PAO GUIDANCE FOR 2009 TIP REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 059732 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM KPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG, SIPDIS SUBJECT: PAO GUIDANCE FOR 2009 TIP REPORT ¶1. (U) The 2009 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report will be released publicly on Tuesday, June 16, at 10:00 AM (EDT) in Washington, DC. Posts in countries that appear in the 2009 TIP Report will receive individual TIP Report rollout cables in the coming days containing: 1) background on the 2009 TIP Report; 2) a short demarche to the host government/authorities containing the final version of the country's or territory's narrative; and 3) country-specific press guidance to be used in taking questions. The demarche containing the final version of the country's or territory's report narrative can be released to the host government or authorities no sooner than 12:00 noon local time June 15 for WHA, AF, EUR, and NEA countries and OOB local time June 16 for SCA and EAP posts. While host governments should be briefed as indicated in the previous sentence, public outreach activities can begin after 10:00 a.m. EDT on June 16, ¶2009. ¶2. (U) The TIP Report fulfills a legal requirement under provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA) that the Department submit an annual report to the U.S. Congress on foreign governments' efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. The public release of the TIP Report also provides an excellent opportunity to fulfill our congressional mandate to increase public awareness of this crime. ¶3. (U) To maximize the impact of the Report, G/TIP will engage members of the news media, Congress, non- governmental organizations (NGOs),and the DC-based diplomatic corps. Posts are also urged to take a proactive role in leveraging the Report as a tool to advance anti-trafficking efforts in their host countries. Local NGOs, journalists, and other audiences often are eager to get involved in the fight against human trafficking, and the TIP Report has capitalized on their participation while highlighting their integral role. ¶4. (U) Outreach ideas for consideration by public affairs officers include: Washington DVCs with journalists in host countries, an Op-Ed placed by Post's Chief of Mission, speeches to university groups, NGO roundtable discussions, and human trafficking documentary screenings. Please share outreach ideas you develop in your host country with your regional PD office and G/TIP so we can provide these ideas to others. 
¶5. (U) Additionally, the 2009 Department of Justice-led Attorney General's Annual Report to Congress and Assessment of the U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in FY08 is expected to be released online at: www.usdoj.gov/olp/human_trafficking.htm. The Assessment offers a comprehensive review of U.S. efforts to combat TIP domestically and abroad. Posts can use the Assessment to demonstrate the USG's strong commitment to combating trafficking and to respond to inquiries about U.S. anti-TIP programs. The Assessment serves as an example of the United States' transparency. It demonstrates that the U.S. does not exempt itself from the anti-trafficking benchmarks it sets for other countries and includes a section on recommendations for USG action. Through the DOJ Assessment and our interagency working groups, we hold ourselves accountable as we hold other governments accountable through the Department of State annual TIP Report. Note: there is also a narrative on U.S. efforts in the TIP Report itself. ¶6. (U) (Embargoed until June 16) Another outreach idea for consideration is the promotion of media stories highlighting the work of the 2009 Heroes in the Fight Against Modern-Day Slavery. The following heroes will be named in the TIP Report: -- George Vanikiotis, Greece -- Elly Anita, Indonesia -- Benjamin Perrin, Canada -- Inacio Sebastiao Mussanhane, Mozambique -- Vera Lesko, Albania -- Mariliana Morales Berros, Costa Rica -- Sunitha Krishnan, India, STATE 00059732 002 OF 003 -- Alice Nah, Malaysia -- Aida Abu Ras, Jordan ¶7. (U) In 2008, with your help, G/TIP held many successful DVCs after the TIP Report release. G/TIP will offer one-hour DVCs with Ambassador Luis CdeBaca to posts again this year, available on a first-come, first- served basis starting June 17. Please contact G/TIP to schedule your DVC. These DVCs generally are used to reach local/regional media to enhance coverage and understanding of the TIP Report and to answer questions about a country's areas of concern and/or improvement in combating TIP locally/regionally. Posts also may invite NGOs and other groups (i.e. government officials) at their discretion. ¶8. (U) G/TIP will provide PAOs with the aforementioned Op-Ed for local media placement upon request. ¶9. (U) For post's convenience, the following media note can be customized as needed for use in host countries: Release of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report June 16, 2008 10:00 a.m. EDT Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to release the ninth annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report on Tuesday, June 16, at 10 a.m. in the State Department's Press Briefing Room (Room 2209). Following Secretary Clinton's opening remarks, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, will respond to press queries. This on-the- record, on-camera briefing is open for press coverage. This 175-country report is the most comprehensive worldwide report on the efforts of governments to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, a modern-day form of slavery. Its findings are intended to raise global awareness and spur countries to take effective actions to counter trafficking in persons. The assessment includes narratives on 173 countries determined to have victims of severe forms of human trafficking and two designated as special cases. The United States estimates that each year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked all over the world. Human trafficking victims can be subjected to labor exploitation or sexual exploitation, or both. These forms of modern-day slavery can happen in an individual's own country, and are often the results of cultural attitudes and traditions as well as economic challenges. This year's Report includes a particular focus on the effects of the global economic crisis on the supply and demand of human trafficking. Modern-day slavery continues to be a problem in nearly every country in the world and traffickers continue to search for new opportunities to exploit men, women, and children. The full text of the Report and photos of human trafficking themes are available on the State Department's Web site, http://www.state.gov/g/tip. Reporters who wish to schedule an interview with the G/TIP Director after the release of the report may contact Acting Senior Coordinator for Public Affairs Abraham Lee at 202-216-5865, or leeay@state.gov. ¶10. (U) As noted in para 1, Posts will receive separate cables from G/TIP with country-specific press guidance. Following are some Q&As that are not country-specific, but may be helpful in answering general questions: ¶Q. Why is the United States telling (country) what to do? ¶A. The crime of human trafficking adversely affects us all, including the United States. It deprives people of their most basic human rights and freedoms; it poses a public health risk; and it is a major source of illicit revenue for organized crime. It is a problem that cannot be ignored by any of us in the world community. To that end, we are proud to partner with other countries to free victims of trafficking wherever possible. ¶Q. Can we have more information on the USG-cited estimates of the number of victims? ¶A. As noted in the 2009 TIP Report, at least 12.3 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world based on research conducted by the International Labor Organization. This includes STATE 00059732 003 OF 003 trafficking within a country's borders and across borders. Labor forms of trafficking are the most prevalent, and 56 percent of all victims are female. ¶Q. Is the U.S. providing money to help fight TIP abroad? ¶A. We are proud to partner with other countries, international organizations, and NGOs to fight human trafficking. In FY08, the U.S. Government spent approximately $76 million to fund 140 projects in about 70 countries to support foreign government and NGO efforts to combat human trafficking. Since FY01, the USG has funded more than $604 million for anti-TIP projects outside the United States. Moreover, U.S. Government efforts to promote the rule of law and economic reforms in many countries help reduce the conditions which facilitate trafficking. ¶Q. What is the U.S. Government doing to combat human trafficking within the United States? A: The United States has a significant human trafficking problem. The centerpiece of U.S. Government efforts to eliminate human trafficking is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). To coordinate a government-wide effort, approximately 10 federal agencies collaborate regularly through the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and its Senior Policy Operating Group. Since the enactment of the TVPA, the Department of Justice has funded the creation of 42 local anti-trafficking task forces in approximately 25 states which work to strengthen U.S. trafficking investigations and prosecutions. They are led by U.S. Attorneys and involve federal, state, and local law enforcement and service providers. The Department of Health and Human Services has certified or issued eligibility letters to 1,696 foreign TIP victims through FY 08 since the passage of the TVPA so that they may receive certain federally-funded or administered benefits. The Department of Homeland Security, which provides Continued Presence and T-Visas (two types of immigration relief exclusively for trafficking victims authorized by the TVPA) issued approximately 2300 T- visas to human trafficking survivors and their immediate family members cumulatively through FY 08. ¶11. (U) Two hard copies and two CDs of the 2009 TIP Report will be sent via pouch to every post. The full text of the TIP Report will be available for downloading from the State Department Web site at www.state.gov/ as soon as possible after the briefing on June 16, and we ask embassies to post the Report on their Web sites in English and the local language. The USINFO Web site will translate the Introduction of the 2009 TIP Report into six languages (Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, Persian, and Chinese) and post on USINFO.state.gov. Additional copies of the 2009 TIP Report will be available after the June 16 release. Please email requests for extra copies and CDs to the G/TIP Outreach team at TIPOutreach@state.gov. ¶12. (U) Thank you for your work in combating the tragedy of modern-day slavery. Your continued support is critical in engaging governments and foreign citizens in this fight against labor and sex trafficking. ¶13. Minimize considered. CLINTON