Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SKOPJE974
2007-12-14 15:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Skopje
Cable title:  

MACEDONIA: RENEWED COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING TIP

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM MK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2220
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0974/01 3481556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141556Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6813
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0126
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
RUEHSQ/USDAO SKOPJE MK
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3722
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 000974 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR STATE G/TIP (JENNIFER DONNELLY),STATE EUR/SCE (GAILYN
MCCLUNG),DOJ (JOE JONES),DOJ/OPDAT (CARL ALEXANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: RENEWED COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING TIP

REF: A. SKOPJE 132

B. SKOPJE 740 AND PREVIOUS

SUMMARY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SKOPJE 000974

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR STATE G/TIP (JENNIFER DONNELLY),STATE EUR/SCE (GAILYN
MCCLUNG),DOJ (JOE JONES),DOJ/OPDAT (CARL ALEXANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: RENEWED COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING TIP

REF: A. SKOPJE 132

B. SKOPJE 740 AND PREVIOUS

SUMMARY


1. (SBU) In 2007 the Government of Macedonia (GOM) has shown
a concerted effort to make fighting human trafficking (TIP) a
high priority. The National Commission on Combating TIP (NC)
has adopted Post's seven priority recommendations to
combat/prevent TIP in Macedonia, and the Minister of Interior
(MOI) has committed to adopt them as a GOM-wide plan that
would include all relevant ministries. Stronger laws, better
victim assistance mechanisms and more effective TIP-related
law enforcement procedures are among the areas that Macedonia
needs to work on to improve its anti-TIP compliance. End
summary.

ANTI-TIP UPDATE


2. (SBU) On December 13, DCM Navratil called on Minister of
Interior Jankuloska and Macedonian Director of Police
Todorovski to discuss GOM activities to combat and prevent
TIP. Following the successful example of our 2006-2007 six
priority anti-TIP recommendations (Ref. A),the DCM provided
a similar 2007-2008 plan, based on G/TIP's Macedonia Action
Plan. Minister Jankuloska discussed the seven new priority
recommendations with the DCM, and promised to distribute them
to the other ministries and make it the GOM's near-term
action plan for which the MOI has the lead role.


3. (SBU) The seven priority actions are:

-- Adopt the Draft Law for Amending the Criminal Code that
deals with TIP;
-- Fully implement a database for TIP victims and TIP
criminals;
-- Include language in Art. 418-b (smuggling) verdicts that
indicates if the smuggled persons were also TIP victims;
-- Start implementing the new Standard Operational Procedures
(SOPs) for dealing with TIP victims;
-- Consider the possibility for the GOM to provide financial
assistance to the domestic TIP victims shelter;
-- Intensify efforts to investigate, prosecute and convict
TIP-related crimes; and
-- Deliver high-level public statements condemning TIP and
the demand for commercial sex.

ADOPT CRIMINAL CODE AMENDMENTS


4. (SBU) Minister Jankuloska informed the DCM that the Draft

Law for Amending the Criminal Code is currently in
Parliamentary procedure. She expects that the amendments
would be passed unanimously because there is no public
opposition to them. Cognizant of the fact that Parliament
may be distracted by other priorities, Jankuloska committed
to present our priority action plan to the GOM and push for
fast adoption of the TIP articles.

IMPLEMENT TIP DATABASE


5. (SBU) The Minister talked about the on-going project
between Vienna-based NGO ICMPD and the GOM related to a
comprehensive TIP database. In January 2008, ICPMD is
planning to train employees of the National Referral
Mechanism (NRM) and the MOI, since there will be two
databases: one on TIP victims (hosted by the NRM),and one on
TIP criminals (hosted by the MOI). The databases should be
operational by February 2008.

SMUGGLING V. TIP ISSUES


6. (SBU) As has been reported before (Ref. B),the toughest
TIP-related challenge for the MOI is to build cases on "pure"
TIP charges when potential victims have consistently refused
to identify themselves as such, and when the evidence during
raids has not been sufficient to prove trafficking. A
concerned Jankuloska complimented her police inspectors for
trying to find "lesser charges" to convict TIP-related
criminals, in order to keep them behind bars.


SKOPJE 00000974 002 OF 003


NEW SOPs ON TIP VICTIMS


7. (SBU) Over the past six months, an inter-ministerial team
(MOI, Ministry of Justice and NRM) has drafted extensive SOPs
for conducting TIP raids and protecting potential TIP
victims. The SOPs are currently in the legal departments of
the relevant ministries before adoption by the whole GOM.
Minister Jankuloska assured the DCM that even now the
Anti-TIP Sector of the MOI follows most of the SOP procedures
during raids. The main area of improvement, confirmed by our
DOJ police advisor, is in the participation of NGO
representatives and/or social workers during post-raid victim
interviews.


8. (SBU) Such was the case in the four November 30 raids on
night clubs in the Tetovo region in western Macedonia.
During the raids, 19 women were discovered (12 from Macedonia
and seven foreigners). On December 1, all women were
interviewed by two Anti-TIP Sector police officers and two
social workers, in order to determine whether they were TIP
victims. All women claimed that they were willingly involved
in the jobs at the four clubs. The Macedonian nationals were
then let go, while the seven foreigners were deported on the
basis of their illegal employment in Macedonia.


9. (SBU) Agreeing with the Minister that victim
identification is a complex issue, the DCM suggested the
inclusion of NGO representatives and social workers during
the raids, rather than just in the post-raid interviews. The
Minister promised to look into such an option, noting that
the MOI would need a good system to ensure the safety of the
NGO civilians.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SHELTERS


10. (SBU) The Minister said that, even though the GOM was
strapped for resources, it was ready to translate its
commitment to fighting TIP into material support to shelters
and NGOs. The MOI has signed memorandums of understanding
with two of the main TIP-related NGOs in the country, and is
planning to provide free security to the domestic victims'
shelter that is run by one of these NGOs. In addition, the
NC is ready to contact some of its member ministries with a
request for pro bono doctors, legal advisors, social workers
and other specialists to the shelter which is now paying for
the services of private professionals.

INTENSIFY PROSECUTIONS AND CONVICTIONS


11. (SBU) Minister Jankuloska provided positive news about
Macedonia's stepped-up efforts to fight trafficking. She
reported that for the 11 months of 2007, there were 30
prosecutions, with 77 defendants, 49 of whom were convicted.
The speedy convictions mark a significant departure from the
past when TIP cases would take years to complete and
conviction rates were lower.

HIGH LEVEL PUBLIC STATEMENTS


12. (SBU) The Minister said that she and other senior members
of the GOM have made numerous public statements condemning
TIP, but she acknowledged that "it's never enough." She said
that her most recent statements were at an NGO-organized
regional workshop, and at the December 12 Ohrid regional
police meeting. She added that she was looking for
additional ways for promotion of the anti-TIP message and
gave as an example the newest anti-TIP campaign "It's
Simple," which is conducted by the NRM, OSCE and the NC.

COMMENT


13. (SBU) Throughout this year, Post has encouraged and
observed heightened GOM attention to TIP issues. Proactive
NC leadership and a clear commitment of the most senior
members of the GOM have made our anti-TIP cooperation with
the Macedonians better than ever. Our on-going working level
contacts have been strengthened by Post's TIP Officer's
participation in the GOM's Anti-TIP Secretariat and in the
ICMPD-led Transnational Referral Mechanism Advisory Board.
We will continue our active engagement with the Macedonian

SKOPJE 00000974 003 OF 003


government on this issue.
MILOVANOVIC