SECRETARY CLINTON'S REPLY TO ST. VINCENT AND THE

UNCLAS STATE 067946 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP OPDC PREL SV SUBJECT: SECRETARY CLINTON'S REPLY TO ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES PRIME MINISTER RALPH E. GONSALVES, S/ES 200911623, REV. 1) ¶1. PLEASE DELIVER THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY CLINTON TO PRIME MINISTER GONSALVES. THERE WILL BE NO SIGNED ORIGINAL. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT: Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Thank you for your thoughts regarding the Department's ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report. I am writing to address your concerns about the Report's assessment of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Report strives to be as objective and fair as possible, and we take seriously our responsibility to use the Report as an accurate diagnostic tool for future partnerships. As a phenomenon that often occurs hidden behind organized crime activities, labor migration, or child sexual exploitation, human trafficking is often difficult to measure with precision. We continue to grapple with the challenges of estimating the trafficking problem here in the United States and identifying and caring for all victims of trafficking. We lend our support to all nations who will join us in proactively seeking out instances of human trafficking. I understand that Ambassador at Large for Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca recently met with Ambassador La Celia Prince to provide information about the annual Report process. I have asked Ambassador CdeBaca to work with your government in a spirit of partnership and to assist with the tools most appropriate to the situation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. As I stated during the release of this Report on June 16, the Report is not intended as an indictment of the past, but rather a guide for future progress. Please be assured of my sincere commitment to working with your government and others to combat the serious human trafficking that is seen around the world. Sincerely yours, Hillary Rodham Clinton END TEXT. CLINTON