TAJIKISTAN: INL PLEDGE FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000120 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) INL/AAE (BUHLER) JUSTICE (DUCOT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KJUS KCRM PGOV TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: INL PLEDGE FOR ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS PROJECT ¶1. Summary: INL Dushanbe requests INL Washington to pledge $210,000 to the International Organization for Migration to fund an anti-trafficking project. Tajikistan has made progress in bringing its counter-trafficking national legislation in to alignment with international standard. Despite the positive steps undertaken there still are gaps in counter-trafficking practices and knowledge. To address these gaps, INL Dushanbe intends to fund a counter-trafficking project implemented by the International Organization for Migration. End summary. ¶2. The Government of Tajikistan has been making efforts to strengthen its institutional and operational capacities to combat trafficking in persons through the establishment of an inter-ministerial coordination body. Tajikistan has adopted a national program against trafficking. The program includes cooperation with the international community lead by the International Office for Migration for training law enforcement officers, conducting workshops for prosecution and defense lawyers, conferences on counter-trafficking issues, and public awareness raising campaigns through mass media and cultural programs. ¶3. Despite a concerted effort to bring its legislation and regulatory acts into compliance with international standards, Tajikistan does not prosecute and convict a sufficient number of traffickers. To address this INL intends to fund technical assistance to government of Tajikistan on combating trafficking in persons. This project will be implemented by the International Organization for Migration. The project will analyse the current legislation to identify issues related to human trafficking and develop recommendations for additional improvements, add training courses to the curricula of educational institutions for students, police officers, prosecutors, judges, conduct study tours, round tables, and conferences which will advertise the best practices in combating trafficking. ¶6. INL Dushanbe assess that implementation of the project will contribute to Government of Tajikistan's effort to increase the number of prosecutions and convictions in trafficking cases. The project which will improve rule of law is included in Embassy Dushanbe's Mission Performance Plan. The embassy Development Assistance Working Group chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission has approved this project. ¶7. Fiscal data for the project: 1911-781022.0000-00-0689-0689824001-2721-4121 -IN35TJ24 QUAST