BENIN SUBMISSION FOR 2010 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

UNCLAS COTONOU 000080 SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION DEPT FOR AF/W, G/TIP, G-LAURA PENA INL, DRL, PRM, AF/RSA DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF ELAB SMIG KTIP KCRM KFRD KWMN BN SUBJECT: BENIN SUBMISSION FOR 2010 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT REF: STATE 2094 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Government of Benin (GOB) continued to make steady progress towards combating child trafficking. The GOB provided to Post prosecution statistics for 2009 demonstrating good will to crack down on child trafficking. ¶2. (SBU) The National Child Protection Coordination and Monitoring Working Group (CNSCPE) established branches in the 12 provinces of Benin to engage local authorities in the fight against child trafficking and to better coordinate stakeholders' efforts at the community level. The CNSCPE continued to hold its quarterly sessions and to share information among stakeholders through its website. The GOB, with the support of UNICEF, strengthened its community referral mechanisms by setting up Local Committees to Combat Child Trafficking in three additional communes where the trafficking situation is serious. 3.(SBU) On October 19, 2009, the government of Benin passed the three enabling decrees ("decrets d'application") which create administrative procedures for the travel of children domestically and internationally under Act No. 2006-04 relating to the Transportation of Minors and the Suppression of Child Trafficking in the Republic of Benin. The promulgation of these three decrees enables law enforcement agents to fully regulate the movement of minors in and out of Benin. ¶4. (SBU) The GOB maintained efforts to rescue and repatriate trafficking victims from other African countries and continued to provide protection and assistance to them. It also embarked in outreach campaigns to educate the population on trafficking and strengthened its regional cooperation through experience sharing and participation in international fora on human trafficking. ¶5. (U) Embassy Cotonou's TIP POC is Christina Day, Political/Economic Officer, (229) 21-30-06-50, (229) 21-30-06-70 (fax). The approximate number of hours spent on this report was the following: Political Assistant - 16 hours Political Officer - 2 hours Principal Officers - 5 hours ¶6. (U) The points below correspond to the numbering/lettering in reftel. -------------- ¶7. BENIN'S TIP SITUATION (Reftel Para 25) -------------- ¶A. Information on trafficking in persons is provided through the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity; the Minors Protection Brigade (BPM) under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior and Public Security; and the Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights. The UNICEF sponsored National Policy and Strategy for Child Protection and National Survey on Child Trafficking, the 2008-2012 National Plan to Combat Child Trafficking and Labor and the 2008 National Survey on Child Labor in Benin sponsored by the International Labor Organization's International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor also provide reliable information on child trafficking. The CNSCPE's website (www.cnscpe.net) offers information regarding child protection. National and International NGOs including Terre des Hommes, The Salesian Sisters, Enfants solidaires d'Afrique et du Monde (ESAM),UNICEF, ILO's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC) are also good sources of information on trafficking. ¶B. (SBU) Benin is a country of origin and transit for trafficked children. Although previously categorized as a destination country for trafficked children, recent information from government and non-governmental sources indicates that the total number of foreign children trafficked to Benin does not appear to be significant. According to a draft 2005 ILO study (unpublished),90 percent of Beninese children who are trafficked are trafficked internally. Of the children trafficked externally, the majority go to Nigeria (60 percent) with another contingent 20 percent going to Gabon. The existing statistics on the extent of the trafficking problem are approximate, since findings of surveys conducted so far are partial or focus on a particular region of the country. However, according to the UNICEF sponsored National Survey on Child Trafficking published by the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity in 2007, the number of trafficked children aged 6-17 living in Benin during April-September 2006 was 40,317, representing 2 percent of the population of Beninese children of that age range. Ninety-two percent are victims of internal trafficking. Eighty-six percent of internal trafficking victims are girls. Ninety-three percent Beninese children are victims of internal trafficking. Victims of domestic labor exploitation account for 43 percent. Victims came from poor families, and the majority of them did not receive formal education or were school dropouts. They were mostly trafficked for domestic labor, vending, farming, and handicraft activities. According to the same survey, the following four main routes have been identified for child trafficking: Benin-Nigeria-Cameroon-Gabon; Benin-Nigeria-Gabon; Togo-Benin-Nigeria-Gabon; and Benin-Niger-Libya. Children are also trafficked to Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Congo and Guinea Bissau. Children were largely trafficked for labor (girls often to work as domestics in homes). Children ages 6-17 were trafficked, though more than 40 percent of trafficked children were over the age of ¶15. Internal trafficking largely brings children from rural areas to the urban south of Benin. According to a study conducted in July 2006 by Plan Benin, an international American NGO operating in Benin, the first destination for internally trafficked children is Cotonou, the administrative capital city of Benin (53,3 percent) followed by Parakou (11 percent) and Porto-Novo (8,7 percent). The majority of externally trafficked children go to Nigeria (60,8 percent),followed by Cote d'Ivoire (20 percent) and Gabon (4,4 percent). ¶C. (SBU) Child trafficking in Benin is driven by economic conditions, often with the traditional system of "vidomegon." Traditionally, vidomegon children are sent to live with richer relatives, usually in urban areas, to provide them with better opportunities (work, school, training, or more food). This practice has led to labor exploitation and the vulnerability of young girls to increased sexual exploitation. Parents who allow their children to be trafficked often believe it is an economic necessity or will provide a better life for their children. The employers of trafficking victims include farmers, traders, handicraftsmen, owners of small industries, and civil servants. Child trafficking is also driven by polygamy, illiteracy, forced marriage, non registration of birth, corruption, and HIV/AIDS. Children who are trafficked internationally are often transported by car or boat. ¶D. (SBU) According to the 2007 UNICEF-sponsored National Survey on Child Trafficking, most internal trafficking victims are girls (89. 7 percent). Transnational trafficking involves 48 percent of girls and 52 percent of boys. Children living in the northern regions of Benin are more vulnerable to trafficking. ¶E. (SBU) Traffickers are often members of the community and/or relatives who live in that community where trafficking occurs. They may also be formerly trafficked children who have returned to their village and find work by trafficking other children. Traffickers may also belong to networks or well-organized groups. Trafficked children generally come from poor rural areas and are promised educational opportunities or other incentives. -------------- -------------- ¶8. THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS (Reftel Para 26) -------------- -------------- ¶A. (SBU) The government acknowledges that child trafficking is a problem in Benin. ¶B. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity is the lead agency for anti-trafficking efforts. The Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights and the Ministry of Interior and Public Security are also very involved. Other concerned ministries are the Ministry of Labor and Civil Service and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophonie and the Beninese Diaspora handles transnational trafficking cases. ¶C. (SBU) Resource limitations remain a major obstacle for the government to address the problem of trafficking. Police officers and community leaders regularly complain they lack funds to buy essential resources, such as vehicle fuel, needed to investigate trafficking cases. Benin has only eight courts of first instance, where trafficking cases are heard, and the courts struggle to complete their yearly caseload. This leads to extensive pre-trial detention in many cases and a lack of manpower to conduct thorough investigations. The Minors Protection Brigade, a specialized unit in the Ministry of the Interior that deals with children's issues, is a dynamic but small and under-funded unit. Resource limitations also prevent the government from taking a larger role in helping victims, though the government does have a referral system in place to ensure care for victims of trafficking by NGOs. ¶D. (SBU) The government established the National Child Protection and Monitoring Working Group (CNSCPE) in 2006 to monitor its anti-trafficking efforts. The government tasked the National Commission for Children's Rights and the National Commission for Human Rights, both part of the Ministry of Justice, with assessing anti-trafficking activities. In March 2008, the Government of Benin presented a comprehensive report on the activities it carried out to fight human trafficking in the framework of the ECOWAS Action Plan. The Ministry of Justice periodically collects child trafficking statistics and delivers them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Benin Press Agency for circulation. The Minors Protection Brigade (BPM) has a new child trafficking database called "Enfants du Benin" (Benin's Children) that will help tracking and processing child trafficking cases. The BPM's data base is functional though further training of BPM's personnel is required before it can be used fully. The Observatoire de la Famille et de l'Enfant or OFFE (The Family and Child Monitoring Office) at the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity also maintains a database on child trafficking. In 2008, the EU Cooperation and Technical Assistance Bureau (BCAT) assisted the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity to create a website for the CNSCPE to centralize and disseminate comprehensive information on child protection. The CNSCPE issues a quarterly newsletter to provide stakeholders with information on activities that it carries out to advance child protection and welfare. ¶E. Since 2007, the GOB has engaged in a countrywide effort to register births and issue birth certificates to all citizens, through the RAVEC or Recencement Administratif ???? Vocation Etat Civil (Administrative Census for Public Records). ¶F. With the exception of the BPM, police stations do not maintain data bases on child trafficking. Judicial personnel continue to record cases on paper, making compilation of prosecution data uncertain. -------------- -------------- ¶9. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS (Reftel Para 27) -------------- -------------- ¶A. (SBU) On April 5, 2006, on his first day in office, President Yayi signed into law Act No. 2006-04 relating to the Transportation of Minors and the Suppression of Child Trafficking in the Republic of Benin. The law contains a comprehensive definition of trafficking ("traite") and applies to children trafficked both internally and externally. It enumerates several types of prohibited exploitation including slavery, debt servitude, forced or obligatory labor, use of children in armed conflict, for organ donation, for prostitution, in pornography, for illegal activities, and for any work that is harmful to a child's safety, health, or well-being. It punishes traffickers and accomplices. The law reinforces an existing law stipulating that all children must have an identity document to enter Benin and specific written authorization to exit Benin if not accompanied by their parents. The law can punish transportation providers for not verifying for this documentation. On October 19, 2009, the government of Benin passed the three enabling decrees ("decrets d'application") which provide for the administrative procedures for the travel of children domestically and internationally under Act No. 2006-04 relating to the Transportation of Minors and the Suppression of Child Trafficking in the Republic of Benin. Parents who willingly transport their children for trafficking and/or give them to traffickers or aid traffickers somehow may receive a term of imprisonment of three months to five years. Anyone transporting a child within the country without appropriate documentation can be punished with six to eighteen months imprisonment and a 50,000 - 300,000 FCFA fine (USD 100 - 600). Illegally transporting a child outside Benin is punishable by one to three years imprisonment and a 500,000 - 1,500,000 FCFA fine (USD 1,000 - 3,000). Trafficking is punishable by ten to fifteen years imprisonment. Punishment increases to ten to twenty years if the trafficking is aggravated by fraud, abuse, violence, rape or other aggression, or if the child cannot be found before court's decision. If a trafficked child dies, the trafficker can receive life in prison. The law also punishes employers who are aware their employee is trafficked with three months to a year in prison and/or a FCFA 200,000 - 1,000,000 fine (USD 400 - 2,000). Attempted trafficking carries the same punishment as trafficking. Subsequent offenses will double the applicable punishment, and accomplices are subject to the same penalties as traffickers. The child trafficking law does not cover adults who are trafficked, but there are existing laws against kidnapping that provide protection to adults. Other laws that cover child trafficking include the December 11, 1990 Constitution of the Republic of Benin; the Penal Code; Act No 98-004 on Labor in the Republic of Benin; Act No 2003-04 of April 3, 2003 on Sexual and Reproductive Health; Act No 2003-03 of March 2003 on the repression of Female Genital Mutilation; Act 2002-07 of June 14 on the Code of Persons and Family; Act 2006-19 of September 5, 2006 related to the repression of Sexual Harassment and the Protection of Victims in the Republic of Benin. ¶B. (SBU) Penalties for those who traffic children for sexual exploitation include ten to twenty years imprisonment. Additionally, individuals involved in child prostitution, including those who facilitate and solicit it, face imprisonment of two to five years and fines of 2000 USD to 20,000 USD (1,000,000 to 10,000,000 FCFA). Under the penal code those who facilitate adult prostitution and individuals who profit financially from adult prostitution, including traffickers and brothel owners, face penalties including imprisonment of six months to two years and fines of 800 USD to 8,000 USD (400,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA) depending on the severity of the offence. ¶C. (SBU) Penalties for labor exploitation, the predominant reason for child trafficking in Benin, depend on aggravating factors. Exploiting children for labor can be prosecuted under different statues in Benin including the Constitution, the Family and Persons Code, the Penal Code, the Labor Code, the General Collective Convention on Labor, the Social Code, case law, and a wide range of other legislation and government decrees. In addition to the penalties for child trafficking, those who engage in labor exploitation of adults and children may be prosecuted under the Labor Code. The penalties for violations of the labor code include imprisonment of two months to one year and/or fines of 280 USD to 700 USD (140,000 to 350,000 FCFA). ¶D. (SBU) The penalty for rape is 1 - 5 years' incarceration, though the penalties can increase depending upon the age of the victim (the most severe penalties for children under the age of 13) and the extent of the assault. Many recent rape cases have received up to twenty years in prison, depending on the circumstances. ¶E. (SBU) During 2009, the BPM handled a total of 58 child trafficking cases (child trafficking and illegal movement of minors out of Benin without parental authorization). The BPM brought to the court of Cotonou 17 perpetrators. [NOTE: These numbers do not include those made by other branches of the Beninese police force. Comprehensive arrest figures are not available. END NOTE]. On April 7, 2009 in Porga, a village on the border with Burkina Faso, gendarmes arrested a ring of traffickers who attempted to cross the Benin-Burkina Faso border with five children destined for Cote d'Ivoire. The gendarmes brought the traffickers to the Court of Natitingou. The Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights reported that during the year the country's eight courts handled a total of 200 child trafficking cases and related offenses including child abduction, corruption of minors (incitation de mineurs ???? la debauche),and ill-treatment. 155 cases are pending, 5 cases have been dismissed and 40 cases resulted in convictions. ¶F. (SBU) In 2009 the GOB did not provide a specialized training for government officials on how to recognize, investigate and prosecute instances of trafficking. However, senior police officers are taught child trafficking issues as part of their training in the police academy. ¶G. (SBU) The government cooperates with other governments on trafficking investigations and prosecutions. On June 9, 2005, Benin and Nigeria signed a Cooperation Agreement on the Prevention, Repression and Elimination of Trafficking in Persons (in particular women and children). The Joint Nigeria-Benin Committee to Combat Child Trafficking meets twice a year. In November 2008 the committee drafted a 2008-2009 Joint Action Plan on country response to trafficking in persons, particularly in Women and Children (sic),including a joint special plan of action to stop trafficking of children from Zakpota, Benin, to quarries in Abeokuta, Nigeria. According to Terre des Hommes, a Swiss NGO that takes the lead in the repatriation and shelter of Beninese victims from Abeokuta's quarries in Nigeria, the Beninese Ministry of Family, the BPM in conjunction with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Offences (NAPTIP) and the Beninese consulate in Nigeria repatriated 20 trafficked victims from August to December, 2009. Representatives from Benin and Nigeria's ministries of family and Interior along with UNICEF officials met in Zakpota, October 27 - 29, 2009 to evaluate progress in implementing the joint Benin-Nigeria action plan. ¶H. (SBU) Anecdotal evidence indicates that traffickers (for example, from Nigeria) intercepted at the border are handed over to the other country's authorities without a formal extradition process. However, under the June 2005 Benin - Nigeria cooperation agreement on child trafficking, a trafficker may either be prosecuted in the country where he/she is arrested or extradited to his/her country of origin. ¶I. (SBU) There is no evidence of government involvement in trafficking, and tolerance among government officials for trafficking is being reduced. Many government officials were themselves vidomegon children, and are resistant to the idea that vidomegon is improper. An increasing number of local officials are becoming aware of the problems and hardships associated with trafficking and are differentiating the traditional practice of "vidomegon" from the crime of child trafficking. ¶J. (SBU) No reports on arrests or prosecutions of government officials for trafficking in persons crimes have been made. ¶K. (SBU) No accusations have been made that Beninese troops participating in international peacekeeping missions engaged in trafficking while deployed abroad. ¶L. (SBU) Benin has no identified problem of child sex tourists coming to the country. However, there are reports that tourists visiting the Pendjari National Park in northern Benin employ underage prostitutes. -------------- -------------- ¶10. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS (Reftel Para 28) -------------- -------------- ¶A. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity, Ministry of Interior (Minors Protection Brigade),Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various international donors and NGOs have developed a system to assist, repatriate, and reintegrate victims of child trafficking. The Minors Protection Brigade (BPM) generally takes initial custody of trafficked children who are already inside Benin. After an initial interview to ascertain if the child is a victim of trafficking, the victim is referred to a network of NGO shelters. The BPM brings charges against the traffickers if there is enough evidence, and the NGO works with the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity to reunite children with their families. Each child is considered individually, and is not sent back to his/her community of origin until there is a suitable place for him/her to return (either back to school, into vocational training or an apprenticeship, or other "reinsertion"). The government also uses the Ministry of Family and Children's network of "Social Promotion Centers" (Centres de Promotion Social (CPS)) to provide basic social services in each of Benin's 77 communes, including for trafficking victims. Each commune (municipality) has its own center with a local representative and a social protection committee. ¶B. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity collaborates closely with NGOs and other donors who provide services to child victims. Typically, the government refers children to NGO-run shelters. However, the Minors Protection Brigade has a government-built shelter on its premises in Cotonou that is fully equipped to handle up to 160 children (80 boys and 80 girls). This is intended as a transit facility for recovered trafficking victims where children will stay while their cases are processed prior to placement in a long-term shelter. The BPM's Shelter (Centre d'Accueil et de Transit) became operational in May ¶2007. It is temporarily staffed with 7 personnel provided by three local anti-child trafficking NGOs. During 2009, the BPM's shelter took in 941 children in difficult situations including trafficking victims. Trafficked children should not stay longer than one week but they will remain longer. However, the shelter often keeps victims beyond this limit of time before handing them over to NGO shelters for reintegration. The BPM's shelter offered victims legal, medical and psychological assistance. ¶C. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity collaborates closely with NGOs and other donors that provide services to child victims. The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity is under-funded, but it has signed partnership agreements with international and local NGOs and facilitates their funding by donors. ¶D. (SBU) The Government of Benin provides assistance to foreign trafficking victims (through the BPM and social welfare Centers) before proceeding with repatriation in their respective home countries. ¶E. (SBU) (See paragraph A and B on services provided by the BPM and CPS) ¶F. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity maintains a network of social welfare centers (CPS) at the municipal (commune) level, which provide assistance to the victims of child trafficking. A Ministry of Family and National Solidarity employee at the departmental level (each roughly equivalent to a province) supervises each center. ¶G. (SBU) On November 13, 2009, the GOB in conjunction with the Government of Gabon and UNICEF arranged the repatriation to Benin of 28 trafficked Beninese children whom Gabonese security forces had rescued from a boat carrying clandestine immigrants off the coast of Libreville, Gabon. During the year, in cooperation with the concerned countries, the brigade rescued 266 trafficking victims en route to and from Nigeria, Gabon, C????te d'Ivoire, Mali, and Togo. ¶H. (SBU) The government does not have a mechanism for screening trafficking victims among commercial sex workers. ¶I. (SBU) As noted above, most identified trafficking victims in Benin are children. The rights of these victims are respected, and they are not treated as criminals. ¶J. (SBU) Victims are encouraged to assist investigation and prosecution of traffickers, but this is complicated by the fact that most victims are children. The protection of child victims is guaranteed during the judicial process. The Minors Protection Brigade reports it is sometimes unable to get all the facts in a case without subjecting victims to more trauma. Child trafficking victims do not take part in their trafficker's trial unless the judge requires it for a specific purpose. Parents and members of the community are reluctant to bring charges against traffickers. However, the government can prosecute traffickers without the consent of the parents or victimized child. There is no victim restitution program. ¶K. (SBU) The government did not provide specialized training for its officials during the period covered by the report. (See paragraph F, Investigation and Prosecution). During the year, however, Beninese officials in charge of child protection, including the head of the BPM, participated in meetings and exchange programs on child trafficking in Burundi, Nigeria, Senegal and Israel. ¶L. (SBU) The Ministry of Family and National Solidarity works with NGOs and donors to provide shelter and reintegrate victims of trafficking into their communities. For example, the Ministry (in conjunction with UNICEF) has a vocational school pilot program that trains children in a trade. The Ministry also tries to work with schools to reintegrate children, and maintains contact with the schools to follow up on children to prevent them from being trafficked again. The government works closely with civil society on trafficking issues. UNICEF takes the lead among international organizations and has a close working relationship with the government. The government relies heavily on and cooperates closely with NGOs to provide many services in the area of child trafficking. On October 23, 2007, the EU launched a Cooperation and Technical Assistance Bureau (BCAT) consisting of 4 locally recruited employees and one expatriate worker. This bureau provides the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity with technical assistance in child protection through a 4-year action plan. Its objectives include strengthening the institutional capabilities of the ministry, coordinating with other actors involved in the fight against child trafficking, and assessing the government's progress in curbing trafficking. The government, in conjunction with the BCAT, continues to provide assistance to victims through the centers it has established in Cotonou, Parakou and Malanville to train victims and facilitate their social reintegration. In 2009, the government in conjunction with the BCAT started implementation of a second anti-child trafficking project that addresses the structural causes of child trafficking by improving children's living conditions and advancing respect for children's rights. ¶M. (SBU) UNICEF, ILO, the European Union, DANIDA (Danish aid organization),the French Embassy, French Volunteers, Terre des Hommes, Silesian Sisters, Catholic Relief Services, World Education and a large group of other international and local organizations work with trafficking victims. They provide awareness campaigns, shelter, training, and other services to victims. Local NGOs are working successfully at the local level by enlisting the help of Parents' Associations in schools and community-level social protection committees mentioned above. -------------- ¶11. PREVENTION (Question 29) -------------- ¶A. (SBU) From October 2006 to December 2008, a total of 177,850 people including transporters, members of Local Committees to combat child trafficking, teachers, local authorities, law enforcement agents, social workers and religious leaders were sensitized to trafficking through the USAID and UNICEF funded project "On Combating Child Trafficking through an integrated approach". The project targeted northern communities. The Office of Childhood and Adolescence at the Ministry of Family coordinated this effort. In 2009, the Ministry of Family, with the support of UNICEF, established 142 new Local Committees to Combat Child Trafficking to enable community surveillance in Lalo (south Benin), Materi and Copargo (north Benin),increasing the total number of local committees to 1690 since this effort started in 2005. GOB authorities undertook periodic, coordinated awareness campaigns on child trafficking across the Benin-Nigeria border, especially in Seme Kpodji, Ifangni and Djregbe in Benin and Krake, Owode and Idiroko in Nigeria. The GOB also coordinated a nationwide awareness campaign as a key activity for the 2009 World Day of Action Against Child Labor. ¶B. (SBU) Agents of the Minors Protection Brigade screen travelers at Benin's border crossings. Border agents and gendarmes monitor the borders for trafficking victims and have had success in arresting traffickers and returning trafficked children. They also rely on community whistleblowers to draw their attention to cases involving the transportation of children along border routes. ¶C. (SBU). There is a mechanism to coordinate and facilitate communication between the various actors on child trafficking related matters. By a presidential directive dated March 15, 2006 (order No 503/MFPSS/SGM/SPEA/SA),the (then) Ministry of Family and Children put in place a National Child Protection and Monitoring Working Group (CNSCPE). This body, which meets quarterly and is made up of representatives from government agencies, national and international NGOs, and development partners, is tasked with consolidating information related to child protection, assuring the coordination and monitoring of stakeholder activities, and working out solutions for problems stakeholders encounter in the field. The task force established four technical committees to study specific issues regarding child protection: "Trafficking and Exploitation", "Juvenile Justice", "Violence and Harmful Practices Affecting Children" and, "Orphans and Vulnerable Children". In addition to preparing terms of reference and annual work plans, committee members meet quarterly to discuss specific issues pertaining to their areas of responsibility. The government's Monitoring Group to Combat Corruption (OLC) serves as a public corruption task force. It has a National Strategic Plan to Combat Corruption intended for government officials, NGOs, and ordinary citizens. ¶D. (SBU) The government completed the UNICEF sponsored National Policy and Strategy for Child Protection in October 2007. The 2008-2012 National Plan to Combat Child Trafficking and Labor, funded by the ILO's International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor has been completed. In 2007, the government also released a Children's Code that consolidates legislation and decrees pertaining to child welfare. The code defines the legal framework to protect children in the criminal, social, and administrative arenas. The measures defined in the code also address issues including children's social reintegration, repatriation, rehabilitation, and vocational training. ¶E. (SBU) Non applicable ¶F. In April 2009, the government, UNICEF and Ecobank, a major regional bank, launched a seven-day awareness campaign against sex tourism involving children aged 8-17. The campaign covered several tourist sites across Benin. ¶G. (SBU) Beninese troops deployed abroad as part of UN peacekeeping missions are trained through the Department of State's Africa Contingency Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA) program. The training addresses prevention of peacekeepers involvement in trafficking and exploitation. -------------- ¶12. PARTNERSHIPS (Question 30) -------------- ¶A. (SBU) To fight child trafficking, the GOB engages with a large group of multilateral organizations and international and national NGOs including UNICEF, ILO, the European Union, DANIDA, the French Embassy, French Volunteers, Terre des Hommes, Silesian Sisters, Catholic Relief Services, World Education, CARE, PLAN-Benin, the Red Cross, and BORNfonden. The GOB benefits from these organizations' financial and technical support to carry out anti- child-trafficking activities. ¶B. (SBU) The GOB provides assistance to other African countries as part of the multilateral cooperation agreements it has signed with those African countries regarding victims' repatriation and information sharing on child trafficking. KNIGHT