Thanks to Katherine Begley for attending this event on behalf of IREX. Her notes are below. --Randal
Conversation with Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca and Senior Staff, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP)
U. S. Department of State, Monday 28 February 2011
Opening Remarks:
· Ambassador CdeBaca spoke very briefly about the use of a more standardized way of writing country narratives which will be evident in the upcoming Trafficking in Persons Report 2011.
· The introductory section of the report will also highlight trends in human trafficking and promising practices in the 3 Ps (prevention, protection, prosecution)
· The remainder of the session was spent listening to questions and recommendations from attendees who represented a cross-section of anti-trafficking actors from the NGO and CSO community.
Key Comments/Themes:
1. Need to do more to address root causes of TIP
a. Efforts would benefit from evidence-based research on root causes and how TVPA (Trafficking Victims Protection Act) could be amended to address root causes
2. Trainings that political officers are receiving at USG Embassies and Missions could be linked to trainings received by flight attendants and others within the airline industry
a. One area where partnering would be beneficial to ensure standardization of trainings/understanding of the nature of TIP/what to look for if TIP is suspected
3. Need a closer look at shelters—uncovering types of facilities and services that exist for TIP victims
a. Need to look more closely at the “layers” of care (or lack thereof) since sometimes governments report they have shelters in place when in fact they are deportation/detention centers with few/no services offered
b. Moving toward greater standardization and understanding of what constitutes adequate/professionalized shelter facilities and assistance for victims
4. Challenge of how to give governments credit for addressing TIP cases when a case may not be technically classified as a TIP case (e.g., “special interest juvenile” (an unaccompanied refugee minor who has actually been a victim of TIP).
5. Need for more detailed information for why a country is demoted or promoted on the tier placement system
6. Need to shed more light on labor TIP along supply chains of multinationals (including activities of labor brokerage systems)
7. What are the criteria that are used to identify a program/activity as a best practice? Can this be clarified in upcoming TIP report?
8. How are social networking tools being used to combat TIP?
9. What has become of the TIP cases noted in 2010 TIP Report? Can any of these be used as test cases?
10. Is it possible to highlight research that has made a difference in the field in terms of highlighting gaps or resulting in promising practices in the 3 Ps?
Country Concerns:
· Libyan Crisis: Effects on thousands of labor migrants (whose documents/passports have been confiscated) who are stranded in Libya/Malta/elsewhere
· Vietnam: Government’s complicity with labor recruiters/traffickers (will it be dropped to Tier 3)
· Haiti: Some progress in building government capacity and political will to address TIP, particularly the plight of restaveks (child domestics) prior to earthquake. However, post-earthquake, some of the momentum has been lost/grave concerns about exploitation of children, particularly orphaned and unaccompanied children in Haiti/along border areas with Dominican Republic.
· U.S.-Mexican Border: inconsistent application of TVPA by law enforcement. Law enforcement staff often tasked to assist victims/potential victims without adequate training/not part of their mandate, etc.
· Asia Pacific: Are efforts to train staff on UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) among those working as part of U. S. Pacific Command resulting in a reduction in demand for commercial sex?
Recommendations for Possible Inclusion in Introduction to 2011 TIP Report:
1. Diplomatic TIP case examples, particularly violations of guest worker visa programs
a. Cases from Kuwait and Tanzania were cited
2. Promising practices in cross-border collaboration
a. Examples noted between Malaysia/Indonesia; Singapore and the Philippines
b. Models to assist sending and receiving countries, particularly with respect to labor exploitation/trafficking of guest workers
3. Noting examples of promising practices in addressing demand that are actually having a deterrent effect on both sex and labor TIP
4. Need to include promising practice examples of federal and state efforts in the U. S. to investigate and prosecute TIP cases
5. Inclusion of successful program examples/trainings by international development workers to help communities come up with their own strategies to educate people about TIP and address root causes.