GUATEMALA HOSTS USG-FUNDED SEMINAR ON TRAFFICKING

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 002040 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/TIP, WHA/OAS, AND DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB PGOV PREL SMIG GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALA HOSTS USG-FUNDED SEMINAR ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA ¶1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a regional seminar on trafficking in persons (TIP) October 3-4. The two-day seminar was organized by the OAS as part of its USG-funded project to combat TIP in the Western Hemisphere. Focused on "Legislation Against Trafficking in Persons in Central America," the seminar brought together over 30 legislators from the region to draft a model legislative framework to combat the transnational problem. ¶2. In his opening remarks, the President of the Guatemalan Congress reaffirmed Guatemala's commitment to combating TIP. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Anamaria Dieguez highlighted GOG efforts, including development of a national plan of action (2007-2017),establishment and official recognition of an inter-institutional committee in July, coordination of a public awareness campaign beginning last year, and approval of regional guidelines for repatriation of child victims of trafficking at a regional conference on migration in New Orleans earlier this year. ¶3. Christopher Hernandez-Roy, OAS Director of the Department of Public Security, stressed that TIP is a transnational problem that requires a transnational solution. In its 2005 Global Report, the ILO reported that there were at least 12.3 million victims of forced labor worldwide. Of the 12.3 million, 9.8 million were exploited by private agents and more than 2.4 million were victims of trafficking. ¶4. Hernandez-Roy stressed the need for a comprehensive legal framework modeled on the 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol),and compatible legislation in neighboring countries. While seven countries in the Western Hemisphere have comprehensive anti-TIP laws, with Colombia as the model, no Central American country has comparable legislation. Article 194 of the Guatemalan Penal Code codified TIP as an offense, but did not provide a comprehensive framework that addresses prevention, prosecution, and victim protection in accordance with the Palermo Protocol. ¶5. A panel of Latin American legal experts -- a congresswoman from Argentina, a judge from Ecuador, and an official from the Colombian Ministry of Interior and Justice -- shared their experiences in drafting and implementing anti-TIP legislation from the perspective of prevention, criminalization, and victim protection. During break-out working group sessions, legislators collaborated in drafting a model regional legal framework incorporating these three elements to use as a reference in drafting anti-TIP legislation in their home countries. Derham