GOA HAS REGAINED MOMENTUM ON TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000790

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE; G/TIP; DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2019
TAGS: PGOV KWMN KTIP SOCI SMIG PREL ELAB AL
SUBJECT: GOA HAS REGAINED MOMENTUM ON TIP

REF: TIRANA 723

Classified By: DCM DEBORAH JONES FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: In two recent meetings with Ministry of
Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA)officials, the GOA seems to have regained its momentum
on anti-trafficking efforts. Both ministries outlined new
initiatives and ideas and the MOI provided a report
demonstrating that the TIP database is now fully populated, a
significant improvement over the situation described in
reftel. A drawn out electoral campaign monopolized many
months of 2009, but the GOA now seems to moving in the right
direction with respect to TIP. End summary.


2. (SBU) During a 30 minute meeting with Minister of Interior
Lulzim Basha and Deputy Minister of Interior and National
Anti Trafficking Coordinator Iva Zajmi on December 8, Basha
outlined several anti-trafficking initiatives currently
underway by the GOA and other long term plans. The meeting,
requested by the Ministry of Interior (MOI),was positive
with Basha directly asking what the GOA needs to accomplish
in TIP programs. In response to statements by DCM and
PolOff, Basha made phone calls to assess the status of
funding for NGO shelters and ordered Zajmi to carry out tasks
to accomplish these goals. Among these tasks is having the
MOI sit down with the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office later
this month to explore ways for the MOI to assist the PG.
Basha also suggested that the PG should appoint one
prosecutor to "manage or oversee" all TIP cases, something
that is not done currently and would be a very positive
development if seen through. Harkening back to PM Sali
Berisha's 2008 pledge that the GOA would provide financial
assistance to NGO shelters, Basha dialed directly an official
in the parliament to find out how much has been allocated for
this purpose. While the initial answer was vague, Basha said
that he will continue to push this matter as this is one of
the PM's priorities. Zajmi chimed in at this point to say
that direct GOA assistance to NGOs can be difficult to manage
due to legal provisions.


3. (SBU) Basha also said the GOA will hold an interagency
meeting on TIP on December 21 to review the GOA's priorities.
Significantly, he also said his Ministry will begin to crack
down on child begging by investigating and arresting parents
of child beggars. According to Basha, trafficking children
for begging seems to be increasing more than trafficking for
prostitution and he indicated that internal trafficking is
more prevalent than external. (Note/Comment: Many NGO
observers also believe internal trafficking to be on the
rise. End note/comment.) Also noteworthy is that, in
contrast to reftel, data from 2009 TIP cases has finally been
entered in the anti-trafficking database, "now that the
Ministry of Labor has gone to work," as Basha put it.


4. (SBU) Not to be outdone by the Ministry of Interior, Ilir
Melo, Chief of the Americas Desk at the MFA, told Poloff last
week that the GOA plans to host a regional Ministerial level
conference on trafficking next March. Melo envisions an
expert level discussion the first day and then a Ministerial
gathering the second day in order to discuss a regional
approach to the problem. He also said that he would like to
see some sort of declaration come out of the conference as
well and added that he believes such a declaration is
possible. Finally, he asked if the USG would be willing to
provide any assistance for the conference.


5. (C) Comment: The GOA seems to have regained much of the
momentum it had up until the start of the electoral campaign
in April/May. The electoral campaign and its long aftermath
of appeals and government formation slowed down nearly every
issue, but the new government is now working and moving
forward on some issues. Deputy Minister of Interior Zajmi is
also back at work, giving a much needed leadership boost to
her office, which was rudderless for much of the summer and
fall. While working level cooperation did continue
throughout the electoral campaign, strategic policy and
direction was lacking. We are heartened by Basha's pledges
and he does have a very clear understanding of the importance
of this issue from his time as Foreign Minister. The MFA's
willingness to engage on this issue is also positive and
represents a change from the past in which it rarely got
involved in TIP activities. The GOA seems to be back on
track, at least with respect to TIP.
WITHERS