EUR: INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2009 TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 109948

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KTIP KWMN PGOV PHUM SMIG AJ MD UA RS MW LG
SUBJECT: EUR: INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2009 TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT

REF: NONE

1.(U) This is an action cable; action request in paras 5 and

6.

2.(SBU) The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, as amended in
2003, requires the Secretary of State to submit a "Special
Watch List" of countries on the TIP Report that either 1) had
moved up a tier on the TIP Report over the last year or 2)
were ranked on Tier 2 but a) had not shown evidence of
increasing efforts to address severe forms of TIP from the
previous year, b) were placed on Tier 2 because of
commitments to carry out additional future actions over the
coming year, or c) had a significant or significantly
increasing number of victims of severe forms of TIP.

3.(SBU) The "Special Watch List" has been submitted to
Congress, as required, along with the President's
determinations for sanctions of Tier 3 countries. The TVPA,
as amended, now requires the Secretary to submit to Congress
an Interim Assessment on the Special Watch List countries no
later than February 1, 2010.

4.(SBU) The Interim Assessment, which the Department plans to
release on January 5, 2010, will serve as a narrowly-focused
progress report, assessing only a country's key deficiency(s)
highlighted in the June 2009 TIP Report. Measuring progress
or lack of progress in addressing these deficiencies (the
basis for which the country was placed on the Watch List
initially) is the main purpose of the Interim Assessment.
This will not/not serve as a large-scale analysis of
anti-trafficking efforts in the relevant country. Similarly,
it will not describe the trafficking problem in that country
(readers can refer to the 2009 TIP Report for that).
Finally, it will not mention Tiers or allude to progress in
achieving a higher tier or, conversely, forecast a fall to a
lower tier.

5.(U) Action Request for Action Addressees: Please answer
the questions addressed to your Post in para 6 in concise
analytical terms, citing examples of the progress (or lack
thereof) sparingly. Post's submission should not exceed four
or five paragraphs. The final Interim Assessment will
include a narrative of no more than half a page on each
country's progress. Please provide these responses to the
Department via front-channel cable -- slugged for EUR/PGI and
G/TIP -- no later than November 16.


6. (U) Interim Assessment Requirements:


A. FOR EMBASSY BAKU: Please summarize the progress, or lack
thereof, the Government of Azerbaijan has made in: (a)
implementing the national victim referral mechanism adopted
in August 2009 and ensure that identified male, female, and
child victims of both sex and labor trafficking are referred
for assistance; (b) allocating sufficient funding to fully
implement the national trafficking action plan adopted in
February 2009; (c) increasing inter-agency coordination of
anti-trafficking efforts and identify points of contact
within responsible offices as designated in the national
action plan; (d) improving victim assistance and protection
for child victims of trafficking through proactive
identification of trafficking victims among vulnerable
populations -- such as street children -- and increase the
amount of time children are permitted to stay at child
homeless shelters and other facilities; and (e) increasing
efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict government
officials complicit in trafficking and ensure, as
appropriate, that those convicted serve time in prison.
Please report on any other significant developments.


B. FOR EMBASSY CHISINAU: Please summarize the progress the
Government of Moldova has made in: (a) continuing to
investigate and prosecute officials, complicity in
trafficking, and seeking punishment for such officials;
(b)improving data collection on investigations, prosecutions,
convictions, and sentences for trafficking offenders;
(c)increasing anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts; (d)
continuing to disburse resources for victim assistance and
protection; (e) boosting proactive efforts to identify and
protect trafficking victims, including child victims and
victims trafficked within Moldova; and (f) considering
prevention activities specifically targeted at reducing the

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demand for human trafficking in Moldova. Please report on any
other significant developments.


C. FOR EMBASSY KYIV: Please summarize the progress, or lack
thereof, the Government of Ukraine has made in: (a) seeking
sentences for convicted traffickers that require them to
serve appropriate jail time; (b) taking steps to curb
trafficking complicity by government officials; (c)
continuing trafficking-specific training for prosecutors and
judges; (d) increasing funding for victim protection and
assistance; (e) developing formal systems to guide law
enforcement in proactive identification of trafficking
victims and referral of victims to available services; (f)
taking steps to provide specialized protection and assistance
to child trafficking victims; and (g) considering awareness
initiatives targeted at potential clients of the sex trade
and labor trafficking beneficiaries to reduce the demand for
human trafficking. Please report on any other significant
developments.


D. FOR EMBASSY MOSCOW: Please summarize the progress, or
lack thereof, the Government of Russia has made in: (a)
developing a comprehensive national strategy that addresses
all forms of trafficking and provides comprehensive victim
assistance throughout Russia and providing funding from
federal, regional and or municipal budgets to implement this
national strategy; (b) allocating funding to anti-trafficking
NGOs that provide victim assistance and rehabilitative care;
(c)increasing the number of victims identified and assisted;
(e) designating trafficking-specific responsibilities to
relevant government ministries on the national and regional
levels and establishing an official federal coordinating body
with the authority to implement a national strategy; (f)
increasing the number of investigations, prosecutions and
convictions for all types of trafficking offences, including
government officials complicit in trafficking; (g) ensuring
convicted traffickers and convicted complicit officials are
sentenced to some time in prison; (h) creating a central
repository for comprehensive trafficking data; (i) continuing
efforts to raise public awareness of both sex and labor
trafficking; and (j) continuing to take steps to prevent the
use of forced labor in construction projects of the 2014
Winter Olympics. Please report on any other significant
developments.


E. FOR EMBASSY PODGORICA: Please summarize the progress, or
lack thereof, the Government of Montenegro has made in: (a)
vigorously investigating and prosecuting trafficking
offenses, and convicting and sentencing trafficking
offenders, including public officials complicit in
trafficking;(b)ensuring that convicted traffickers receive
adequate punishment; (c) improving tracking of human
trafficking law enforcement data; (d) increasing efforts to
identify victims among vulnerable groups, such as women
arrested for prostitution violations, undocumented migrants,
and child beggars, and refer them to the government shelter
or trafficking NGOs; (e) provide protections for potential
child victims of trafficking; (f) continuing the recently
launched anti-trafficking awareness campaign; and (g)
continuing vigorous efforts to coordinate all
anti-trafficking entities within Montenegro. Please report
on any other significant developments.


F. FOR EMBASSY RIGA: Please summarize the progress, or lack
thereof, the Government of Latvia has made in: (a) providing
government-funded assistance to a greater number of
trafficking victims; (b) increasing efforts to identify
victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, such as
women and girls in prostitution, and refer these victims for
assistance; (c) ensuring law enforcement, border guards and
labor inspectors receive labor trafficking training; (d)
ensuring that a majority of convicted traffickers serve some
time in prison; (e) taking steps to expand available victim
services to areas outside of Riga; (f) working with NGOs to
improve services available to victims of trafficking; and (g)
increasing efforts to raise awareness about both sex and
labor trafficking. Please report on any other significant
developments.
CLINTON