SYRIA: ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROJECT PROPOSAL

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000417 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE G/TIP FOR SHEREEN FARAJ AND JANE SIGNON, NEA/ELA FOR SITA SONTY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KWMN KCRM ASEC ELAB SMIG SUBJECT: SYRIA: ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROJECT PROPOSAL REF: SECSTATE 28151 ¶1. (U) Post is submitting one project for the ESF Anti-Trafficking in Persons Projects from the International Office for Migration (IOM). ¶2. (SBU) The project is as follows: ¶A. Title: Capacity Building on Identifying and Assessing Human Trafficking and Providing Protection to Victims of Trafficking (VOT) in Syria ¶B. Recipient Organization: IOM. ¶C. Cost: USD 250,000 ¶D. Duration: One year. ¶E. Description: The project aims to increase the capacity of the Syrian authorities to identify and assess human trafficking to identify VOTs and provide protection, in addition to running an awareness raising campaign on human trafficking among Syrian decision-makers and law enforcement agents/officials. Activities would include: -- Training courses for law enforcement and border officials or any newly established counter-trafficking specialized units; -- Police academy counter-trafficking curriculum development; and -- An information campaign among the key decision-makers and law enforcement. ¶F. Justification: The Syrian Ministry of Interior co-sponsored with the IOM in 2005 and 2007 two counter-trafficking workshops, including one on drafting comprehensive counter-trafficking legislation. In addition, the Syrian government set up in late 2005 a multi-ministry counter-trafficking commission, which took a lead role in the 2007 workshop on drafting counter-trafficking legislation. Syria, nevertheless, remains on the USG's Tier 3 TIP watchlist because of the country's failure to take concrete steps to staunch what is seen as a growing trafficking problem from the Middle East, East Europe and Asian countries through and to Syria for domestic work and prostitution. The IOM has a professional relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, which is key to conducting discussions in Syria about sensitive issues such as trafficking in persons. More specifically, in November 2006, the IOM signed an agreement with the Syrian government in which IOM agrees to provide support to the government to create the most effective legal grounds to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials in Syria. ¶G. Project performance Indicators include: -- Number of Syrian law enforcement and border officials trained on detection and investigation of TIP; -- Number of Police Academy trainers trained to train the Police Academy students on the newly introduced CT section; -- Number of Syrian policy and law makers attending a workshop; -- Number of law enforcement and border officials covered by the awareness-raising campaign; -- Number of VOTs identified, counseled and protected; and -- Number of traffickers arrested/prosecuted. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: While this appear to be a costly project, the supporting documentation details a range of projects that directly address TIP issues in Syria and Iraq. Post strongly supports IOM Damascus because it has a proven record of being the sole entity capable of organizing TIP events and has the organization and relative freedom to operate here. ¶4. (U) Post will pouch a copy of the proposal to Shereen Faraj in G/TIP for further consideration. CORBIN