LAOS: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS GRANT PROPOSALS FOR FY2008

UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000097 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS ED BESTIC DEPT for G/TIP SHEREEN FARAJ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG LA SUBJECT: LAOS: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS GRANT PROPOSALS FOR FY2008 INCLE AND ESF FUNDS REF: STATE 161287 ¶1. Embassy Vientiane recommends funding of the four proposals (two ESF and two INCLE) summarized in paragraph three, all of which address deficiencies identified in the Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for Laos and the Interim Assessment. Only four proposals were submitted for this grant. The following organizations submitted proposals: (1) The Asia Foundation (TAF),(2) AFESIP,(3) the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 4) the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). All four complete proposals with budgets and resumes will be sent by email to G/TIP Shereen Faraj per reftel. Post notes that The Asia Foundation and UNODC told Emboff that their proposals are geared toward INCLE funds, while the others are addressing ESF priorities. Post strongly supports the proposals of both IOM and TAF, one for ESF and one for INCLE. ¶2. Embassy points of contact are Public Affairs Officer Amy Archibald, ArchibaldAE@state.gov, and Pol/Econ Chief Harvey Somers, SomersHA@state.gov. ¶3. The proposing organizations' proposal summaries follow in order of priority, as determined by the Embassy: -------------- Proposal 1 -------------- ¶A. NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION The Asia Foundation ¶B. REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT USD 377,478 ¶C. PROJECT TITLE Strengthening the Capacity to Prosecute Traffickers in the Lao PDR ¶D. PROJECT DURATION Two years ¶E. PROPOSAL ABSTRACT The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) proposes a two-year $377,478 project that will strengthen prosecution of traffickers in Lao PDR. The project objective is to build the capacity of law enforcement and other officials and facilitate collection and sharing of information to protect victims and prosecute traffickers. The Government of Laos (GOL) has taken some significant steps to improve law enforcement to combat trafficking in recent years. The Law on Development and Protection of Women (Law on Women) passed in 2004 is quite comprehensive and includes stringent provisions to penalize traffickers. The number of convictions to date, however, remains extremely low, with only three traffickers sentenced to prison in 2007. In 2007, the Department of State ranked Laos as a Tier 2 country, noting a number of key problems that remain in the fight against trafficking, including: fining victims of trafficking; no reported investigations or prosecutions of officials for complicity in trafficking; and failure to enlist victims as witnesses in prosecutions of traffickers. The Foundation played a significant role in supporting the drafting and passage of the Law on Women - the first legislation ever in Laos that specifically protects the rights of women - and has had a close partnership with the Lao Women's Union (LWU) for more than a decade. The Foundation proposes to build on its strong track record and close relationships to implement this project. Measurable results will include: increased capacity of police to investigate and prosecute traffickers; anti-trafficking training institutionalized within the police training academy; increased information accessible for use in documenting victim testimony, developing legal cases against traffickers, and analyzing trafficking; and victim testimony properly collected and used in prosecutions. Ultimately, it is expected that these steps will lead to an increased number of traffickers prosecuted and convicted. -------------- Proposal 2 -------------- ¶A. NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION International Organization for Migration ¶B. REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT USD 251,370 ¶C. PROJECT TITLE Partnership for Enhanced Community Support on Returnees and Other Vulnerable Population in Lao PDR ¶D. PROJECT DURATION Two years ¶E. PROPOSAL ABSTRACT Since 2001, IOM has been providing technical cooperation and other support to the government of Lao PDR to facilitate the return of victims of trafficking (VoT) from abroad, build a national counter-trafficking policy framework, develop departmental and operational capacity, and engage with the neighboring countries to promote joint counter-trafficking measures. Notwithstanding the commitment and significant progress made to date, the lack of reintegration support and follow-up care for returnees and other vulnerable populations at the community level continues to be a challenge. This project aims to address this challenge by supporting the Lao government to set up a sustainable and institutionalized provincial and community level support network in partnering responsible government agencies with international and non-governmental organizations and other potential service providers active in the community. Through the undertaking of targeted rapid situation assessments that will feed into coordination and planning workshops hosted by key government counterparts, a two-year plan will be developed for extending central level referral and coordination mechanisms, developing in Vientiane, to the provincial and community level. The plan will include capacity-building and trainer of trainer (ToT) initiatives, including the development of a ToT manual that addresses key aspects of counter-trafficking protection and support that include, basic interview and counseling skills, facilitating recovery support, family tracing and assessment, confidentiality, security of returnees, etc.; as well as SIPDIS coordination meetings to determine lead agencies and operational coordination structures among key stakeholders and service providers. As a result, provincial support network (PSN) will be established in 10 provinces that will serve as the link between central level coordination mechanisms and community level interventions aimed at sustainable integration support for returning VoT and other vulnerable groups. -------------- Proposal 3 -------------- ¶A. NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION AFESIP ¶B. REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT USD 257,516 ¶C. PROJECT TITLE Rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Lao PDR, Savannakhet Shelter ¶D. PROJECT DURATION Two years ¶E. PROPOSAL ABSTRACT In Lao PDR TIP is a growing problem, both internationally and nationally. AFESIP combats trafficking in women and children for sexual exploitation in South East Asia since 1996 and rehabilitates those rescued from sexual exploitation providing occupational skills and reintegrating them into the community in a sustainable and innovative manner. The project seeks the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Office to cover the running costs of a new shelter, outreach work to protect and to rescue exploited children and support their reintegration. In Lao PDR, AFESIP established an office in 2004 and since 2006 a shelter in Vientiane, empowering national anti-trafficking system and acting toward legal reinforcement. Nowadays, a large proportion of TIP victims are coming from the southern provinces, at the request of the Lao PDR government, AFESIP built a second shelter to expand its activities to Savannakhet, the main source province for TIP. The project uses a holistic victim-centred approach to rehabilitate, reintegrate and repatriate victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Victims stay at the centre from between 14 days and 6 months to prepare themselves before going back to communities. Activities are both inside and outside centre such as: vocational training, life skills study and entertainment their aim is to build self empowerment, self confidence and support decision making ability of the residents when they are back in society to protect them from trafficking and high risk migration. Reintegration is planned after family and community assessments ensure that it is both safe for the returnees as regards to traffickers and an economical sustainable activity. Outreach work in the service sector aims at finding girls and young women who have been lured to work in bars and forced to take clients. Social, legal and health support is provided also requesting the authorities to intervene in cases of trafficking and abuse. -------------- Proposal 4 -------------- ¶A. NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION UNODC ¶B. REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT USD 306,196 ¶C. PROJECT TITLE Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons through awareness raising in the Lao PDR ¶D. PROJECT DURATION 18 months ¶E. PROPOSAL ABSTRACT In September 2006, UNODC C/O Lao PDR and the Ministry of Justice joined forces to launch project FS/LAO/04/R76 "Strengthening of the Legal and Law Enforcement Institutions to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking". During the implementation of this project, and day to day contact with various authorities and the general public, it became increasingly apparent that there is a paramount nationwide need for basic awareness raising as understanding of human trafficking remains inadequate among the general public and provincial authorities. - General public Lack of awareness about the risks of migration and the dangers of human trafficking, lack of familiarity with customs and laws make people vulnerable to exploitation and expose them to the risk of being trafficked. - Provincial authorities The understanding and knowledge of human trafficking are inadequate among government officials; this 'weakness' is particularly striking among provincial authorities. The specificities of human trafficking, and it being qualified as a criminal offence are often overlooked. Victims are repeatedly subject to fines upon returning into their country and punished rather than the traffickers. UNODC stresses the necessity of a tailored response to foster general understanding at the grassroots level. The concept of this response would consist of comprehensive awareness raising and strengthening of understanding of human trafficking among provincial authorities and the general public. The grasp from central to the smallest district level has to be significantly increased. In order to achieve this successfully, the project will conduct a national awareness raising campaign employing all appropriate media to disseminate information about human trafficking to make people aware about their rights, that human trafficking is a serious crime and warn them about the dangers of human trafficking to prevent and combat this threat.