SUBMISSION OF G/TIP PROPOSALS -- PAKISTAN

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002530 SIPDIS SIPDIS G/TIP FOR SHEREEN FARAJ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG KWMN PK SUBJECT: SUBMISSION OF G/TIP PROPOSALS -- PAKISTAN REF: Islamabad 1776 ¶1. SUMMARY: Following are summaries of three anti-trafficking in persons proposals received by Embassy Islamabad for consideration for funding from G/TIP-managed FY07 funds to strengthen Pakistan's efforts in combating trafficking in persons. As requested, post forwarded the original proposals to G/TIP program analyst Shereen Faraj by unclassified e-mail. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Pakistan is a Tier 2 country. The government is making strong efforts to combat trafficking in persons through increased prosecution of traffickers, protection of victims and the prevention of trafficking. As detailed in recent TIP reports, Pakistan is a source, transit, and destination country, particularly prone to cross-border trafficking activities along its porous borders with Afghanistan and India. The GOP has demonstrated political will to combat this problem in partnership with NGOs and international organizations, but lacks the necessary resources. ¶3. The projects summarized below address critical trafficking issues and deficiencies noted in Pakistan's TIP report and are designed to improve public awareness as well as strengthen victim protection and assistance services. They are action-oriented, with direct application to improving Pakistan's response to TIP. The three applications are from reputable, highly respected organizations with a demonstrated record of commitment to and experience in combating trafficking in persons as well as proven capacity to implement USG-supported anti-trafficking projects. The Mission has worked with all three organizations. In addition, we consulted with UNIFEM regarding an impressive regional project that they planned to present directly to the G/TIP office in the Department, as per the rules governing regional proposals. PROPOSAL 1: International Organization for Migration (IOM) -------------- ¶1. Name of Applicant: International Organization for Migration ¶2. Requested funding amount: USD 212,205 (all USG resources) ¶3. Project Title: "CREATION OF COUNTER HUMAN TRAFFICKING DISTRICT TASK FORCES AND SUPPORT TO THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY ANTI-TRAFFICKING UNITS" ¶4. Project Duration: 12 months ¶5. Project Abstract: This project, developed in partnership with the Federal Investigation Agency, has a national and district level focus. It strengthens the capacity of all stakeholders and builds a common platform in those districts in Pakistan known as source and transit destinations for victims of trafficking. The districts have been selected according to the IOM report 'Collection and Compilation of Human Trafficking Data' in Pakistan. Additionally, the project will provide technical, rehabilitative, and procurement support to the seven Anti-Trafficking Units located in Pakistan. The project will strengthen counter trafficking interventions in prevention and protection through developing indigenous institutional capacity within the stakeholder framework. The integrated approach between stakeholders will create an informed community from the top down and facilitate a vigilant reporting mechanism in conjunction with the available referral support for victims of trafficking. Furthermore, it will supplement existing information networks for the established ATUs of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on trafficking. The capacity of the FIA ATUs will be enhanced to respond to the needs of informed communities through the provision of much-needed linkages among its ATUs and support to help make them functional and to have a greater impact. Twelve taskforce committees will be formed in the districts notorious as source and transit locales for TIP, led by a focal non-governmental organization (NGO). A training of trainers (TOT) manual specific to the Pakistan context for training the taskforce committee will be developed and the training will be provided by IOM. The same training will consequently be replicated by the focal NGOs six times each in their respective district. The taskforce meetings will serve as monitoring body against TIP in these districts. Goal To effectively curtail human trafficking in Pakistan by strengthening the capacity of the Anti-Trafficking Units nationally, and creating linkages between stakeholders through the establishment of a taskforce in the most vulnerable districts of the country. Objectives --To assist in establishment of District Task Force (DTF) comprised of Law enforcement agencies, local NGOs, and other stakeholders --To develop a Pakistan specific manual from existing IOM materials and local resources for TOT on Prevention, Protection and Prosecution for DTF Members --To support training of stakeholders by DTF in 12 districts --To assist FIA in increasing the capacity of the ATUs IOM will develop a training manual on all aspects of trafficking with a specific focus on identification of victim, trafficker, protection mechanisms, prevention methodologies, outreach activities, reporting to FIA officials, and prosecution of trafficker under the national legislation. The manual will be adapted from existing IOM materials. The task force members will be provided TOT on the manual. The focal organization of taskforce will be supported to conduct the same training at the grassroots level. The Task Forces in the districts will comprise of the stakeholders already supported the previous IOM campaign in these districts, such as NGOs, local government representatives (Nazim),law enforcement agencies, FIA (not present in all these districts),local religious scholars (Imams),local school teachers, and the local elite. There will be 8-10 members. This Task Force will be the direct link to the community and prove to be an efficient and comprehensive tool in location and identification of the trafficker, recruiter and victims. The project will evaluate the success of the project activities and monitor the growing capacity of these stakeholders in the targeted areas through participation in monthly meetings and the rate at which victims/aggressors are being referred to the Shelter Homes. The project will also spark independent activity and debate within the NGO sector and create indigenous capacity within them to develop and propose locally conceived counter trafficking initiatives in the future. PROPOSAL 2: -------------- -------------- ¶1. Name of Applicant: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ¶2. Requested funding amount: USD 295,000 (all USG) ¶3. Project Title: "Increasing the number of investigations and prosecutions of trafficking in persons in Pakistan" ¶4. Project Duration: 2 years ¶5. Project Abstract: Pakistan has been identified as a destinations country for women and children from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, and other countries of Central Asia. They are trafficked to Pakistan to work in farming, fishing and the sex industry. Pakistan is also a country of transit for East Asians and Bangladeshis traveling westward to the Middle East. People are smuggled to Europe and the Middle East through Pakistan's remote border regions with Afghanistan and Iran. The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan prohibits all forms of forced labor and traffic in human beings. Trafficking has been criminalized by the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance. The ordinance defines "human trafficking" as "obtaining, securing, selling, purchasing, recruiting, detaining, harboring, or receiving a person, notwithstanding his implicit or explicit consent, by the use of coercion, kidnapping, abduction or by giving or receiving any payment or benefit, or sharing or receiving a shore for such person's subsequent transportation out of or into Pakistan by any means whatsoever." However, the implementation of the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance remains insufficient and penalties low. This has been recognized in the Pakistan Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking of December 2005. This project aims to support the implementation of the Action Plan as well as the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance through strengthening the capacity of government law enforcement, prosecution and other criminal justice institutions as well as civil society responses to prevent, investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking as well as protect victims in line with the requirements of the Trafficking Protocol. Projected outcomes: By the end of the project, an assessment report will be prepared on the trafficking in human beings in Pakistan. In the report, baseline data is compared with data collected at the end of the project. In addition to information identifying the main trafficking trends, the report includes recommendations on the policies for combating human trafficking, the infrastructure and referral mechanisms. By the end of the project, a training program designed for criminal justice practitioners and victim service providers on trafficking in persons in Pakistan. Particular emphasis is paid to prevention and prosecution of trafficking crimes and protection of victims. A minimum of 5 training seminars carried out within the operational anti-trafficking units, the Task Force on Human Trafficking, specialized prosecutors, selected judges in hotspot areas as well as respective national education institutions. By the end of the project, a computer-based training program designed for front-line law enforcement on trafficking in persons in Pakistan. Main activities: by the end of the 13th month, establishment of CBT centers, including the provision of hardware and software; by the end of the 16th month, designing three training modules anti-human trafficking; by the end of the 18th month, the CBT concept and methodology introduced to selected national law enforcement education institutions; by the end of the 22nd month, adopting the CBT training program as part of the current training curricula. By the end of the project, a law enforcement operation carried out by the operational anti-trafficking units together with relevant stakeholders to improve the identification and referral of victims as well as increase the number of investigations and prosecutions of trafficking cases. By the end of the project, international contacts identified and established for the exchange of information with the appropriate governmental and non-governmental organizations and agencies, with a focus on investigation, prosecution and victim protection in significant origin, transit and destination countries. By the end of the project, a National Forum convened with all relevant stakeholders to review progress made and to make recommendation on the implementation of the Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking. PROPOSAL 3: Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan -------------- ¶1. Name of Applicant: Ministry of Interior (GOP) ¶2. Requested funding amount: USD 154,000 (all USG) ¶3. Project Title: "Fully Implementing the MOI's Migration Management Cell" ¶4. Project Duration: 2 years ¶5. Project Abstract: The Ministry of Interior has established a Migration Management Cell which will work as a nerve centre to coordinate data from all agencies. The data warehouse will constitute information on legal and illegal migrants; complete information on their cases; agents and gangs involved in trafficking; research on migration trends/flows and data analysis for generating policy parameters. The Cell has been established primarily to target victims (especially women and children) of trafficking by coordinating legal and medical assistance and provision of shelter where need be. Recognising the need to combat human trafficking there is a need to set up a project in the MMC dealing specially with Anti-Human Trafficking activities. The activities will include planning and executing capacity building of law enforcement agencies, etc. as well as awareness raising and coordinating activities with all stakeholders. The Migration Management Cell has started preliminary work on the database with assistance from International Organization for Migration. The Ministry has requested the Canadian International Development Agency's support to strengthen the Cell by provision of equipment and consultants who will develop the data warehouse. Support is also sought for developing a campaign to disseminate information through schools, colleges, universities, civil society organizations and media to prevent people from being exploited by unscrupulous agents into trafficking situations. The Ministry of Interior has already created a linkage with the Women Political School, a project of Ministry of Women's Development which is imparting training to 28,000 women councilors. This is a massive source of outreach to millions of women and children in Pakistan who can be educated about human trafficking and its implications. Objectives of the Project: To develop a data warehouse to collect and store information on offenders, victims and migration agents To use the comprehensive information to formulate the Migration Management Policy in consultation with other stakeholders including Ministry of Women Development, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information, Planning Division, Media & local and international organizations. To coordinate and ensure provision of shelter, legal and medical assistance for victims (especially women and children). To streamline regular migration through dissemination of information about employment opportunities abroad and prevent people from proceeding overseas through illegal channels. BODDE 1 2