EMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PROPOSALS FOR G/TIP MANAGED FY 2008

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000171 SIPDIS SIPDIS G/TIP FOR BRESNEHAN AND FLECK G/IWI FOR RECHKEMMER WHA/PPC FOR MILLER WHA/BSC FOR DRUCKER, FRIEDMAN, MOSS, AND SLATTERY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB KCRM KWMN PHUM PREL SNAR SMIG KJUS ASEC AR SUBJECT: EMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PROPOSALS FOR G/TIP MANAGED FY 2008 ESF AND INCLE FUNDS REF: A) ASUNCION 97 B) 07 STATE 161287 B) 05 STATE 21324 C) 03 STATE 34981 ¶1. (SBU) Summary and Background: Among Embassy Buenos Aires's top priorities in strengthening Argentina's anti-trafficking efforts include strengthening law enforcement and judicial capacity to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases. The Argentine government, in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration, worked hard to raise public awareness of human trafficking, and has made basic anti-trafficking education a regular part of training for law enforcement and judicial officials through its Office of Assistance to Victims of Crime (OFAVI). The proposals that we recommend for G/TIP consideration would build on this effort and strengthen institutional capacity to effectively identify victims, as well as investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases. ¶2. (SBU) Post received six bilateral proposals and one regional proposal, of which we recommend two bilateral proposals and co-endorse one regional proposal for the Tri-Border Area which includes the border region of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The first proposal was submitted by 2007 International Woman of Courage Award Winner Susana Trimarco's NGO, the Maria de los Angeles Foundation. It focuses on increasing law enforcement capacity to investigate trafficking in persons crimes by establishing in six high-risk provinces specialized police units to investigate TIP cases based on a similar unit in Tucuman province. The second proposal was submitted by local NGO Unidos por la Justicia (United for Justice). It focuses on providing advanced training to judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials in investigating and prosecuting cases. In addition to these proposals, post endorses a regional proposal from the International Organization for Migration to combat TIP in the Tri-Border area as presented in ref A from Asuncion. End Summary and Background. -------------- Proposals for INCLE Funding -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Argentina is on the Department's Tier-2 Watch List. The Embassy has worked closely with two Argentine NGOs that have each submitted separate proposals for possible consideration of INCLE funding. Both the Department in its 2007 TIP report and the Embassy in its FY08 Mission Strategic Plan have identified the need to increase Argentina's law enforcement and judicial capacity to investigate, prosecute, and convict human traffickers. The separate proposals from the Maria de los Angeles Foundation and Unidos por la Justicia (Unidos) address this need. The Unidos proposal addresses the additional need to provide greater assistance to trafficking victims - a need also identified in the 2007 TIP report. Maria de los Angeles Foundation Proposal -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The first, submitted by the Maria de los Angeles Foundation ("The Foundation"),proposes to create special police units to investigate trafficking in persons crimes modeled after the Tucuman unit the Foundation assisted in setting up. We selected this proposal for the following reasons: -- The project addresses the need to increase Argentina's law enforcement and judicial capacity to investigate, prosecute, and convict human traffickers. -- The project's cost is feasible, and Trimarco has a clear understanding of Argentina's trafficking problem. -- Trimarco and her staff have experience in developing these types of specialized police units given their assistance to develop the Tucuman special police unit. ¶5. (SBU) The Foundation was established in October 2007 by TIP activist Susana Trimarco, whose daughter, Marita Veron, was kidnapped by a human trafficking ring on April 3, 2002 in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina when she was 23 years old. In 2007, Trimarco was recognized by the U.S. Department of State twice: first as one of 12 International Women of Courage and later as a Hero in the global fight against human trafficking. We have worked very closely with Ms. Trimarco, offering her guidance and material support in her continued efforts to fight TIP. i) Maria de los Angeles Foundation For the fight against human trafficking ii) Budget Cost: $ 62,000.00 iii) Project Title: Increasing Law Enforcement Capacity to Investigate Human Trafficking Crimes iv) Project Duration: 1 year v) Proposal Abstract: Identified need: One of the biggest challenges in Argentine civil society's fight against trafficking in persons (TIP) is the weak law enforcement and judicial capacity to effectively investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes. Recognizing this problem, the Maria de los Angeles Foundation successfully lobbied the Tucuman provincial government to create a special police unit for the investigation of TIP crimes. In the first six months since its establishment in June 2007, the Foundation and the unit have worked together to rescue 78 victims who were either trafficked or at risk of being trafficked. Proposed Activities: Building on this success, the foundation proposes to create similar units in six provinces where the incidence of TIP is highest: Salta, La Rioja, Misiones, Cordoba, Tierra de Fuego, and Buenos Aires City. To do this, the Foundation will negotiate agreements with provincial authorities to create, recruit, select, and train the special police units. Training will include techniques on: -- identifying a potential trafficking case when interviewing a victim's relatives or friends; -- working quickly with judicial authorities to obtain the necessary search warrants to conduct rescue operations; -- investigating the various components of trafficking rings including the recruitment, transportation, harboring, and actual exploitation of the victims; and -- developing leads and obtaining evidence that can be used in prosecuting the crime. The Foundation also intends to work with these units to develop a database to track and develop official statistics on missing persons and trafficking victims. Expected Outcomes: At the conclusion of the project, we expect the special police units to have the capacity to effectively investigate and dismantle human trafficking networks as well as train additional police officers. Once they are fully operational, we expect the units to resolve up to 150 human trafficking cases a year and report TIP crime statistics, recruiting patterns, and victim profiles to bolster the government's and NGO community's efforts to combat the crime. Unidos por la Justicia Proposal -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The second proposal, submitted by Unidos por la Justicia (Unidos),focuses on providing advanced training to judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials in investigating and prosecuting cases. We selected this proposal for the following reasons: -- It addresses the need to increase Argentina's law enforcement and judicial capacity to investigate, prosecute, and convict human traffickers and provide greater assistance to trafficking victims; -- The project's cost is feasible; and -- Although Unidos does not have direct experience in human trafficking issues, it has a strong understanding of Argentina's judicial system. It is a well-respected NGO in the judicial community that we believe would be able to attract large numbers of judges and prosecutors to its training workshops. ¶7. (SBU) The Embassy has worked closely with Unidos in the implementaion of our "Justice Undergoing Change" program, which is aimed at providing training to magistrates to help Argentina make its judicial system more efficient. i) Name of the Applicant: Unidos por la Justicia Asociacion Civil ii) Requested Funding Amount: $160,000 iii) Project Title: Integrated Trafficking in Persons Training and Prevention Program iv) Project Duration: 2 years v) Proposal Abstract: Identified Need: In Argentina, there is no coordinated strategy among judicial and law enforcement officials to carry forward integrated judicial investigations into trafficking in persons (TIP) cases. In addition, vulnerable populations are not aware of the methods traffickers use to lure their victims, nor of the legal resources available to denounce the crime. There is a scarcity of civil institutions - particularly in high-risk areas - working to prevent the crime, assisting victims and/or their families to denounce the crime, or aiding in the social and labor reinsertion of victims in their home communities. Proposed Activities: The goal is to enhance the efficiency of the prosecution of crimes related to human trafficking through the integrated training of judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials and agents. It also aims to train people involved in assisting trafficking victims and vulnerable populations, with the goal of strengthening the social reintegration process and avoiding the recruitment of new victims. Experts will direct intensive workshops for members of the judiciary, prosecutors, and law enforcement agents to train them in investigative techniques to combat trafficking in persons. The workshops will develop specific investigative protocols, which will emphasize the planning and coordination of the different activities that investigations require among all those involved. Another team of experts will prepare workshops aimed at preventing the recruitment of victims in high-risk areas, and at training community leaders to aid and help reinsert victims. Expected Outcomes: The following outcomes are expected: a) Enhance prosecutorial effectiveness by improving coordination among people and resources; b) Improve planning of investigations; c) Strengthen the criminal system to combat trafficking in persons; d) Decrease levels of revictimization in smuggling and trafficking crimes; and e) Strengthen mechanisms of assistance and social reinsertion of victims. IOM Regional Proposal -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The third proposal submitted by IOM and outlined in ref A aims to prevent trafficking in persons, especially women and children, by strengthening counter-trafficking networks in the TBA. In addition, the project will provide medical, psychological, legal, and labor reinsertion assistance to victims of trafficking in persons (TIP) in the TBA. We co-endorse the proposal with Asuncion for the following reasons: -- It addresses the need to provide greater assistance to trafficking victims and to strengthen NGO-government counter-trafficking networks to combat TIP. -- The Project's cost is feasible for a regional project. -- IOM did an excellent job in implementing a previous Department grant from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to combat TIP in the region. As a part of that grant, IOM conducted a comprehensive study on trafficking patterns in the region, developed basic training programs to educate law enforcement and other government on Argentina's TIP problem, and conducted numerous TIP public awareness campaigns in Argentina. In addition, it has created a tri-national network of government officials and NGOs in the tri-border area to increase coordination and improve cooperation to combat TIP in the TBA. WAYNE