UNODC REQUESTS EXPERT PARTICIPATION IN UZBEKISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000366 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/TIP SHEREEN FARAJ AND MEGAN HALL; INL FOR ANDREW BUHLER AND NORIS BALABANIAN; SCA FOR JESSICA MAZZONE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/OPDAT FOR CATHERINE NEWCOMBE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KWMN KCRM KCOR UZ SUBJECT: UNODC REQUESTS EXPERT PARTICIPATION IN UZBEKISTAN TIP CONFERENCE REF: A. TASHKENT 351 ¶B. TASHKENT 303 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 5. ¶2. (U) Summary: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),which is sponsoring an anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) conference in Tashkent on May 14-15 in conjunction with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),requested assistance in identifying and funding participation of a senior U.S. investigator and/or prosecutor. The conference will include judicial and law enforcement practitioners from each of the five former Soviet Central Asian republics as well as from major destination countries for Central Asian trafficking victims. The conference seeks to strengthen the capacities of national criminal justice systems to address human trafficking issues. We expect Uzbekistan to have fully adopted long-promised anti-trafficking legislation prior to this event, and we believe visiting U.S. experts could establish a cooperative spirit in helping Uzbekistan effectively implement its next major human rights-themed legislation. End summary. ¶3. (U) Post received a letter from UNODC's Amcit Central Asia Regional Representative dated March 20 requesting assistance in identifying a senior U.S. investigat m,./,m or and/or prosecutor to participate in the May 14-15 conference in Tashkent entitled "Workshop on Promoting Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation among Source, Transit, and Destination Countries to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling to and from Central Asia." Due to limited project funds, UNODC is unable to support the participation of U.S. experts. ¶4. (U) The conference will be co-sponsored by UNODC and the OSCE and will include participation from each of the five former Soviet Central Asian Republics as well as major destination countries for Central Asian trafficking victims, including Russia, Israel, Turkey, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The conference seeks to strengthen the capacities of national criminal justice systems by promoting information exchange, cooperative efforts, and establishing an effective network of judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers. ¶5. (U) Action request: Post requests the Department's (particularly G/TIP and INL) assistance in identifying, selecting, and funding participation of up to two U.S. experts to participate in the conference. UNODC notes that U.S. experts should have experience in investigating or prosecuting cases of human trafficking (victims or offenders) involving the former Soviet Union. The experts should be prepared to deliver two 30-minute presentations and offer actual cases for discussion. Post also requests G/TIP's assistance in providing a list of contact details of central and other authorities of the U.S. dealing with extradition, mutual legal assistance, and law enforcement cooperation, which UNODC intends to distribute at the event. End action request. Comment: -------------- ¶6. (U) As noted in ref A, we expect that the Government of Uzbekistan will fully adopt its first comprehensive anti-trafficking in persons law prior to this event in order to claim progress on a key human rights concern. We strongly support the proposed participation of U.S. experts in this TASHKENT 00000366 002 OF 002 milestone event after years of terse exchanges with the Government of Uzbekistan on trafficking in persons. As was the case in the recent human rights and law enforcement conference (ref B),this major international anti-trafficking event presents an excellent opportunity to establish a cooperative approach with the Government of Uzbekistan as it implements its new law to address its serious trafficking problem. NORLAND