Uzbekistan: State-run Shelter for TIP Victims Nears

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000226 SIPDIS G/TIP FOR MEGAN HALL, SCA/RA FOR JESSICA MAZZONE, INL FOR ANDREW BUHLER AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO USOFFICE ALMATY AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PASS TO AMCONSUL HYDERABAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-02-27 TAGS: PGOV KTIP PHUM PREL KWMN SOCI UZ SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: State-run Shelter for TIP Victims Nears Completion REF: a) 08 TASHKENT 1304 CLASSIFIED BY: Timothy P Buckley, Second Secretary; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Officials from the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Justice told poloff in separate meetings on February 11 that, pursuant to President Karimov's decree in November and the country's new anti-TIP law, the first state-run shelter for TIP victims is nearing completion and will officially open its doors this spring. The 30-bed facility will accommodate men, women, and minors in separate spaces and include support and rehabilitation programs. Nodira Karimova, Director of the premier anti-TIP NGO Istiqbolli Avlod, was impressed by the bricks and mortar renovations but predicted growing pains when the shelter opens its doors. The shelter will be the cornerstone of government efforts to provide direct assistance to trafficking victims and demonstrate its commitment to implementing its 2008 legislation; however, the government lacks expertise and experience in supporting victims and the two USAID-supported shelters are expected to continue to have an important role in assisting TIP victims. End summary. Capital Renovations Complete -------------- ¶2. (U) In official meetings on February 11 to discuss trafficking in persons issues, Abdugafur Sattarov, the Deputy Head of the recently created Department for Human Rights Protection within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, eagerly reported to poloff that Uzbekistan will soon open its first state-run shelter for TIP victims in the Chilonzor District of Tashkent. Sattarov noted that the Republican Inter-Agency Commission on TIP, in one of its first efforts since being established pursuant to legislation adopted last year, coordinated the development of the shelter. Capital construction began in earnest after President Karimov's November resolution (reftel),with input from the interagency commission, formally tasked the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to open the shelter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided information under cover of a diplomatic note on February 13 that the Uzbek Government has spent USD 176,000 to date renovating the shelter space. A total of 20 staff will administer to male, female, and minor victims in separate spaces within the facility. In a February 11 meeting, Ministry of Justice officials highlighted the joint behind-the-scenes effort by numerous ministries in a short period to set up the shelter and clarified that it is considered a structural division of the Ministry of Labor. Growing Pains Expected -------------- ¶3. (C) On February 11 poloff met with Nodira Karimova (please protect),the Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-affiliated NGO Istiqbolli Avlod, to discuss the new state-run shelter, which will be the first of its kind in Central Asia. Government officials recently invited Karimova for a tour of the shelter facility, which will be in a large renovated former government office building. She was impressed by the bricks and mortar renovation project and how quickly it was implemented; however, she expressed concern that there may have been too much focus on creating a shiny veneer at the expense of carefully thinking through the service delivery or long-term maintenance needs. (Note: Nonetheless, it is significant that the government invited a noted anti-TIP NGO expert for an advance tour. End note.) She conceded that it is natural to expect some growing pains since the government has no expertise or experience in providing direct assistance to TIP victims. She is concerned that the 20 staff are not well-suited for the work of properly rehabilitating victims, and she was told a significant number of the staff will be trained nurses. "This is not a hospital," Karimova said, and emphasized that after repatriation victims need a multifaceted package of medical, psychological, and vocational assistance. Continuing Role for NGOs -------------- ¶4. (U) Karimova currently runs the only shelter for TIP victims (with funding support from USAID) in Tashkent, which is just down the street from where the new state-run facility will open up; yet she is not worried about competing with the government. She believes there will still be a clientele, especially among women who are sexually exploited overseas, that will need her services. Karimova also noted that there is still a need for additional shelter space and she welcomes the government's efforts to expand services to its citizens. Plus, the state-run facility will be the first to provide assistance to the increasing numbers of male labor trafficking victims that currently have nowhere to turn to. Other Shelters Needed -------------- ¶5. (U) Sattarov told poloff that the Tashkent shelter is just the beginning, as the government will subsequently turn its attention to establishing additional shelters in other parts of the country. Karimova, whose organization also administers a smaller USAID-supported shelter in Bukhara, and other NGO workers have long noted the acute need for TIP shelters beyond the capital city, especially in the far northwest province of Karakalpakstan and the populous Ferghana Valley. Sattarov confirmed that the Republican Inter-Agency Commission on TIP will also coordinate funding and logistical arrangements on future projects. Karimova expressed hope that the government would take advantage of the opportunity to look at lessons learned from the first experience in Tashkent before embarking on subsequent projects. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) The Government of Uzbekistan is keenly aware of criticism that it has not done enough to assist TIP victims, which was its primary motivation for promising state funding for victim assistance on the 2008 legislation. The shelter will be its marquee effort to follow through on this commitment. Uzbekistan enthusiastically took other major strides in the fight against TIP in the past year -- the legislation, criminal code amendments, adopting the UN TIP protocol, vigorous public awareness efforts, and the adoption of a national action plan -- but providing direct assistance to victims or supporting shelters was still noticeably absent. We share Karimova's concern that, in the government's haste to put a shelter on the scoreboard, the facility may not run smoothly or effectively at first, and we also urge continued U.S. Government support for the two existing shelters for the foreseeable future. Yet the shelter will be another important milestone and a welcome addition to the landscape. NORLAND To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_layouts/OSS SearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:949e458f-e385- 4a81-a40d-9e9369a3c086