USG-FUNDED PROGRAMS RAISE AWARENESS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000736

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PRM, AF/W, DRL
USAID FOR AFR/WA-SSWIFT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM EAID KWMN UNMIL LI
SUBJECT: USG-FUNDED PROGRAMS RAISE AWARENESS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
AND ABUSE IN LIBERIA

REF: A) STATE 112531 (B) 06 MONROVIA 302
(C) 06 MONROVIA 627 (D) 06 MONROVIA 651

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SUMMARY
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1. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT (USG)-FUNDED PROGRAMS IN LIBERIA HAVE
STRENGTHENED COORDINATION, RAISED AWARENESS, AND PROVIDED
STANDARDIZED INVESTIGATIVE AND REPORTING TOOLS TO THE HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY IN AN EFFORT TO COMBAT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND
ABUSE (SEA) IN LIBERIA.


2. USAID'S OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
FUNDING SUPPORTS A UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAM (UNCT) SEA
COORDINATOR. IN ADDITION, USAID/OFDA AND THE U.S. STATE
DEPARTMENT'S BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES AND MIGRATION (PRM)
CO-FUND A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION (NGO) SEA COORDINATION UNIT
AND RESOURCE CENTER. APPROXIMATELY 900 U.N. STAFF AND
REPRESENTATIVES FROM 59 U.N. IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS HAVE RECEIVED SEA
AWARENESS TRAINING OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. SEA AWARENESS AND
INVESTIGATIVE AND REPORTING TRAINING SESSIONS CONTINUE FOR FOCAL
POINTS FROM INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL NGOS, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT OF
LIBERIA (GOL) MINISTRIES. MEMBERS OF THE COUNTRY-WIDE PROTECTION
CORE GROUPS (PCG),CHAIRED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, CONTINUE TO
RECEIVE SEA AWARENESS TRAININGS. SEA SUB-CLUSTER GROUPS HAVE BEEN
ESTABLISHED UNDER THE PCGS WITH CLEAR TERMS OF REFERENCE. PUBLIC
AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ARE ONGOING AND COORDINATED THROUGH THE
INTERAGENCY GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) TASKFORCE CHAIRED BY THE
MINISTRY OF GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT.


3. WHILE ATTITUDE CHANGE IS DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY AND QUALIFY, IT
IS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT THAT THESE USG-FUNDED PROGRAMS HAVE FOCUSED
A BRIGHTER AND MORE SWEEPING SPOTLIGHT ON THE ISSUE OF SEA AMONG THE
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY, THE GOL, AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
END SUMMARY.

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BACKGROUND
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4. ALLEGATIONS OF SEA SURFACED DURING A JOINT SAVE THE CHILDREN/UK
(SC/UK) AND OFFICE OF THE U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
(UNHCR) ASSESSMENT MISSION TO LIBERIA, SIERRA LEONE, AND GUINEA IN

2002. THE TEAM RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SEA IMPLICATING
HUMANITARIAN WORKERS, INCLUDING LOCAL STAFF. AS A RESULT, THE U.N.
INTERAGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE (IASC) AND THE INTERNATIONAL RED
CROSS MOVEMENT ESTABLISHED A TASK FORCE ON "PROTECTION FROM SEA IN
HUMANITARIAN CRISES" AND FORMULATED A PLAN OF ACTION TO RESPOND TO
THE ISSUE. USG EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEA INCLUDED THE REQUIREMENT THAT
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS ADOPT A STAFF CODE OF CONDUCT CONSISTENT WITH
THE IASC PRINCIPLES. USAID/OFDA PROVIDES FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL
SUPPORT TO THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY INTERNATIONAL ACTION
(INTERACTION),WHICH ESTABLISHED A PROTECTION WORKING GROUP TO FOCUS
ON A VARIETY OF PROTECTION ISSUES INCLUDING SEA.


5. DESPITE CONCERTED EFFORTS BY DONORS AND THE HUMANITARIAN
COMMUNITY, AN SC/UK REPORT IN LATE 2005 AGAIN FOUND, BASED ON FOCUS
GROUP MEETINGS RATHER THAN ACTUAL REPORTED CASES, THAT CHILDREN
STILL WERE HAVING SEX WITH ADULTS PERCEIVED TO HAVE WEALTH OR
STATUS; AGAIN INCLUDING RELIEF WORKERS, PEACEKEEPERS, COMMUNITY
LEADERS, AND TEACHERS. USAID/OFDA RESPONDED BY PROVIDING SUPPORT TO
THE BUILDING SAFER ORGANIZATIONS (BSO) PROJECT, CO-MANAGED BY
INTERACTION AND THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
(ICVA). THE BSO PROJECT, THROUGH REGIONAL FIELD BASED TRAININGS AND
WORKSHOPS, HELPED BUILD THE CAPACITY OF NGOS TO RESPOND TO
ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE BY PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE TOOLS TO
IMPLEMENT SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE REPORTING SYSTEMS AND TO CARRY OUT
HIGH-QUALITY, LEGALLY SUSTAINABLE INVESTIGATIONS.

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RECENT USG ACTIONS TO COMBAT SEA IN LIBERIA
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--UNCT SEA COORDINATOR--


6. IN FY 2007, USAID/OFDA JOINED THE UNCT IN CO-FUNDING A FULL-TIME
SEA COORDINATOR, WHICH WAS A PRIORITY FOR THE IN-COUNTRY NETWORK
(ICN) CHAIRED BY THE DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE SECRETARY
GENERAL (DSRSG). DEVELOPED BY THE U.N., THE ICN ACTS AS THE PRIMARY
BODY FOR THE COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT ON PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
TO SEA BY PERSONNEL WORKING FOR THE U.N., ITS PARTNERS,
INTERNATIONAL NGOS, AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WORKERS.


7. SINCE THE UNCT COORDINATOR'S ARRIVAL IN JUNE 2006, 898 U.N.
STAFF AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM 59 U.N. IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS HAVE
RECEIVED SEA AWARENESS TRAINING. ALL U.N. AGENCIES IN THE FIELD AND
IN MONROVIA HAVE SEA FOCAL POINTS AND MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

MONROVIA 00000736 002 OF 002




8. THREE-DAY PCG FOCAL POINT TRAININGS RECENTLY CONCLUDED IN
MONROVIA AND BONG COUNTIES, WHILE SIMILAR TRAININGS ARE BEING ROLLED
OUT TO THE OTHER COUNTIES. (NOTE: CORE PROTECTION GROUPS, WITH UNHCR
AS SECRETARIAT, ARE THE UMBRELLAS FOR COORDINATION AND RESPONSE ON
PROTECTION ISSUES. END NOTE). THIRTY-THREE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED
THE MONROVIA TRAINING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL AND
INTERNATIONAL NGOS, U.N. AGENCIES, AND GOVERNMENT BODIES SUCH AS THE
LIBERIAN REFUGEE REPATRIATION RESETTLEMENT COMMITTEE (LRRRC),
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, AND MINISTERY OF GENDER. ALL THE NGOS WERE
REPRESENTED BY LOCAL STAFF THUS HELPING SUSTAINABILITY AND CAPACITY
DEVELOPMENT AMONG THE LIBERIAN HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY.


9. PCGS AT THE NATIONAL AND COUNTY LEVEL NOW HAVE SEA SUB-CLUSTERS
WITH CLEAR TERMS OF REFERENCE DEVELOPED BY THE UNCT SEA COORDINATOR,
ENABLING ORGANIZATIONS TO EFFECTIVELY BUILD CAPACITY, SHARE
INFORMATION, AND COORDINATE SEA ACTIVITIES.


10. THE UNCT SEA COORDINATOR, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIONAL GBV
TASKFORCE, USED THE "DAY OF THE AFRICA CHILD" ON JUNE 15 AS A
PLATFORM FOR COUNTRYWIDE AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS FOCUSED ON THE
PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO SEA WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ACTIVITIES
IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES WHERE AN AWARENESS GAP HAS BEEN NOTED.
THE FIRST SUCH CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED ON DECEMBER 4, 2006, BY
PRESIDENT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF AND THE SUBSEQUENT ROLL-OUT HAS BEEN
PRIORITIZED BY THE NATIONAL GBV TASKFORCE CHAIRED BY THE MINISTRY OF
GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT. THE UNCT COORDINATOR INTENDS TO FORM
INTERAGENCY MONITORING TEAMS THAT WILL UNDERTAKE FIELD VISITS IN
NOVEMBER TO ASSESS THE CAMPAIGNS' IMPACT.

--NGO SEA COORDINATING UNIT--


11. USAID/OFDA AND STATE/BPRM ARE CO-FUNDING A SEA PROTECTION
INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC),
IN COLLABORATION WITH SC/UK, AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE (ARC),AND
CHRISTIAN CHILDREN'S FUND (CCF). THROUGH THIS PROJECT, ENTITLED
"COMBATING SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN LIBERIA" (CISEAL),IRC
HAS ESTABLISHED A SEA COORDINATION UNIT AND RESOURCE CENTER
PROVIDING TECHNICAL SUPPORT, EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, AND TRAINING TO A
NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL NGOS AND THE GOL IN AN EFFORT TO
PROMOTE COMMON DEFINITIONS, DEVELOPMENT OF CODES OF CONDUCT,
PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES, INCLUDING MUTUALLY ACCEPTED MECHANISMS FOR
THE INVESTIGATION, REPORTING, AND REFERRAL OF SEA VIOLATIONS. THE
PROJECT ALSO HELPS FACILITATE LIAISON, COORDINATION, AND
COLLABORATION WITH THE U.N. AND ITS AGENCIES.

12. CISEAL FACILITATORS HAVE RECENTLY CONDUCTED TRAINING SESSIONS
ON PROPER AND LEGALLY ACCEPTABLE PROCEDURES FOR THE INVESTIGATION
AND REPORTING OF SEA VIOLATIONS FOR 16 LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS,
AS WELL AS SEA AWARENESS TRAINING FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT STAFF FROM
20 INTERNATIONAL NGOS. CISEAL HAS PROMOTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
FOCAL POINTS IN ALL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDED FOCAL
POINT TRAINING TO OVER 20 INTERNATIONAL NGOS, 30 LOCAL NGOS, AND
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES INCLUDING THE MINISTRIES OF AGRICULTURE,
PUBLIC WORKS, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMERCE,
INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT, JUSTICE, EDUCATION, PLANNING AND ECONOMIC
AFFAIRS, FINANCE, LABOR, HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE, AND GENDER.
CISEAL HAS FURTHER PROMOTED FOCAL POINTS AND CONDUCTED TRAINING FOR
STAFF FROM THE LRRRC, ROBERTS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND THE BUREAU
OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION.

13. IN ADDITION TO THE TWO USG-FUNDED PROGRAMS, THE CONFLICT AND
DICIPLINE UNIT (CDU) WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN LIBERIA
(UNMIL) HAS CONDUCTED SEA AWARENESS TRAINING TO 5265 UNMIL STAFF
SINCE 2006.
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CONCLUSION
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14. USG-FUNDED SEA AWARENESS AND MITIGATION PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO
GALVANIZE STAFF OF THE HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY AND GOL TO NOT ONLY BE
AWARE OF SEA, BUT ALSO UNDERTAKE A COMMON APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT
EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND THAT "ZERO TOLERANCE" IS THE RULE OF THE DAY
AND THAT SEA VIOLATIONS WILL BE INVESTIGATED, REPORTED, AND ACTED
UPON IN A CONSISTENT, LEGAL, AND COORDINATED APPROACH. WHILE THE
IMPACT OF PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS HAS YET TO BE QUANTIFIED OR QUALIFIED,
ONE CAN SAFELY DEDUCE THAT THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS INCREASINGLY
AWARE OF SEA ISSUES AND ITS ACCOMPANYING RESPONSIBILITIES TO BUILD
SAFER COMMUNITIES FOR ALL ITS MEMBERS.

BOOTH