CLEARANCE TO ACCEPT AWARD - RAMAN, JAY

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001651 SIPDIS SIPDIS WHA, WHA/EX, WHA/CAR (BENT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT APER SUBJECT: CLEARANCE TO ACCEPT AWARD - RAMAN, JAY ¶1. Embassy Santo Domingo asks that WHA/EX obtain authorization for FSO Jay Raman to accept the "Order of Police Merit" recognizing his contributions while serving as political officer (human rights and labor) 2004-2005. ¶2. On June 16, 2005 Dominican President Leonel Fernandez issued Decree No. 340-05, inter alia awarding Jay Raman, human rights officer at Embassy Santo Domingo from 2004-2005, the Order of Police Merit ("Condecoracion de Merito Policial"). The award consists of a certificate, which was sent to him through the Embassy earlier this year. ¶3. The regulation governing gifts and decorations from foreign governments, 22 CFR 3.7, states in relevant part that: (a) Decorations tendered in recognition of - outstanding or unusually meritorious performance may be accepted, retained, and worn by an employee, subject to the approval of the employing agency... (b) The decision as to whether a decoration has been awarded for outstanding or unusually meritorious performance will be made: (1) For the Department of State, by the supervising Assistant Secretary of State or comparable official... SIPDIS ¶4. Embassy advises WHA that Jay Raman's work in Santo Domingo should be considered as "outstanding or unusually meritorious performance," as contemplated by 22 CFR 3.7. Raman, then a junior officer on a rotational assignment in Santo Domingo, was the Embassy officer responsible for issues of human rights and trafficking in persons (TIP),for which he received a Meritorious Honor Award in 2005. DRL recognized his excellent work on the 2005 report on Supporting Human Rights and Democracy. He worked closely with Dominican authorities and NGOs to improve the country's human rights record, for example by arranging and coordinating briefings and training for the members of incoming Fernandez administration on the application of U.S. and Dominican TIP laws. Raman's efforts were factors in obtaining tangible results, including, for example, the conviction of a sitting Dominican Congressman for alien smuggling in a high-profile case that had been stalled for several years. Dominican prosecutors also obtained the first ever trafficking conviction under the Dominican Republic's TIP law. ¶5. Jay Raman is currently serving in Tallinn, Estonia. ¶6. Recommendation: that the appropriate WHA official authorize Jay Raman to accept the Dominican Order of Police Merit and WHA/EX advise Embassies Santo Domingo and Talinn. HERTELL