GOVERNMENT AND NGO REPORTS EVALUATE GERMAN EFFORTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 000269

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, DRL/IL, G/TIP, INL/HSTC, AND PRM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC PGOV GM
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT AND NGO REPORTS EVALUATE GERMAN EFFORTS
AGAINST TIP DURING THE 2006 WORLD CUP

REF: A. 06 BERLIN 2266 AND PREVIOUS


B. 06 MUNICH 347

C. 06 FRANKFURT 4232 AND PREVIOUS

D. 06 HAMBURG 15


1. (U) Summary: Reports prepared by the German Federal
Interior Ministry and Federal Family Ministry, as well as the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and key German
anti-trafficking NGOs independently conclude there was no
significant increase in trafficking in persons (TIP) during
the June-July 2006 Soccer World Cup championship. The
reports credit extensive government-funded public awareness
and prevention campaigns, as well as comprehensive police
measures, enhanced international coordination, and strong
cooperation among government agencies, counseling centers,
and NGOs. German officials briefed the EU Council's
trafficking working group in January on measures implemented
during the World Cup and presented their analysis of how the
German experience might be used to develop best practices for
future large-scale public events. End Summary.

World Cup Security Concept Included TIP
--------------


2. (U) The German Federal Cabinet approved the Government's
final report on the 2006 Soccer World Cup Championship on
December 6, 2006. The report was compiled by the Interior
Ministry with input from numerous other ministries, as well
as the Federal Chancellery and each of Germany's sixteen
states. The 200-page report focuses on the nationwide
security concept German authorities implemented during the
World Cup, including measures taken to prevent and combat
trafficking in persons.


3. (U) According to the report, "significant measures" were
enacted to combat the potential increase in human trafficking
and forced prostitution, including enhanced international law
enforcement cooperation among the Federal Office of Criminal
Investigation (BKA),Interpol, and Europol, as well as the
inclusion of TIP in federal and state police planning for the
World Cup. The report notes police planning took into
consideration local particularities and incorporated input
from local counseling centers, specialized anti-TIP police
units, anti-TIP NGOs, and law enforcement expertsspecialized
in combating trafficking crimes.

ermany Presents Conclusions to EU Working Group
-------------- --

4. (SBU) German officials briefed members of the EU Council's
trafficking working group January 4 abut lessons learned
during the World Cup. The Geman presentation focused on how
the German experence might be used to develop best practices
forfuture large-scale public events in Europe. A Family
Ministry official told us the EU will use two internal
reports prepared by the German Interior and Family Ministries
to develop tried-and-tested approaches against TIP for future
events. Post has received copies of the two reports and has
forwarded them to EUR/AGS and G/TIP.

Police Measures against TIP
--------------


5. (SBU) The Interior Ministry report presents the results of
the Ministry's post-World Cup survey of the experiences of
all sixteen State Offices of Criminal Investigation (LKA) and
nineteen anti-TIP NGOs. The report describes pre-World Cup
police strategies and concepts, including the World Cup
National Security Strategy, the state-federal law enforcement
information-sharing framework developed for the World Cup,
and other police and NGO initiatives. Preventive measures
included greater police presence in red light districts;
additional surveillance, inspection, and raids on commercial
sex venues; selective reinstatement of border controls;
efforts to raise awareness among hotels; and enhanced
cooperation with social institutions and expert advisory
agencies.


6. (SBU) According to police and NGOs surveyed in the report,
the number of prostitutes working in cities hosting World Cup
events increased in the run up to the World Cup primarily
because of an influx of prostitutes from other regions of
Germany. The report also found a significant number of
prostitutes returned home before the end of the World Cup
because the anticipated increase in the number of clients did
not take place. According to the Interior Ministry, of the
33 TIP-related investigations reported by LKA anti-TIP units
during the World Cup, five were related to the World Cup.

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7. (SBU) The report notes the greater police presence also
had a deterrent effect with regard to other crimes that
typically take place in the vicinity of commercial sex
venues. The report concludes the increase in TIP feared by
some organizations did not occur during the World Cup and
notes that safeguards put in place by the government counter
human trafficking and forced prostitution proved to be
successful.

NGO Campaigns
--------------


8. (SBU) The internal Family Ministry report describes
government-funded NGO counter-TIP campaigns during the World
Cup and evaluates their activities. (NOTE: The
government-funded Federal Association against Trafficking in
Women (KOK) has published a document describing the
twenty-one counter-TIP campaigns conducted by NGOs in Germany
during the World Cup. Each of these campaigns received at
least partial funding from government sources. Post has
forwarded a copy of this document to EUR/AGS and G/TIP. END
NOTE.) The Family Ministry directly funded several of the
most prominent campaigns, as well as two of the three
NGO-operated nationwide telephone hotlines for TIP victims,
potential clients, and others.


9. (SBU) At the Ministry's request, NGOs analyzed the success
of the hotline initiative after the World Cup. Phone calls
to the hotlines led to the discovery of fifty-one cases of
forced prostitution. The NGOs concluded, however, that none
of the cases was connected to the World Cup. Callers also
used telephone hotlines to obtain general information on
violence against women and help in cases of domestic
violence.


10. (SBU) The Family Ministry report concludes the World Cup
was an important platform for sensitizing the general public
about TIP. Counseling centers and NGOs, most
government-funded, succeeded in forging a broad alliance for
further action and nationwide awareness-raising activities.
Public awareness and prevention initiatives reached a wide
and multi-faceted spectrum of civil society far beyond the
women's movement and other organizations normally engaged on
the issue. Counseling centers reached similar conclusions to
those of law enforcement. Indeed, counseling centers
actually reported a decline in the number of forced
prostitution cases during the World Cup. The report credits
the effectiveness of police and NGO measures.

IOM: No Increase in TIP
--------------


11. (U) In September 2006, IOM and the Swedish government
Agency for International Development Cooperation (SIDA)
published a draft report on their study of the possible
connection between TIP and the 2006 World Cup. The goal of
the study was to determine whether there was an increase in
victims during the event, analyze the German approach, and
recommend potential counter-trafficking measures for similar
events in the future. The IOM report concluded: "Despite the
host of international pressure in the immediate run-up to the
World Cup, the research findings revealed that the German
authorities had actually begun developing concepts and
planning of action with regard to an increased risk of human
trafficking during the World Cup well before the media
coverage started -- in autumn 2005." The report continues:
"All data, information and expert statements that are
available to this date strongly indicate that an increase in
trafficking in human beings before and during the World Cup
did not occur."


12. (U) The report credits a number of factors, including
prevention campaigns, increased police focus, and the
character of the fan-base, which was comprised mainly of
groups, couples, families. The report also cites the success
of fan festivals in host cities in minimizing violence and
fan misconduct. The report laments the amount of
sensationalism and "hysteria" in some pre-World Cup media
reporting and suggests a coordinated media approach,
accompanied by media training, would have limited
misinformation while helping to ensure the issue of
trafficking received adequate public attention. According to
IOM Germany, the final report will be published later this
year.

NGOs Evaluate World Cup Public Awareness Campaigns
-------------- --------------

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13. (U) The twenty-one regional and national NGO public
awareness campaigns during the World Cup included efforts to
sensitize the general public, educate potential clients,
provide assistance and counseling for victims, and pressure
federal, state, and local politicians to implement additional
measures to improve protection and benefits for TIP victims.
According to KOK, the NGO campaigns attracted significant
attention nationally and internationally and succeeded in
raising public awareness. State legislatures in each of the
sixteen federal states discussed TIP. The NGO recommended
that World Cup campaigns continue in order to attain a
sustainable effect.

Final Whistle Campaign
--------------


14. (U) One of the most widely recognized counter-TIP World
Cup initiatives was the government-funded "Final Whistle"
campaign organized by the German Women's Council (GWC),under
the patronage of Berlin's Mayor and the President of the
German Soccer Association (DFB). The campaign was conducted
in cooperation with the Council's 50 member organizations and
13 other groups. The Council's public awareness campaign
used the media and local and national events to raise TIP
awareness, reaching out to the general public and soccer fans
throughout Germany.


15. (U) According to the GWC, the campaign resulted in over
80 regional "Final Whistle Actions." Close to 1,000 local and
regional groups participated in the campaign. By the end of
the campaign, approximately 80,000 people had signed the
campaign's petition, which called for increased funding for
counseling centers, police training, and public awareness
efforts. Another 100,000 people reportedly signed petitions
organized by several Catholic women's associations.
According to a GWC spokesperson, the campaign received
"overwhelming worldwide media attention." The spokesperson
stated "the responsible and sensitive" approach used by
police, in addition to the GWC campaign and other efforts,
contributed to the fact that there was no significant
increase in forced prostitution during the World Cup. On
January 16, the Council presented the list of signatures and
their petition to Susanne Kastner, the Vice President of the
German Bundestag. According to Henny Engels, the GWC's
Executive Director, the Council will continue its campaign in

2007.

TIMKEN JR