Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1471
2009-11-17 04:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

TURKMENISTAN: ASHGABAT HOSTS REGIONAL UN

Tags:  KTIP ELAB KCRM DPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9871
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1471 3210423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170423Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3753
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5887
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0124
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4129
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001471 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL; G/TIP AND SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM DPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG
TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ASHGABAT HOSTS REGIONAL UN
CONFERENCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001471

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL; G/TIP AND SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM DPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG
TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ASHGABAT HOSTS REGIONAL UN
CONFERENCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING


1. (U) The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a
three-day, regional conference on human trafficking in
Ashgabat this week. OSCE and the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) also sponsored the event, intended to
promote cooperation and information and intelligence sharing
between governments in the region, including mechanisms for
mutual legal assistance in trafficking cases. Representatives
from 27 countries -- the UAE alone sent seven delegates --
attended the conference, including U.S. trafficking experts
from the Department of Justice and USCIS.


2. (SBU) Many of the country presentations, on topics like
"National Legislation and Practice," "National Casework
Practices," and "Mutual Legal Assistance," reflected the
somewhat inchoate state of legislation, practices and
attitudes towards trafficking in some countries in the
region. Many of the presentations were dry, with sections of
legislation quoted verbatim, but no real reference to actual
stories or trafficking victims, or specifics about how
particular cases were handled. At least two particpants
complained of the Uzbek government's "lack of cooperation"
with them in trafficking cases. Some of the presentations
digressed altogether from the topic of trafficking, with
emphasis on financial crimes and other ancillary subjects.


3. (SBU) The U.S. presentation on National Legislation and
Practice was made by Susan French, a prosecutor with the
Department of Justice Human Trafficking Unit. She emphasized
the USG's "victim-centered approach" to prosecuting
trafficking cases and included a powerpoint presentation on
the human trafficking problem in the U.S., which is deemed to
be "modern day slavery." In building a case, she underscored
the importance of prosecutors developing a rapport with
trafficking victims early on, and noted that an estimated
15,000-20,000 persons are trafficked to and within the U.S.
each year. Her presentation included details of labor and sex
trafficking cases prosecuted by her office, with startling
images of labor conditions, as well as the housing and living
conditions of trafficking victims in their home countries.
Several participants commented later on the "powerful" impact
of the U.S. presentation, and respect for the manner in which
the USG openly approaches and discusses trafficking that
occurs within its borders.


4. (SBU) COMMENT: Notwithstanding some imperfect aspects, the
real value of UNODC's gathering was in bringing together law
enforcement and judicial personnel to discuss the issue of
trafficking from a variety of perspectives. Interestingly,
the Turkmen press made no reference to the term "trafficking"
in news reports of the event, describing it rather as a
conference on "mutual legal assistance." END COMMENT.
CURRAN