MADAGASCAR TIP PROPOSALS FOR 2007 ESF AND INCLE FUNDS

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000402

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E MBEYZEROV
DEPT FOR AF/RSA HARPOLE
DEPT FOR G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG MA
SUBJECT: MADAGASCAR TIP PROPOSALS FOR 2007 ESF AND INCLE FUNDS

REF: STATE 28157


1. (U) Per reftel, Embassy Antananarivo is providing the following
four proposals for 2007 ESF and INCLE funds for Trafficking in
Persons (TIP) projects. The full text of the proposals, budgets and
resumes are being forwarded via email to the appropriate G/TIP POC
as requested. Post POC for all proposals is Political Officer
Silvana Rodriguez (RodriguezSD@state.gov).


2. In 2006, Madagascar was upgraded to Tier Two from the Tier Two
Watch List due to strong political will and concrete initiatives on
the Government of Madagascar's (GOM) part to address its widespread
internal trafficking issues. However, lack of resources and
capacity continue to hamper the efforts of the GOM and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to address the protection and
prosecution aspects of the trafficking problem. G/TIP has
identified the need to pass and enact a comprehensive
anti-trafficking law and enhanced support services for victims as
two future priorities to enhance Madagascar's anti-trafficking
initiatives to date. The four project proposals below complement
and expand current US-funded programs in Madagascar by assisting the
GOM in drafting an anti-trafficking law to facilitate prosecution
and victim protection, as well as by providing trafficking victims
with social services and vocational training to prevent them from
falling back into the trafficking trap. There is strong potential
for the proposed projects to create strong synergies with existing
U.S.-funded Welcome Centers for victims and the upcoming U.S.
Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative
Assistance Program (ICITAP) in Madagascar by co-locating in the same
regional hotspots and building links between them. Post appreciates
the Department's consideration of our request for financial
assistance to maintain the momentum of GOM efforts.

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INCLE PROJECT
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a) Name of the Applicant: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC)

b) Requested Funding Amount: USD 432,225

c) Project Title: Building Madagascar's Capacity to Implement the
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
especially Women and Children

d) Project Duration: Two years

e) Proposal Abstract: Trafficking in persons has become of major
concern in many parts of the world, including in Southern Africa.
Effective responses to the problem of human trafficking call for
collaborative, multi-disciplinary, long-term, coordinated, strategic
and well-planned action. Although little information is currently
available on trafficking in persons in Madagascar, there have been
reports of both international (cross-border) and internal (within
national borders) trafficking in recent years. Traffickers mainly
target vulnerable groups, such as women and children. More
importantly, the GOM has acknowledged the problem of trafficking.
There is growing awareness of the need for well coordinated joint
initiatives. In this context, it is particularly important to
strengthen and elaborate the crime prevention and criminal justice
responses. More legislation is necessary and institutional
structures need strengthening.

This project focuses on five objectives. First of all, because of
the lack of available data on human trafficking in Madagascar,
research will be conducted in order to deepen the knowledge and
understanding on trafficking, review the nature and extent of the
problem and identify agencies and groups involved in victim
protection and assistance. This research will also result in policy
recommendations for combating human trafficking. Furthermore, data
collection should not be a one-time event. Instead, the project
foresees the establishment of an effective, accessible database on
human trafficking, leading up to constant data collection. This is
an essential element of the project, because of the changing nature
of the trafficking crime; new trafficking routes will be discovered
and new methods used, which make it necessary to keep up to date.

Combating human trafficking cannot be done without complementary
anti-trafficking legislation, implementation, enforcement, and
training of relevant stakeholders. The project includes assessing
the legislative reforms necessary to bring national legislation into
compliance with international standards. Also, the technical
capacity of law enforcement and prosecution officials will be
strengthened through training. Given the often transnational nature
of the issue of trafficking in persons, it is unlikely that any
sustainable success will be achieved at the national level without
some international collaboration. This is why the project also
plans to identify international contacts for the exchange of
information and best practices. To conclude, this project is based
on the premise that the problem of trafficking in persons can only
be addressed effectively on the basis of a comprehensive strategy.

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ESF PROJECT 1
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a) Name of the Applicant: PACT Madagascar

b) Requested Funding Amount: USD 363,434

c) Project Title: SELF-WORTH: Empowerment for Reduced Trafficking

d) Project Duration: Two years

e) Proposal Abstract: Trafficking linked to the sexual
exploitation of women and girls is increasing in Madagascar.
Poverty and social norms affecting gender equity are key
determinants that contribute to trafficking. In response, Pact will
implement the proven WORTH women's empowerment model to prevent
continual trafficking of women/girls already in prostitution and to
prevent "at risk" Malagasy women from being trafficked into sexual
enslavement. The WORTH model links the long-term approach of
women's empowerment with practical skills building and access to
finances. The WORTH Madagascar program will offer women and girls,
primarily victims but also a limited number vulnerable to
trafficking, access to literacy skills, to financial resources
through community savings and to opportunities for generating income
through micro-enterprises. WORTH differs from a traditional
microfinance approach: it is innovatively designed to empower women
and girls, challenge gender roles and mobilize for social action and
change. Given these tools, the women/girls will have the
opportunity of reintegration into their communities with a solid
basis of knowledge and financial standing. WORTH improves durably
the economic and social status of women and girls.

Pact will implement the program in two geographic hot spots for
trafficking: Antananarivo and Toamasina (also known as Tamatave).
In Toamasina, Pact will build synergies with existing USAID
anti-trafficking programs, and in Antananarivo with the government's
and other anti-trafficking programs in order to offer a complete
package of services to targeted women and effectively reduce the
trafficking of these women and girls. Pact will collaborate with
local non-governmental organization NGO partners and local
authorities to ensure that empowerment groups have the capabilities
to sustain their economic and social activities. Results achieved
and lessons learned in these two provinces in the two-year program
period will provide a basis for expanding the WORTH model as an
anti-trafficking protection and prevention approach in other areas
of Madagascar.
Pact's proposed budget for the two-year program is US$363,434. These
funds will allow Pact to reach a total of 2000 women and girls. An
important part of the resources will be allocated to the manuals
adaptation to the local context and printings.

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ESF PROJECT 2
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a) Name of the Applicant: The Ministry of Labor

b) Requested Funding Amount: USD 98,190

c) Project Title: Protection and Rehabilitation of Trafficking
Victims in Nosy Be, Tulear and Fort Dauphin

d) Project Duration: One year

e) Proposal Abstract: The project seeks to implement an action
program directly affecting trafficked children or potential
trafficking victims in three intervention sites: Nosy Be, Toliara
(also known as Tulear) and Fort Dauphin. It focuses on improving
the living conditions of sex trafficking victims, both children and
adults, through vocational training. This kind of training requires
qualified personnel such as teachers and Ministry of Labor
officials, members of the local communities, and various technical
and educational materials and equipment. Given the importance of
providing protection for trafficking victims, the project aims to
provide medical care, subsistence, and psychological counseling
during the training. At the end of the project, the beneficiaries'
living standards will be improved, enabling them to get out of their
present situation.

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ESF PROJECT 3
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a) Name of the Applicant: Catholic Relief Services

b) Requested Funding Amount: USD 408,226

c) Project Title: Tsinjo Aina Project

d) Project Duration: Two years, January 2008 - January 2010

e) Project Abstract: While the GOM has taken significant steps in
fighting trafficking in persons, the number of people rescued from
trafficking situations remains very limited. Connected to this,
perpetrators of trafficking are almost never prosecuted for their
crimes. In high risk zones, such as Antsiranana (also known as
Diego Suarez) and Mahajanga (also known as Majunga),the
psycho-social and protective services available to trafficking
victims are very limited, while coordination between local actors to
assist victims to prosecute their traffickers is almost inexistent.
To address these issues, substantial efforts are needed to support
and connect the rescue, rehabilitation, and prosecution phases of
the fight in trafficking in these vulnerable zones.

The proposed project entitled Tsinjo Aina, meaning "Protecting
Life," will intervene in both Antsiranana and Mahajanga, creating
effective psycho-social and protective services for trafficking
victims. In addition, the project proposes to work with national
and regional government structures to create an effective mechanism
for rescuing trafficking victims. Through these activities, the
project expects to increase the number of trafficking victims who
are rescued and who receive appropriate psycho-social and protective
services, while at the same time increasing the number of
traffickers prosecuted.

MCGEE