Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08FREETOWN183
2008-04-15 17:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

UNGIFT TIP WORKSHOP IN SIERRA LEONE: A LIMITED

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KCRM KWMN ELAB SL 
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VZCZCXRO8131
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0183/01 1061716
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 151716Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1857
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000183 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS G/TIP:VZEITLIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCRM KWMN ELAB SL
SUBJECT: UNGIFT TIP WORKSHOP IN SIERRA LEONE: A LIMITED
SUCCESS


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1
.4(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000183

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS G/TIP:VZEITLIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCRM KWMN ELAB SL
SUBJECT: UNGIFT TIP WORKSHOP IN SIERRA LEONE: A LIMITED
SUCCESS


Classified By: Classified by Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1
.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 8-9 2008, the Ministry of Internal
Affairs hosted a workshop co-organized by the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) entitled "Building
Capacities of the National Task Force In Control of
Trafficking in Persons in Conflict and Post Conflict
Contexts." The stated purpose of the workshop was to inform
stakeholders of the various international conventions and
protocols that form the legal framework to combat TIP, and to
validate the three-year action plan created by the Government
of Sierra Leone (GoSL)-chaired Task Force over the course of
the past five months. Poloff, Special Projects Coordinator,
and Political Assistant attended the majority of the
sessions, contributing encouragement and technical assistance
when necessary. Though an excellent information-sharing
session, the utility of the workshop was undermined by an
overly ambitious agenda for the time allotted. Participants
had little time to discuss implementation of the action-plan,
which is the most immediate and critical concern for the GoSL
anti-trafficking effort that is suffering from inertia and
lack of human and fiscal resources. END SUMMARY.

--------------
SETTING THE STAGE: LEGAL FRAMEWORKS
--------------


2. (U) On April 8, The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs,
Kalilu Kalokoh, formally opened the conference, stating that
it is one of several to be held across West Africa as a
follow-up to an initial November 2007 meeting in Cote
d'Ivoire. Deputy Minister Kalokoh stated that co-hosting the
conference with UNODC is a sign of the Government of Sierra
Leone's commitment to fighting trafficking in persons. The
Assistant Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP),
Kadie Fakondoh, also welcomed the media, and GoSL and NGO
representatives present, and discussed the cases that were
reported throughout the year, highlighting the prevalence of

trafficking of minors. UNODC National Programme Officer Papa
Babacar Ndiaye stated that TIP presents a global threat to
human security while undermining social and political
stability.


3. (C) Following these introductory remarks, many in
attendance departed, leaving some task force members and a
few representatives of the SLP. When Poloff commented
privately to Ndiaye a concern that some key stakeholders were
not participating, he replied that the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, which is not the leading ministry on TIP and an
irregular task force member, failed to produce invitations or
publicize the event as promised. Ndiaye drafted the
invitations himself when he arrived in Sierra Leone on April
4, which meant participants did not receive them until the
afternoon of April 7. Several task force members did not
attend due to scheduling conflicts. Though turnout was
disappointing, one promising note is that Thomas Lahai, Chief
Superintendent of Police and new to the issue, attended the
entire workshop.

4) (U) The substantive sessions that followed the
introduction included information on international protocols
and conventions and mechanisms against trafficking. An
additional session was held on the work of the Special Court
of Sierra Leone, and how international criminal courts and
tribunals contribute to the anti-trafficking legal framework.

-------------- --
THE TIP ACTION PLAN: MOVING BEYOND THE OXYMORON
-------------- --


5. (C) The April 9 sessions were more interactive than those
held the previous day, with a brief focus on investigation
techniques and mechanisms for international cooperation to
combat crime. This was followed by dialogue on the three-year
action plan created by the GoSL-led anti-TIP task force.
Though this session was arguably the most important from a
practical perspective for the vast majority of the attendees,
this session was cut from three hours to 40 minutes to make
up for lost time when the schedule ran over by four hours.
This undermined the participants' ability to have an in-depth
discussion on the action plan.


6. (U) Despite the time constraint, the discussion on the
action plan was lively and produced some concrete results and
next steps. The primary outcome was agreement that a Ministry
of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children's Affairs (MOSWGCA)
representative must act as a full-time TIP coordinator until
the permanent TIP Secretariat is established The 2005
trafficking legislation mandates that the GoSL establish and

FREETOWN 00000183 002 OF 002


fund a TIP secretariat, but does not provide a time-frame.
The current arrangement, with a TIP focal point person who
manages the TIP portfolio as one of many responsibilities,
has been ineffective in providing sufficient oversight and
anti-TIP advocacy. Workshop participants pressed hard for a
firm commitment from the MOSWGCA to approve a TIP
Coordinator. The current TIP point person agreed to assume
the interim TIP Coordinator position, pending Ministry
approval. Other concrete outcomes from the discussion were
the addition of new monitoring and evaluation activities to
the action plan, and, ultimately, agreement from participants
to validate and implement the action plan.


7. (C) While validating the action-plan is a positive step,
the lack of funding to support implementation continues to be
a problem. Olatunde Olayemi, the ECOWAS consultant who
assisted in the action-plan drafting process, was deeply
concerned that limited financial resources would give the
task force another reason to delay implementing activities.
His concern is legitimate since the several action-plans
introduced over the last three years were barely implemented
because of lack of resources (COMMENT: As indicated in
previous reporting, the former regime depleted Sierra Leone's
treasury and gave scant attention to TIP and other human
rights issues. The new government seems committed to changes.
END COMMENT). The task force desperately needs a strong
leader who can manage the process and advocate for funding
and support from the highest government levels.

--------------
COMMENT: ARE WE TREADING WATER?
--------------


8. (C) The attempt to establish an interim TIP coordinator is
a good idea, but the task force will continue to languish if
the GoSL does not provide adequate support. Further, the
selection of the current TIP focal point person to become
coordinator is problematic because she has a questionable
understanding of TIP as well as little to no political
capital or connections with which to lobby on behalf of the
issue within government. While pushing for movement is a
positive sign, there is a great possibility that the end
result will be unproductive.


9. (C) It was clear to the UNODC and ECOWAS representatives
that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has oversight of
the SLP, is not fully engaged on this issue. Though their
failure to actively co-host the event through timely
notification of key participants was problematic, Chief
Superintendent Lahai's participation might re-invigorate the
SLP's anti-TIP activities. This may be the most positive and
unexpected workshop outcome. END COMMENT.
PERRY