Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUENOSAIRES501
2009-04-30 21:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Buenos Aires
Cable title:  

ARGENTINA HOSTS OAS TIP CONFERENCE;

Tags:  KWMN KTIP PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG AR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0021
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0501/01 1202120
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302120Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3628
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000501 

SIPDIS

G/TIP FOR PAULA GOODE, CARLA MENARES-BURY, JANE
SIGMON, BARBARA FLECK, MARISA FERRI, AND MARK
FORSTROM
WHA/PPC FOR SCOTT MILLER
WHA/OAS FOR DAN CENTO
G/IWI FOR IRENE MARR
DOJ FOR HILARY AXAM
DHS/ICE FOR GABRIEL GONZALEZ AND KATERINA KAROUSOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN KTIP PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG AR

SUBJECT: ARGENTINA HOSTS OAS TIP CONFERENCE;
CONDEMNS DEMAND

Ref: 07 Buenos Aires 300

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000501

SIPDIS

G/TIP FOR PAULA GOODE, CARLA MENARES-BURY, JANE
SIGMON, BARBARA FLECK, MARISA FERRI, AND MARK
FORSTROM
WHA/PPC FOR SCOTT MILLER
WHA/OAS FOR DAN CENTO
G/IWI FOR IRENE MARR
DOJ FOR HILARY AXAM
DHS/ICE FOR GABRIEL GONZALEZ AND KATERINA KAROUSOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWMN KTIP PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG AR

SUBJECT: ARGENTINA HOSTS OAS TIP CONFERENCE;
CONDEMNS DEMAND

Ref: 07 Buenos Aires 300


1. (U) Summary. The Argentine government recently
hosted the Organization of American States (OAS)
Second Meeting of National Authorities on
Trafficking in Persons (TIP),which included
representatives from governments, international
organizations and civil society organizations. As
head of the U.S. delegation, Ambassador Wayne
delivered the USG national statement, stressing our
commitment to working with regional partners to
fight TIP. Argentina was heavily focused on
addressing demand for commercial sexual exploitation
and advocating for a new OAS regional action plan on
TIP. During the conference, President Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) addressed the OAS
delegates stressing the need for governments and
civil society to work together to fight TIP and
calling on OAS governments to address the demand for
commercial sex by punishing clients. CFK also gave
an award to Argentine TIP activist Susana Trimarco
for her efforts to fight TIP. To raise public
awareness of this important conference, post
succeeded in placing an op-ed in the pro-government,
generally anti-U.S. paper "Pagina 12" praising the
region's leadership in combating TIP while noting
there is much work to be done to dismantle TIP
networks. End Summary.


2. (U) The Organization of American States (OAS)
held its Second Meeting of National Authorities on
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Buenos Aires,
Argentina on March 25-27. The conference, a follow-
up to the 2006 OAS TIP meeting in Venezuela, was co-
hosted by the governments of Argentina and Uruguay
and included representatives from governments,
international organizations and civil society
organizations. Ambassador Wayne led the U.S.
delegation, which included Department officials
G/TIP Carla Menares-Bury and USOAS Dan Cento,
Department of Justice official Hilary Axam, ICE
Attache Stephen Kleppe, and post's TIP coordinator
Heidi Gomez. The Ambassador delivered the USG

national statement which discussed U.S. anti-TIP
efforts and challenges and stressed USG commitment
to working with regional partners to fight TIP.

GOA Outlines Anti-TIP Efforts
--------------


3. (U) Throughout the conference, the GOA gave
several presentations outlining steps taken to
combat TIP since passing anti-TIP legislation in

2008. Argentina's 45-minute national statement
noted the GOA's creation of a First Responder Unit
to coordinate TIP investigations, raids and victim's
assistance; the formation of specialized anti-TIP
units in each of its four law enforcement agencies;
the establishment of a special TIP unit in the
Prosecutor General's office; and the development of
an inter-agency working group to improve
coordination of anti-TIP efforts. The GOA noted the
importance of regional cooperation in fighting
transnational trafficking, and advocated the use of
Ibero-American Prosecutors Network for information
exchange on regional TIP activity. The GOA also
gave a presentation on recent police raids of
brothels that resulted in the arrest of TIP
perpetrators and the rescue of several TIP victims.

CFK: Anti-TIP efforts Must Also Fight Demand
--------------


4. (U) President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,
presented a plaque to TIP activist Susana Trimarco
(2007 TIP Hero and International Woman of Courage
Award Winner - reftel),an Argentine mother of a
trafficked victim who launched an NGO and a campaign
to push for stronger legislation and law enforcement
efforts to fight TIP. CFK subsequently addressed
conference participants on the need for governments
and civil society to work together to combat TIP.

She stressed that fighting TIP is not just a matter
of law enforcement, but a matter of human rights.
She stated that she did not come to address the OAS
conference "out of courtesy," but to raise public
awareness of a problem that has been invisible for a
long time. CFK spoke exclusively on sex
trafficking, and noted that anti-TIP policies should
address the demand side as well by punishing
clients. She urged participants to focus on
developing policies to fight the crime, saying that
"otherwise, it's an academic discussion." She
acknowledged that it will be difficult to "eradicate
human trafficking, but we must continue the fight."
She said each woman and child that is rescued from
traffickers is a victory in the permanent struggle
for human rights. Supporting CFK's message were
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and Justice Minister
Anibal Fernandez, present for nearly the entire
meeting.


5. (U) Throughout the negotiations in Washington of
the conference's outcome document, the Argentine
delegation was very supportive of every U.S.
proposal, even helping us to counter efforts by
other delegations to weaken the document. Among the
outcome document's most significant conclusions were
the call for an OAS work plan on TIP and the
establishment of country indicators to measure the
effectiveness of national anti-TIP efforts.

Ambassador Op-ed Praises OAS Leadership, Notes
Challenges
-------------- -


6. (U) To draw public attention to this important
conference, post placed an op-ed in the GOA-
friendly, leftist paper "Pagina 12," an Embassy
first. The paper is the most ideologically anti-
U.S. paper in the country. The op-ed praised the
region's leadership in fighting TIP and noted where
challenges remain, such as fighting official
corruption and increasing convictions. The op-ed
helped send a very clear signal to the GOA and the
Argentine public on the importance that the USG
places on fighting this scourge.


7. This message was cleared by G/TIP Carla Menares-
Bury and WHA/OAS Dan Cento.

WAYNE