2009 Trafficking in Persons Project Assessment - CRS Guyana

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000636 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH G/TIP - MARISSA FERRI/AMY ROFMAN G INL DRL PRM WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN GY SUBJECT: 2009 Trafficking in Persons Project Assessment - CRS Guyana REF: 09 STATE 112732 ¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of information requested in reftel for the Guyana Trafficking in Persons Mitigation Project. ¶2. (SBU) Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Project Assessment: ¶A. PolChief met with Director of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Cheryl Morgan December 16 to monitor CRS performance in implementing the Guyana Trafficking in Persons Mitigation Project. ¶B. CRS activities since May, 2009 include hiring a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Project Manager in October and signing sub-agreements with the Guyana Partnership for Human Rights and Jesuits of Guyana in November. CRS Director Morgan also met with the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security Trevor Thomas on October 6 to discuss project implementation. Permanent Secretary Thomas is aware of CRS project goals and offered his support in the areas of vocational training, victim assistance and prevention. CRS Director said that once project implementation begins, she plans to have regularly scheduled meetings with the Permanent Secretary to monitor progress. In addition, she said CRS is discussing with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security a plan to hold a TIP training session early 2010. ¶C. CRS faced a five-month delay in hiring a TIP project manager and six-month delay in obtaining signed sub-agreements with the Guyana Partnership for Human Rights and Jesuits of Guyana. In addition, one of the original partner organizations, the Guyana Red Cross, has not committed to participate. Director Morgan said she believes the Red Cross is shifting its position with regards to working on the project to avoid any backlash from the Government of Guyana (GoG). She plans to hold another meeting with the Director of the Guyana Red Cross to discuss the matter. ¶D. CRS is operating in an environment in which there are very few TIP cases identified. GoG negative reactions to the 2009 G/TIP Report and its Tier 2 Watch list ranking also impacts CRS's ability to work with partner organizations. Director Morgan said that potential partners such as victim's assistance NGO Help and Shelter, for example, which has close ties to the GoG, avoids participation in the CRS project to maintain positive political relations with the GoG. ¶E. With a staff of only two people working on TIP issues, CRS does not have the resources to devote full-time for project implementation. Director Morgan said CRS spends most of its resources on HIV/AIDS programs and roughly five to ten percent of its time on TIP. Gaining the support of both partner organizations and the GoG to assist is therefore crucial for effective project implementation. CRS has adequately addressed these human resource challenges by hiring staff, signing sub-agreements with partner organizations and eliciting support from the GoG. CRS is also prepared to begin project implementation by February 2010 even if a sub-agreement is not signed with the Guyana Red Cross. Post believes funding and personnel management systems in place are adequate and CRS headquarters does exercise adequate oversight. CRS does not have any field offices. GEORGETOWN 00000636 002 OF 002 ¶F. Post has no recommendations for appropriate G/TIP follow-up action at this time. ¶G. CRS and MOHSS understand that G/TIP places a premium on identifying TIP cases and punishing traffickers. Project implementation aims to address these key deficiencies cited in the country narrative of the TIP Report through increased training and public awareness campaigns. ¶H. Post believes additional funding for the CRS project should wait until project implementation occurs. Gaining the necessary resources including full-time TIP staff took time. Now that CRS has more staff and signed partner agreements, prospects for project implementation improve. Post will continue to engage with CRS to monitor progress. WILLIAMS