ANTI-TIP TRAINING AND AWARENESS FOR GEORGIAN MILITARY

UNCLAS TBILISI 000060 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INL/AAE, G/TIP AND EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: NA TAGS: SNAR PGOV MARR KCRM GG SUBJECT: ANTI-TIP TRAINING AND AWARENESS FOR GEORGIAN MILITARY ¶1. Summary: With support from INL, the Ministry of Defense of Georgia has implemented an Anti-TIP training and awareness program for military personnel. Using curriculum materials developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM),the program includes a training DVD and printed material for troops deploying to Iraq in January. In addition to meeting this time sensitive requirement, training for nearly 400 officers and non-commissioned officers, as well as train-the-trainer sessions for instructors will be conducted by IOM to ensure sustainability of the program. IOM, together with Georgia's Prosecutor General's office, also provided anti-TIP training for Georgian law enforcement in December. End Summary. Targeting Immediate and Long Term Training -------------- ¶2. In order to meet NATO policy requirements and demonstrate continued progress in combating trafficking in persons, the Government of Georgia is providing anti-TIP training and awareness for military personnel, with special emphasis on units preparing for overseas deployment. The Ministry of Defense program utilizes a 3-pronged approach: 1. Immediate training via DVD presentation and printed material for the troops of First Brigade deploying imminently for Iraq; 2. training by IOM for 370 officers and non-commissioned officers currently enrolled in their respective training academies; 3. Train-the-trainer sessions for 60 military instructors, conducted over 2 days by IOM. IOM developed the curriculum and materials by utilizing material obtained by INL from the Georgian police academy curriculum, the UN manual for peacekeepers in Kosovo, and material previously used by IOM in Georgia for anti-TIP campaigns. First Brigade - Destination: Iraq -------------- ¶3. The DVD presentation and printed materials for Iraq-bound troops have been delivered to the First Brigade for pre-deployment training. The DVD begins with an opening statement by Major Zaza Kireulishvili of the MoD's Training and Education Department. The translated text of the statement reads: "Hello, My name is Major Zaza Kireulishvili. I want to talk to each of you about something that is very important to the Government of Georgia- human trafficking. Human trafficking is a severe human rights abuse and the Government of Georgia has enacted comprehensive laws to deal �00A;with this horrific crime. There have been recent reports that human trafficking is becoming increasingly prevalent in post conflict societies that are struggling to recover from war, such as Iraq, Kosovo or Afghanistan. As troops supporting peacekeeping operations in these areas, you must do everything you can to ensure that human trafficking is stopped. Peacekeeping troops are required to maintain the highest standards of integrity and conduct. Therefore, if any Georgian soldier is engaged in human trafficking, it constitutes serious misconduct and is grounds for disciplinary action, including being sent home from a mission abroad and prosecuted under the Georgian penal code. A solider may also be dismissed from his or her duties if caught engaging in human trafficking. So, please, as a soldier - keep in mind that your duty is to protect people-- not abuse others. If you are aware of other soldiers engaged in human trafficking, please report such misconduct to your commanding officer or other appropriate official. The Ministry of Defense does not tolerate human trafficking. I thank you for your service to your country and wish you success in your mission abroad." End text of statement. The DVD then continues with a presentation by an IOM instructor and covers the following topics: -- Definition of Trafficking in Persons -- NATO's policy on TIP -- Georgian penal code- definition -- Testimonials from Georgian victims -- Situation in Iraq -- Various forms of trafficking (forced labor, forced prostitution, etc) -- Georgian penal code- penalties for TIP -- Reporting mechanisms The DVD can be reused for future pre-deployment training by cutting the Iraq segment and inserting a segment on Afghanistan or Kosovo with minor editing. ¶4. The printed materials include a pocket size card for each soldier with the text and images related to trafficking. The text in Georgian language reads: "Humans are not for sale! Stop Exploitation! Report Exploitation to the Inspector General (number in Iraq: 822-2490) A soldier's duty is to protect people. A soldier caught engaging in human trafficking will be sent home and prosecuted under Georgian Civil Code. Human trafficking is a crime under Georgian law punishable by up to 20 years in jail. Article 143 of the Georgia Civil Law Defines human trafficking as..." (citation of statute text). The pocket cards also include a calendar so the soldiers will have an additional use for them in the field. Adhesive posters (A-5 size) with the same message and images will also be used to "decorate" common areas of the Georgian forward operating base in Iraq. Hard copies of the pocket card and poster were provided to EUR/CARC and INL/AAE. Electronic copies are available from Post INL Program Office. Sustainable and Long Term Training -------------- ¶5. Training for officers in the "Captain's Course" and NCO's enrolled in the non-commissioned officers school will commence at the end of February. 370 personnel will participate in a 90 minute training course, which will consist of a power point presentation, case studies and a training manual. The manual will cover: -- Definition of trafficking in persons -- Trafficking as a human rights abuse -- International standards of conduct on sexual exploitation and abuse -- International policy on trafficking in peacekeeping missions (UN, NATO) -- Disciplinary and administrative consequences of misconduct -- Examples of involvement of peacekeepers in trafficking -- How to react when case of trafficking has been identified -- Background information on trafficking specifically concerning those countries where Georgian soldiers will/ may be deployed (Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo). ¶6. Training for 60 military instructors (train-the-trainers) will be the final aspect of the program. IOM will conduct a 2-day course with a manual similar in content to the material developed for the officer and NCO academies, with additional background and guidelines for training delivery. In addition to lecture and case studies, the train-the-trainer course will also include practical exercises. Additional Training for Law Enforcement -------------- ¶7. In addition to anti-TIP training for military personnel, IOM conducted training for Georgian law enforcement in December. IOM and the Prosecutor General's Office, with support from British FCO, facilitated a training course for Georgian law enforcement on investigative techniques related to the crime of trafficking in persons. ¶8. Twenty-three officials from the Prosecutor General's Office (15 officials from both the central as well as the regional structures), the Special Operations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (four police investigators) and the Border Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (two operational-investigative officers and two training curriculum developers) participated in this two-and-a-half day training course. ¶9. Subject matter experts from the Prosecutor General's Office and IOM consultant Peter Bryant delivered the training. Bryant is a former UK police officer and currently active as independent curriculum developer and trainer on TIP. The joint approach ensured that the course addressed application of relevant Georgian laws, the methodologies and techniques available to investigators, and the plight of victims and how law enforcement should support and cooperate with victims to pursue the perpetrators of human trafficking. The course also tasked participants with development of specific strategies that will enable local law enforcement to become more effective in combating TIP, and will ensure Georgia continues to make demonstrable progress in meeting minimum standards for the suppression and elimination of this crime. TEFFT