UZBEKISTAN - TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS SOLICITATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TASHKENT 000809

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, G/TIP, INL, DRL
G/TIP FOR JANE SIGMON AND AMY LEMAR-MEREDITH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN - TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS SOLICITATION
FOR G/TIP-MANAGED FY 2007 ESF AND INCLE FUNDS

REF: STATE 28150

In response to reftel solicitation, Post is submitting one
proposal from UNODC, which fits well with USG plans to
actively engage the GOU to combat trafficking in persons.

UNODC PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
REPUBLIC UZBEKISTAN TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS


A. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

(a) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office
for Central Asia
(b) James P. Callahan, Regional Representative
(c) Zhuldyz Akisheva, Program Management Officer
(d) 30a, Abdullah Kahhor Street, 700100 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
(e) 998-71-120-8050
(f) James.Callahan@unodc.org


B. ABSTRACT
Uzbekistan is primarily a country of origin in regard to
human trafficking. Existing legislation is not fully
compliant with the TOC and the Trafficking Protocol, as it
does not provide the tools to explicitly target traffickers
while safeguarding victims, and does not ensure that the
penalties reflect the severity of the crimes. Also, it is
necessary to promote a coherent policy on coordination and
cooperation among the various actors of the criminal justice
system and to prioritize actions to effectively address
trafficking. There is a lack of systematic collection and
sharing of information by law enforcement agencies and a lack
of sufficient expertise within the law enforcement and
prosecution sectors. These shortcomings hamper an effective
criminal justice response to human trafficking. The Regional
Office for Central Asia (ROCA),in close coordination with
the UNODC Europe and West/Central Asia Section of Partnership
and Development Branch and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of
HSB, will assist the Uzbek Government in strengthening its
criminal justice response to trafficking in persons in line
with the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
and its supplementing Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
Project activities will focus on: supporting the government
in its efforts to strengthen anti-human trafficking
legislation; increasing the capacities of law enforcement and
prosecution through training, establishing a human
trafficking database, and facilitating regional and
international cooperation. In addition, the project will
contribute to assisting Uzbekistan to adhere to certain
recommendations put forward by the UN Committee on
Elimination of Discrimination against Women, namely those
pertaining to strengthening the anti-trafficking regime in
Uzbekistan. Therefore, the following main activities will be
carried out: A gap analysis of the national counter
trafficking legislation will be conducted and recommendations
will be elaborated aiming at assisting the Government to
align the legislation with the TOC and the Trafficking
Protocol. A national workshop will be organized, which,
through a series of recommendations, will facilitate the
Government of Uzbekistan to make progress on its national
anti-human trafficking strategy. A key component of the
project will be the establishment of a national database on
human trafficking, entailing procurement and installation of
an appropriate system for Uzbekistan, and subsequent training
on its use for all the 12 provinces of the country. Another
important project activity will be training of law
enforcement agents and prosecutors in all regions of
Uzbekistan. To complement the project,s national
components, the project will also work to strengthen
cooperation with other countries, by organizing meetings and
encouraging the signing of bilateral agreements on
extradition and mutual legal assistance.


C. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Trafficking in human beings is a growing problem in
Uzbekistan. Although the Government has been actively
addressing this phenomenon, challenges persist. The existing
legislation is not fully compliant with the TOC and the
Trafficking Protocol, as it does not provide the tools to
explicitly target traffickers while safeguarding victims, and
does not ensure that the penalties reflect the severity of

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the crimes. Also, further efforts seem to be necessary to
establish and implement a coherent policy to ensure proper
coordination and cooperation among the various actors of the
criminal justice system and prioritize action to effectively
address trafficking. In particular, there is a lack of
systematic collection and sharing of information by law
enforcement agencies. Another issue that needs to be
addressed is the lack of sufficient expertise on the topic
within the law enforcement and prosecution sectors, which
further hinders the application of effective prevention,
investigation and prosecution as well as victim/witness
protection measures in the area of human trafficking. These
shortcomings hamper an effective criminal justice response to
human trafficking. The project aims to address these gaps by
strengthening the national legislation, enhancing
counter-trafficking policies, strengthening inter-agency
cooperation on both a national and international level,
improving the system of data collection, and enhancing
relevant expertise within the law enforcement and
prosecution sectors in the areas of prevention, investigation
and prosecution.


D. PROJECT GOALS/OBJECTIVES/IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Overall Objective: Contribute to strengthening the capacity
of Uzbek legal mechanisms and law enforcement institutions to
prevent, investigate and prosecute cases of human
trafficking, to make Uzbekistan,s response to trafficking in
persons in line with the UN Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime and its supplementing Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women
and Children.

Output 1: Assessment of the national legislation is
conducted, and recommendations on strengthening the national
human trafficking legislation in accordance with
international treaties are provided.

Activities:
1.1 Legal Assessment: Recruit an international legal expert
to conduct a legal assessment and draft a subsequent report
that will include:
a) an overview of assessments that have been done in the past
of the legal regime related to human trafficking in
Uzbekistan;
b) recommendations on steps necessary to ratify and implement
the TOC and Trafficking Protocol;
c) a gap analysis on existing legislation;
d) recommendations to the government on how to strengthen,
develop and reform national legislation pertaining to human
trafficking and the protection of trafficked victims and
witnesses (Article 135 of the Criminal Code, Law on
counteraction and suppression of human trafficking, and law
enforcement practices).

1.2 Law Enforcement Assessment: Recruit a regional or
national expert to conduct an assessment of Uzbekistan,s
existing criminal justice response to trafficking, and the
level of cooperation between the agencies.

Output 2: Recommendations on how to advance the national
strategy regarding anti-human trafficking are formulated.

Activities:
2.1 Organize a national workshop of experts representing many
sectors related to counter trafficking of persons (including
representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the National
Security Services, the Prosecutor General,s Office,
international organizations, NGOs).

2.2 Facilitate the workshop discussion, which will aim to
review the recommendations of the assessment reports
(Activity 1) and discuss next steps to be taken on the
legislative front, with particular effort given to ways to
align with the TOC and Trafficking Protocol.

Output 3: Enhanced capacity of Uzbek law enforcement
agencies to collect and analyze data regarding human
trafficking through human trafficking database.

Activities:
3.1 Recruit an international expert to develop an

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equipment-needs report in consultation with the UNODC
Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in Vienna. Taking into account
that this activity will focus on 12 provinces in Uzbekistan,
the report will also include:
a) human trafficking databases and mechanisms in other
countries, considered as best practices
b) recommendations for installation of human trafficking
database in Uzbekistan, taking into account what can be
logistically possible
c) identify the necessary technical requirements of the Unit
on the Fight Against Human Trafficking of the Ministry of
Interior to establish and maintain a database on the
trafficking in human beings.
3.2 On the basis of the equipment-needs report, provide the
Unit on the Fight Against Human Trafficking of the Ministry
of Interior with equipment required to strengthen their
operational and technical capacities
3.3 A national technical expert establishes a human
trafficking database
3.4 The Ministry of Interior designate a team comprising of
officers that will: a) implement and monitor the human
trafficking database within the Unit on the Fight Against
Human Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior; b) coordinate
contacts with the 12 Uzbek provinces involved in the project,
and ensure that all activities related to data-collection are
carried out.

3.5 Using train-the-trainer methodology, the technical expert
trains officers representing 12 Uzbek provinces, in the use
and analysis of the database and dissemination of data on
human trafficking and familiarization with international best
practices.

3.6 The officers trained in activity 3.5 train officers in
their provincial district branches in the use and analysis of
the database and dissemination of data on human trafficking.
To ensure sustainability, the national technical expert
follows up by travelling to each region in order to ensure
proper usage of the system and provide technical assistance
as required.

Output 4: Increased investigative and prosecuting capacities
of personnel in selected agencies through training seminars,
roundtable meetings, and a study tour.

Activities:
4.1 Develop training modules in Uzbek/Russian outlining
international best practices of the practical aspects of the
following, as they relate to human trafficking:
-pro-active intelligence-led policing
-law enforcement methods
-investigative techniques
-prosecuting techniques
-protecting the rights of victims and witnesses
4.2 Using the training modules and applying
train-the-trainer methodology, conduct three series of
training sessions and seminars among law enforcement
officers/investigators, prosecutors and judges representing
12 Uzbek provinces focusing on the practical application of
international best practices
4.3 Carry out a study tour to allow a group of Uzbek
officials to observe firsthand anti-human trafficking
international best practices
4.4. Following train-the-trainer methodology, the officers,
prosecutors and judges trained in activities 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3
train their peers in provincial district branches in the
practical application of international best practices in the
area of investigating, prosecuting of crimes related to human
trafficking.
Output 5: Increased regional/international dialogue and
cooperation concerning human trafficking, through the
facilitation of a network of relevant actors of countries of
origin, destination and transit countries.

Activities:
5.1. A focal point responsible for international cooperation
and coordination regarding human trafficking is identified by
the Government of Uzbekistan.

5.2. Organize an international workshop on cooperation and
information exchange in investigative, prosecutorial and

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judicial matters with regard to countering trafficking in
human beings, involving representatives of anti-trafficking
units of countries of destination (UAE, Israel, etc.),
transit countries (e.g. neighboring Kyrgyzstan and
Kazakhstan),Uzbek authorities, pertinent local and
international NGOs as well as other actors. Also, facilitate
Uzbek participation in other international liaison activities.

5.3. Host a regional conference to support and encourage the
development of appropriate mechanisms to complement existing
national strategies and the international legal framework on
combating human trafficking.

Performance indicators will include: appropriate legislation
introduced to the Parliament for approval and an approved
National Strategy that meets international treaty standards;
raised awareness of senior officials in regard to the
seriousness of the problem; quantity and quality of
information contained in the database; number of personnel
trained and measurement of their post-training expertise;
more effective law enforcement through increased arrests and
prosecutions of traffickers; and evidence of increased
interactions among officials on a regional and international
level in regard to the problem.


E. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

UNODC will execute the project through its Regional Office
for Central Asia (ROCA) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. ROCA was
established in 1993 and has long-standing experience working
with law enforcement agencies in Uzbekistan and the rest of
Central Asia. The project will be supervised by the ROCA
Program Management Officer and legal oversight provided by
the ROCA Senior Regional Legal Advisor. Extensive support
will be provided by the UNODC Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at
UNODC Headquarters in Vienna which has been developing
Anti-Human Trafficking projects globally for the past decade.
To ensure smooth implementation of the project, a National
Project Officer will be recruited, with relevant
administrative support from the Regional Office.
International/national experts will provide consultative
support and expertise as required. Short-term consultants
will be recruited for provision of trainings and other
required assistance in accordance to the project work plan
(attached). An important aspect of this project is effective
and early co-operation with other UN agencies, multilateral
and bilateral agencies working in this field, with special
arrangements made to co-ordinate efforts and avoid
duplication. The goal is to maximize the impact of
assistance and expertise of other UN and development
agencies, such as USAID, OSCE and IOM. Co-operation is
intended to generate synergies between different activities,
resulting in effective cost and time management. The
participation of international organizations and NGOs will be
sought throughout the project, such as in the national
workshop.


F. BUDGET
It should be noted that of the total budget ($806,100),
$448,492 has already been funded by the Governments of
Sweden, Finland and Norway. This proposal requests
additional funding of $357,608 in order to fully fund the
project and complete all activities during the life of the
project. The project will start with the available funding
as soon as the Government of Uzbekistan signs the document,
in the near future (mid-2007) and additional funds will not
be needed until 2008. The project will be finalized by the
end of 2009. The attached budget table is for the full
project budget. Indirect costs to the Regional Office are
shown on BL 5400 and indirect costs (including portion of
salary of the PMO) to UNODC and other agencies are shown on
BLs 5601 and 5602. All direct costs are shown on the
appropriate BLs. Please note that dates in the attached work
plan will be adjusted to compensate for the actual date of
project start-up.

Please also see separate e-mail from Poloff Alexander Schrank
to G/TIP (Jane Sigmon and Amy leMar-Meredith) containing
budget spread sheets.


G. RESUMES

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Please see separate e-mail from Poloff Alexander Schrank to
G/TIP (Jane Sigmon and Amy LeMar-Meredith) with resumes for
Zhuldyz Akisheva, UNODC Deputy Regional
Representative/Program Management Officer for Central Asia,
and Olga Zudova, UNODC Senior Legal Advisor for Central Asia
Regional Office.


PURNELL