GOA CONSIDERING REGIONAL ANTI-TIP FORUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000074 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE; G/TIP E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2010 TAGS: KTIP PREL PGOV KWMN ECON AL SUBJECT: GOA CONSIDERING REGIONAL ANTI-TIP FORUM Classified By: POLECON CHIEF PAUL POLETES FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a January 30 meeting with Ilir Melo, Chief of the Americas Desk at the MFA, Melo said the GOA is considering initiating a regional platform to address TIP as part of an effort to increase Albania's leadership in the region. Melo said that with Kosovo's independence achieved, the GOA may be r0 4B`F`I`KiNai QaQsbs. Melo said that the Qlan, which he described as still in the very early stages of development and based roughly on a similar Czech idea, would seek to unify anti-TIP efforts in the Balkans. He envisions having a perhaps semi-permanent structure with representatives from each country which would meet on a regular basis to explore ways to cooperate and combat this issue. Melo said that the MFA has been working very closely with the PM's office on this idea. ¶3. (C) Melo did note however that as long as Albania was on the Tier 2 Watch List, it would be difficult for it to lead and/or start regional efforts to combat human trafficking. Melo said that of the Balkan countries, only Montenegro and Albania are on the Watchlist. (Comment: Melo seemed to convey some genuine embarrassment at being on the Tier 2 Watch List, as he noted that Albania does not share many attributes with other countries on the list. End comment.) Melo said that the GOA has made some large strides over the past year in addressing TIP and recalled how after Albania was placed on the Tier 2 Watch List, the MFA wrote a "strong" letter to the MOI telling it to cooperate fully with the Embassy on this issue. He asked several times if there is any early indication of whether or not Albania would move to Tier ¶2. ¶4. (C) Melo also added that, starting with this regional anti-TIP platform, the GOA may begin to try and play a more prominent role in the Balkans. He noted Albania's moderating influence regarding Kosovo and said that since Kosovo's independence has been achieved, Albania may be ready to look at other regional issues. He also suggested that the GOA may become more active at the UN, offering resolutions and trying to do more. ¶5. (C) Finally, Melo commented on the release last week of the report by the USAID funded project, Coordinated Action Against Human Trafficking (CAAHT),entitled "The State of Anti-Trafficking Efforts in Albania." Melo said he was surprised at the report's finding that most of the victims are high school graduates. He went on to stress the importance of government cooperation with the NGO community, adding that the anti-trafficking NGOs are not only helping battle trafficking, but are also helping citizens to better understand the concept of civil society. ¶6. (C) Comment: A regional forum to combat TIP could be useful, but would take some time to create and implement; and the GOA has already tried its hand with a similar center in Vlore that died a quiet death in 2007. The Vlore anti-trafficking center had police officers from neighboring countries who were to gather and share information, but a lack of funding and leadership from the GOA caused it to close after several years of lackluster operations. Clearly Melo was suggesting launching the regional anti-TIP platform in order to help bolster the GOA case to be moved off the Tier 2 Watch List, but perhaps now the GOA would take such a center more seriously. Albania has taken many positive steps since being placed on the Tier 2 Watch List last year, as Melo rightly pointed out. For example, it has trained hundreds of officials, published and implemented parts of the National Action Plan, revitalized the National Referral Mechanism, and utilized the national database to track information on trafficking cases. WITHERS