TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000015 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR G ??? LAURA PENA STATE FOR G/TIP ??? STEPHANIE KRONENBURG STATE FOR WHA/CAR ??? KAREN JO MCISAAC STATE FOR WHA/PPC STATE ALSO FOR INL, DRL, PRM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB KCRM KFRD KMCA KWMN KTIP PGOV PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF, XL SUBJECT: TIP SUBMISSION - ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES REF: STATE 2094; 09 BRIDGETOWN 109; 09 BRIDGETOWN 491 09 BRIDGETOWN 529; 09 BRIDGETOWN 686 ¶1. (U) As requested ref A, below are Post's responses to questions regarding St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. -------------- -------------- PARA 25 - THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) -- A. What is (are) the source(s) of available information on human trafficking? What plans are in place (if any) to undertake further documentation of human trafficking? How reliable are these sources? There are three primary sources for TIP information: the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (GOSVG),which includes the police, Immigration, the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development, the Attorney General's Chambers, and the Director of Public Prosecutions; the press; and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs),most notably the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA). All sources tend to be reliable and forthcoming, including the various government offices to which TIP issues are commonly addressed. Per refs C and D, a G/TIP-contracted consultant is planning to work closely with the GOSVG to draft a comprehensive anti-trafficking law and coordinate the training of police and prosecutors on counter-trafficking measures. Such efforts should enable the GOSVG to increase its documentation of trafficking cases, should any occur. -- B. Is the country a country of origin, transit, and/or destination for men, women, or children subjected to conditions of commercial sexual exploitation, forced or bonded labor, or other slave-like conditions? Are citizens or residents of the country subjected to such trafficking conditions within the country? If so, does this internal trafficking occur in territory outside of the government's control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? From where are people recruited or from where do they migrate prior to being subjected to these exploitative conditions? To what other countries are people trafficked and for what purposes? Provide, where possible, numbers or estimates for each group of trafficked victims. Have there been any changes in the TIP situation since the last TIP Report (e.g. changes in destinations)? St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is a small, multi-island nation with a population of 110,000. Police officials were aware of one possible case (ref E),involving the possible forced labor of minor(s) in cannabis production. Police officials determined that the minor(s) in question purported to be exploited to avoid being charged with drug-related offenses - - a determination we believe is accurate. On October 13, 2009, the Director of Public Prosecutions and police officials contacted the Embassy's Political/Economic Section and LEGATT, respectively and separately, to proactively inform the Embassy of an incident in which a number of women (mainly from the Dominican Republic) had attempted to exit SVG bound for the British Virgin Islands without SVG entry stamps in their passports. That incident, along with a request for assistance in conducting a thorough investigation, was relayed to G/TIP immediately, noting that such cases exemplify the need to move forward with training, technical and other assistance to help SVG deal with potential TIP-related issues. In the end, LEGATT was unable to assist in the case due to the absence of a U.S. connection to either the suspect(s) or the alleged victims; G/TIP provided a toll-free number that cannot be dialed from St. Vincent for victims' assistance to relay to the GOSVG. In the end, the women were deported for violating immigration laws. SVG has the potential to be a country of transit and destination for persons, primarily young women, from the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Venezuela or other countries in the region, due mainly to the multi-island nation's border monitoring deficiencies. There were no reports of trafficking victims within the country's borders during the reporting period. Since being placed on the Tier 2 Watchlist, the GOSVG has worked cooperatively with the Embassy to ensure that the country addresses the perceived weaknesses in its ability to combat trafficking in persons that resulted in its designation on the Tier 2 Watchlist. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves spoke to former Assistant Secretary Shannon and wrote to the Secretary immediately following the release of the last Report, pledging to work with the USG on TIP issues and also requesting assistance from G/TIP on areas of concern to that office. In August, 2009, a G/TIP consultant and Poloff met with GOSVG officials and local NGO representatives in St. Vincent, and found all interlocutors to be receptive on the possibility of receiving USG assistance for, inter alia, police training, legislative drafting and public awareness campaigns (ref D). -- C. To what kind of conditions are the trafficking victims subjected? There were no reports of transnational or internal trafficking during the reporting period. -- D. Vulnerability to TIP: Are certain groups of persons more at risk of human trafficking (e.g. women and children, boys versus girls, certain ethnic groups, refugees, IDPs, etc.)? If so, please specify the type of exploitation for which these groups are most at risk (e.g. girls are more at risk of domestic servitude than boys). Young women are vulnerable to trafficking for prostitution, but there is currently no evidence that they are being trafficked. Children are vulnerable to "transactional sexual abuse," in which the most common victims are teenage girls, with the perpetrators being mostly older men, but also from other teenage boys. A 2009 UNICEF Report, entitled "Perceptions of, Attitudes to and Opinions on Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean," concluded that transactional sex is a social phenomenon that is prevalent throughout the Eastern Caribbean, but did not uncover any cases specifically in SVG. -- E. Traffickers and Their Methods: Who are the traffickers/exploiters? Are they independent business people? Small or family-based crime groups? Large international organized crime syndicates? What methods are used to gain direct access to victims? For example, are the traffickers recruiting victims through lucrative job offers? Are victims sold by their families, or approached by friends of friends? Are victims "self-presenting" (approaching the exploiter without the involvement of a recruiter or transporter)? If recruitment or transportation is involved, what methods are used to recruit or transport victims (e.g., are false documents being used)? Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies or marriage brokers involved with or fronting for traffickers or crime groups to traffic individuals? There were no reports of TIP by the press, government or NGOs. Small business owners or establishments such as bars and/or brothels may offer women employment as prostitutes, however, there is no evidence any women have been trafficked against their will. There is no indication that employment, travel, and tourism agencies, or marriage brokers are involved in TIP. -------------- -------------- -------------- PARA 26 - SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) -- A. Does the government acknowledge that human trafficking is a problem in the country? If not, why not? The GOSVG does not deny that TIP may occur in isolated incidents, but does not acknowledge that TIP is a problem, and there have been no reports of TIP during the reporting period. The government was receptive in August, 2009 to re-evaluate TIP under G/TIP's broader definition and expressed willingness to educate the public sector and the general public about the broader TIP definition, with USG assistance. -- B. Which government agencies are involved in efforts to combat sex and labor trafficking - including forced labor - and, which agency, if any, has the lead in these efforts? The police force and the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development are the two primary government agencies dealing with any TIP issues. The SVG Immigration Department is also in a position to play a key role. The police have the lead in combating TIP as a law enforcement matter, typically as part of routine enforcement measures against prostitution. The other ministries referenced are able to support potential TIP victims with assistance, but did not report any victims of TIP during the reporting period. -- C. What are the limitations on the government's ability to address these problems in practice? For example, is funding for police or other institutions inadequate? Is overall corruption a problem? Does the government lack the resources to aid victims? Nearly every government agency in SVG lacks sufficient funding and staffing resources. The GOSVG has requested assistance from G/TIP to draft new TIP legislation, begin a TIP education program, and improve resources available to potential TIP victims. -- D. To what extent dos the government systematically monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts -- prosecution, victim protection, and prevention) and periodically make available, publicly or privately and directly or through regional/international organizations, its assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts? Through regular reports filed by the police, Immigration and Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development, the government is able to monitor regularly any anti-trafficking efforts taken. Such efforts have previously been made public via local media outlets and conveyed privately, like those relayed to the Embassy directly, as referenced above. -- E. What measures has the government taken to establish the identity of local populations, including birth registration, citizenship, and nationality? SVG has nation-wide registration, including the dissemination of national identification cards, with births universally registered. Citizenship and nationality are also identified via central registration techniques and issuance of citizenship documents such as passports. -- F. To what extent is the government capable of gathering the data required for an in-depth assessment of law enforcement efforts? Where are the gaps? Are there any ways to work around these gaps? Given the GOSVG's budgetary and staffing constraints, in-depth data mining for law enforcement assessments could prove to be, at best, time-consuming. However, SVG has recently secured a US $2.3 million zero-interest World Bank loan to implement an Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) regional e-government integration program that is designed, in part, to expand public administration services by helping to connect regional and national policy, strategy, legislation and related legal and regulatory frameworks. Such a program could, inter alia, help close some of the potential data gathering gaps. The GOSVG also requested assistance from G/TIP in August, 2009 to bridge those gaps. -------------- -------------- -------------- PARA 27 - INVESTIGATION AND PROSCECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) -- A. Existing Laws against TIP: Does the country have a law or laws specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons -- both sexual exploitation and labor? If so, please specifically cite the name of the law(s) and its date of enactment and provide the exact language [actual copies preferable] of the TIP provisions. Please provide a full inventory of trafficking laws, including non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties against alleged trafficking crimes (e.g., civil forfeiture laws and laws against illegal debt). Does the law(s) cover both internal and transnational forms of trafficking? If not, under what other laws can traffickers be prosecuted? For example, are there laws against slavery or the exploitation of prostitution by means of force, fraud, or coercion? Are these other laws being used in trafficking cases? While SVG does not yet have a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, it does use current anti-slavery, forced labor and forced prostitution laws to address potential TIP concerns. SVG also has non-criminal statutes that allow for civil penalties against alleged trafficking crimes, including civil forfeiture laws. While no trafficking cases were reported, such laws could be used in trafficking cases. -- B. Punishment of Sex Trafficking Offenses: What are the prescribed and imposed penalties for the trafficking of persons for commercial sexual exploitation, including for the forced prostitution of adults and the prostitution of children? SVG does not currently have a specific anti-trafficking law, but is planning to draft one with assistance from the USG. Penalties for commercial sexual exploitation, including forced prostitution of adults and the prostitution of children are as follows: Section 130: Causing or encouraging prostitution (or the commission of sexual intercourse or an indecent assault) with a girl under the age of 15 carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. Section 131: Causing prostitution of a woman (re: any person who procures or attempts to procure a woman to become a prostitute in SVG or elsewhere; or to leave her usual place of abode in SVG for purposes of prostitution; or intending her to become an inmate or frequent a brothel) carries a maximum penalty of fourteen years' imprisonment. Section 132: Detention in a brothel (including detaining a woman against her will on any premises with the intention that she shall have unlawful sexual intercourse) carries a maximum penalty of fourteen years' imprisonment. Section 133: A man living on earnings of prostitution can be sentenced to a maximum of fourteen years' imprisonment. Section 134: A woman exercising control over prostitution can be sentenced to a maximum of fourteen years' imprisonment. Similarly, sections 135 (living on earnings of a male prostitute); 136 (keeping a brothel, managing a brothel or assisting in managing a brothel); 137 (letting premises for use as a brothel - whether as an owner, lessor, occupier, person in control, or agent) all carry a penalty of fourteen years' imprisonment. -- C. Punishment of Labor Trafficking Offenses: What are the prescribed and imposed penalties for labor trafficking offenses, including all forms of forced labor? If your country is a source country for labor migrants, do the government's laws provide for criminal punishment -- i.e. jail time -- for labor recruiters who engage in recruitment of workers using knowingly fraudulent or deceptive offers with the purpose of subjecting workers to compelled service in the destination country? If your country is a destination for labor migrants (legal/regular or illegal/irregular),are there laws punishing employers or labor agents who confiscate workers' passports or travel documents for the purpose of labor trafficking, switch contracts without the worker's consent as a means to keep the worker in a state of compelled service, or withhold payment of salaries as means of keeping the worker in a state of compelled service? The SVG Constitution provides in the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms provisions for "protection from slavery and forced labor." Civil suits can be brought to court if any worker believes that his or her rights are being violated, have been violated, or is likely to be violated. There were no reports of TIP for labor exploitation, save for the one case in which the government investigated reports by juveniles who were caught in a police drug raid (ref E). The juveniles claimed they were subjected to forced labor by criminals involved in the production and sale of illegal drugs. Local prosecutors and police could not verify the claims and believe the juveniles fabricated the allegations to escape prosecution for the drug-related offenses, a conclusion the Embassy believes to be credible. -- D. What are the prescribed penalties for rape or forcible sexual assault? (NOTE: This is necessary to evaluate a foreign government's compliance with TVPA Minimum Standard 2, which reads: "For the knowing commission of any act of sex trafficking ... the government of the country should prescribe punishment commensurate with that for grave crimes, such as forcible sexual assault (rape)." END NOTE) The penalty for rape or forcible sexual assault is 10 years to life in prison. -- E. Law Enforcement Statistics: Did the government take legal action against human trafficking offenders during the reporting period? If so, provide numbers of investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences imposed, including details on plea bargains and fines, if relevant and available. Please note the number of convicted trafficking offenders who received suspended sentences and the number who received only a fine as punishment. Please indicate which laws were used to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence traffickers. Also, if possible, please disaggregate numbers of cases by type of TIP (labor vs. commercial sexual exploitation) and victims (children under 18 years of age vs. adults). What were the actual punishments imposed on convicted trafficking offenders? Are they serving the time sentenced? If not, why not? The GOSVG did not prosecute any cases against human trafficking offenders during the reporting period. SVG is not currently a labor destination country, and there were no cases of labor agents confiscating workers' travel documents. -- F. Does the government provide any specialized training for law enforcement and immigration officials on identifying and treating victims of trafficking? Or training on investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes? Specify whether NGOs, international organizations, and/or the USG provide specialized training for host government officials. The GOSVG does not provide specialized training for government officials in how to recognize, investigate, and prosecute instances of trafficking. However, government officials have attended regional counter-trafficking workshops coordinated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). No local NGO provides training to government officials at this time. GOSVG and NGOs remain amenable to further training opportunities, and have requested assistance from G/TIP to provide such training. --G. Does the government cooperate with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases? If possible, provide the number of cooperative international investigations on trafficking during the reporting period. As there were no TIP incidents during the reporting period, there are no such cases currently on record. However, as with the situation described above concerning the discovery of persons attempting to transit SVG without proper documentation, the GOSVG did seek input and information from Embassy entities as well as the governments of the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and the Dominican Republic. -- H. Does the government extradite persons who are charged with trafficking in other countries? If so, please provide the number of traffickers extradited during the reporting period, and the number of trafficking extraditions pending. In particular, please report on any pending or concluded extraditions of trafficking offenders to the United States. The GOSVG has never extradited or charged anyone with TIP-related crimes. However, Immigration officials have confirmed that extradition could be a method used should such a situation arise. -- I. Is there evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level? If so, please explain in detail. No, there is no such evidence of government involvement in or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional level. -- J. If government officials are involved in human trafficking, what steps has the government taken to end such complicity? Please indicate the number of government officials investigated and prosecuted for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related criminal activities during the reporting period. Have any been convicted? What sentence(s) was imposed? Please specify if officials received suspended sentences, or were given a fine, fired, or reassigned to another position within the government as punishment. Please indicate the number of convicted officials that received suspended sentences or received only a fine as punishment. There is no evidence suggesting government officials are involved in TIP, and no government officials have been charged or prosecuted for TIP offenses. -- K. For countries that contribute troops to international peacekeeping efforts, please indicate whether the government vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced nationals of the country deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engaged in or facilitated severe forms of trafficking or who exploited victims of such trafficking. SVG does not generally contribute troops to international peacekeeping efforts. -- L. If the country has an identified problem of child sex tourists coming to the country, what are the countries of origin for sex tourists? How many foreign pedophiles did the government prosecute or deport/extradite to their country of origin? If your host country's nationals are perpetrators of child sex tourism, do the country's child sexual abuse laws have extraterritorial coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act) to allow the prosecution of suspected sex tourists for crimes committed abroad? If so, how many of the country's nationals were prosecuted and/or convicted during the reporting period under the extraterritorial provision(s) for traveling to other countries to engage in child sex tourism? SVG does not have an identified problem of child sex tourists coming to the country. -------------- -------------- PARA 28 - PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) -- A. What kind of protection is the government able under existing law to provide for victims and witnesses? Does it provide these protections in practice? The Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development, particularly its Gender Affairs division, is able to provide assistance to trafficking victims, including counseling and shelter in a battered women's shelter. No TIP victims requested such assistance during the reporting period. -- B. Does the country have victim care facilities (shelters or drop-in centers) which are accessible to trafficking victims? Do foreign victims have the same access to care as domestic trafficking victims? Where are child victims placed (e.g., in shelters, foster care, or juvenile justice detention centers)? Does the country have specialized care for adults in addition to children? Does the country have specialized care for male victims as well as female? Does the country have specialized facilities dedicated to helping victims of trafficking? Are these facilities operated by the government or by NGOs? What is the funding source of these facilities? Please estimate the amount the government spent (in U.S. dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the reporting period. SVG operates a battered women's shelter. The GOSVG has indicated women who are victims of trafficking are welcome, however, there have been no reports of TIP victims using this shelter. A local NGO, Marion House, provides victim care services that could be accessed by trafficking victims. Foreign and domestic victims of trafficking have the same access to these services. Children of women housed in the shelter would be housed with their mothers. Children without parents would usually be placed with relatives, and there is one facility for teenage boys. There is no specialized care for males and females, and there are no facilities dedicated specifically to trafficking victims. -- C. Does the government provide trafficking victims with access to legal, medical and psychological services? If so, please specify the kind of assistance provided. Does the government provide funding or other forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or international organizations for providing these services to trafficking victims? Please explain and provide any funding amounts in U.S. dollar equivalent. If assistance provided was in-kind, please specify exact assistance. Please specify if funding for assistance comes from a federal budget or from regional or local governments. The GOSVG does not provide direct access to legal and psychological services, but would provide medical services to TIP victims through the state-run hospital. The GOSVG does provide some funding and space to the Marion House NGO. -- D. Does the government assist foreign trafficking victims, for example, by providing temporary to permanent residency status, or other relief from deportation? If so, please explain. Assistance is available to TIP victims, in terms of shelter and medical care. These services are available to all victims of crime and are not specific to TIP victims. -- E. Does the government provide longer-term shelter or housing benefits to victims or other resources to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? Not applicable, as there were no reported TIP cases. -- F. Does the government have a referral process to transfer victims detained, arrested or placed in protective custody by law enforcement authorities to institutions that provide short- or long-term care (either government or NGO-run)? Yes, a referral process through the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development is in place. -- G. What is the total number of trafficking victims identified during the reporting period? (If available, please specify the type of exploitation of these victims - e.g. "The government identified X number of trafficking victims during the reporting period, Y or which were victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and Z of which were victims of nonconsensual labor exploitation.) Of these, how many victims were referred to care facilities for assistance by law enforcement authorities during the reporting period? By social services officials? What is the number of victims assisted by government-funded assistance programs and those not funded by the government during the reporting period? There were no reports of TIP victims during the reporting period. -- H. Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and social services personnel have a formal system of proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they come in contact (e.g., foreign persons arrested for prostitution or immigration violations)? For countries with legalized prostitution, does the government have a mechanism for screening for trafficking victims among persons involved in the legal/regulated commercial sex trade? Yes, the GOSVG's law enforcement, immigration, and social services personnel do have proactive systems in place to identify victims of trafficking. These systems function at the air and sea ports as well as internally, through an at-risk identification program ran by the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development. -- I. Are the rights of victims respected? Are trafficking victims detained or jailed? If so, for how long? Are victims fined? Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as those governing immigration or prostitution? As there were no reports of TIP victims, practical references cannot be cited. Given the social welfare mechanisms in place, however, it can be assumed that TIP victims' rights would be respected and honored. -- J. Does the government encourage victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking? How many victims assisted in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers during the reporting period? May victims file civil suits or seek legal action against traffickers? Does anyone impede victim access to such legal redress? If a victim is a material witness in a court case against a former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain other employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings? Are there means by which a victim may obtain restitution? As there were no reports of TIP victims, practical references cannot be cited. -- K. Does the government provide any specialized training for government officials in identifying trafficking victims and in the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the special needs of trafficked children? Does the government provide training on protections and assistance to its embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are destination or transit countries? What is the number of trafficking victims assisted by the host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the reporting period? Please explain the type of assistance provided (travel documents, referrals to assistance, payment for transportation home). The GOSVG does not currently provide specialized TIP training to any of its officials or embassies, apart from the identification techniques employed by its law enforcement, immigration, and social service personnel. The GOSVG has signaled its willingness to take advantage of outside training opportunities that could reinforce its officials' knowledge in the area. There were no reports of TIP victims during the reporting period. In November, GOSVG police and immigration officials participated in USG-sponsored training in St. Kitts and Nevis. GOSVG immigration officials also participated in IOM-sponsored regional training on TIP awareness and prevention techniques around the same time. -- L. Does the government provide assistance, such as medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its nationals who are repatriated as victims of trafficking? The GOSVG does not provide any special services specific to repatriated TIP victims. Rather, if SVG nationals that are also TIP victims are repatriated, there are nominal social services available. -- M. Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work with trafficking victims? What type of services do they provide? What sort of cooperation do they receive from local authorities? While no trafficking victims were identified during the reporting period, the SVGHRA, Marion House, Guadeloupe Home for At-risk Girls and Liberty Lodge Training Center for At-risk Boys are local NGOs that could provide victim assistance. All, apart from the SVGHRA, receive limited assistance from the GOSVG. These organizations, especially Marion House, can provide counseling and shelter to TIP victims. -------------- PARA 29 - PREVENTION -------------- ¶6. (SBU) -- A. Did the government conduct anti-trafficking information or education campaigns during the reporting period? If so, briefly describe the campaign(s),including their objectives and effectiveness. Please provide the number of people reached by such awareness efforts, if available. Do these campaigns target potential trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)? (Note: This can be an especially noteworthy effort where prostitution is legal. End Note.) The GOSVG did not conduct anti-trafficking information or education campaigns during the reporting period, but is amenable to doing so. The Prime Minister made the first-ever address to parliament on TIP issues, following the release of the 2009 Report, and requested USG assistance in establishing a mechanism for educating the public sector and the general public about TIP. -- B. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking? The GOSVG does monitor immigration and emigration patters for evidence of trafficking to the best of its ability. -- C. Is there a mechanism for coordination and communication between various agencies, internal, international, and multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a multi-agency working group or a task force? SVG does not have a multi- or inter-agency task force dedicated solely to trafficking-related matters, but does communicate effectively internally and with other governments on other issues of related importance, including immigration violations, forced labor, forced prostitution and child prostitution. -- D. Does the government have a national plan of action to address trafficking in persons? If the plan was developed during the reporting period, which agencies were involved in developing it? Were NGOs consulted in the process? What steps has the government taken to implement the action plan? There is no current TIP-specific national plan in place. The GOSVG requested assistance from G/TIP in August, 2009 to create such a plan. -- E: Required of all Posts: What measures has the government taken during the reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? (please see ref B, para. 9(3) for examples) The GOSVG undertakes routine action to halt prostitution as part of its regular law enforcement responsibilities. -- F. Required of all Posts: What measures has the government taken during the reporting period to reduce the participation in international child sex tourism by nationals of the country? There is no evidence of participation in international child sex tourism by nationals of SVG. -------------- PARA 30 - PARTNERSHIPS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) -- A. Does the government engage with other governments, civil society, and/or multilateral organizations to focus attention and devote resources to addressing human trafficking? If so, please provide details. The GOSVG does not currently engage with other governments, civil society, and/or multilateral organizations to focus attention and devote resources to address human trafficking specifically. Rather, the GOSVG does approach regional governments and institutions regularly on issue of related importance, including immigration and other law enforcement matters. -- B. What sort of international assistance does the government provide to other countries to address TIP? The GOSVG does not currently provide any international assistance to other countries to address TIP. ¶8. (U) The Embassy point of contact is Poloff Jamal A. Al-Mussawi, who can be reached at Al-MussawiJA@state.gov ; 246-227-4237 (office); 246-227-4174 (fax). The approximate number of hours spent by the FS-03 drafter was 40; FS-01 clearer, 8; and OC approver, 4. GOGGIN