti-trafficking
committee.


H. Budget Breakout

US Department of Justice (OPDAT)

Technical Assistance 150 days @ $400/day $60,000
Capacity Building Activities 70,000
Outreach and Dissemination Activities 30,000
Material Assistance 20,000
DSA 150 days @ $180/day 27,000
Travel 30,000

Subtotal 237,000

US Department of Justice (ICITAP)

Technical Assistance 100 days @ $400/day 40,000
Capacity Building Activities 50,000
Material Assistance 30,000
DSA 100 days @ $180/day 18,000
Travel 26,000

Subtotal 164,000

Total 401,000



I. Type and Amount of Host Government Contribution or other
Cost Sharing

Ministry of Justice will provide office space for OPDAT
adviser(s) and Malawi police will provide space for ICITAP
advisers.


J. Proposed funding mechanisms

Participating Agency Program Agreement between USAID and
Department of Justice.


K. Embassy point of contract

Martha Myers, USAID Democracy and Governance Team Leader


L. Other donors

Very little work on the issue of trafficking is being
undertaken in Malawi.

GILMOUR