US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2909

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002909 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM AMBASSADOR SOBEL TO DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KCRM, PHUM, KWMN, NL 
SUBJECT: MEASURABLE PROGRESS ON DUTCH TIP EFFORTS 
 
REF: (A) THE HAGUE 2741 
 
CONTAINS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION THROUGHOUT. 
PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1. MR. SECRETARY: FIVE MONTHS OF FOCUSED ATTENTION AND 
INTENSIVE G/TIP, EMBASSY AND DUTCH EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED 
TANGIBLE RESULTS (REFTEL).  THE RECORD DEMONSTRATES DUTCH 
COMMITMENT AND CONCRETE ACHIEVEMENTS IN FIGHTING THE 
TRAFFICKING PROBLEM IN THE NETHERLANDS.  THE EXTENT OF THE 
DUTCH TIP EFFORT IN THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IS BETTER THAN 
PREDICTED - ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE STRONG DUTCH SENSE OF 
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY/RIGHT TO SET THEIR OWN TIP PRIORITIES 
WE RECEIVED WHEN AMB. MILLER DELIVERED THE BENCHMARKS. 
THANK YOU FOR SENDING HIM HERE - YOUR PHONE CALL WITH 
FOREIGN MINISTER BOT AND AMB. MILLER'S PARTICIPATION IN THE 
JUNE 7 MEETING REALLY GAVE THE DUTCH A JOLT THAT WE 
CAPITALIZED ON WITH G/TIP SUPPORT. 
 
2. IN OUR AUGUST MEETING, I PROMISED YOU FACTS NECESSARY FOR 
AN OBJECTIVE MID-TERM EVALUATION OF DUTCH PROGRESS IN 
FIGHTING TRAFFICKING.  WELL, THE FACTS ARE IN.  AS WE 
REQUESTED, THE DUTCH IDENTIFIED AND ASSISTED MORE VICTIMS 
THAN LAST YEAR, SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDING THE LEVELS WE SET 
FOR THEM.  THEIR AWARENESS AND INFORMATION EFFORTS REACHED 
APPROXIMATELY 15,000 PROSTITUTES AND CLIENTS IN THE 
AMSTERDAM AREA.  IN ADDITION, TIP INFORMATION WAS BROADCAST 
TO THE PUBLIC.  THE DUTCH ALSO DISTRIBUTED TIP BROCHURES TO 
POLICE DISTRICTS, SHELTERS AND NGOS FOR DISSEMINATION TO 
POSSIBLE TIP VICTIMS.  THE GOVERNMENT REVISED AND EXPANDED 
TIP TRAINING FOR POLICE, JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS, AND IT 
FUNDED A PROGRAM TO FIGHT TIP IN THE ANTILLES. 
 
3. THE DUTCH DID NOT ATTACK EVERY BENCHMARK THE SAME WAY WE 
WOULD HAVE, BUT THEY MADE SERIOUS EFFORTS WITH APPRECIABLE 
PROGRESS IN EACH BENCHMARK AREA.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE DUTCH 
DECIDED TO SCREEN FOR TIP VICTIMS IN THE AMSTERDAM RED LIGHT 
DISTRICT "AT THE STREET LEVEL, NOT AT THE PAPER LEVEL," 
WHICH AMB. MILLER AND JUSTICE DONNER AGREED WAS THE BEST 
APPROACH.  INSTEAD OF SENDING BUREAUCRATS WITH CLIP BOARDS 
TO CONDUCT A CENSUS-TYPE SURVEY, THE DUTCH REPEATEDLY SEND 
SPECIALLY TRAINED POLICE WITH STREET SAVVY UNANNOUNCED AT 
RANDOM TIMES TO CHECK ALL AMSTERDAM BROTHELS FOR TIP VICTIMS 
AND SITUATIONS.  LIKEWISE, THE DUTCH ARE TRYING DIFFERENT 
APPROACHES TO THEIR INFORMATION/AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS BESIDES 
JUST DISTRIBUTING TIP PAMPHLETS.  THE TIP HOTLINE NUMBER IS 
POSTED ON WEBSITES USED BY SEX INDUSTRY CLIENTS.  TELEVISION 
VIEWERS IN THE NETHERLANDS ARE SEEING "TIP SPOTS" WITH THE 
TIP HOTLINE NUMBER ON TV, AND SOON, THE MOST AT RISK GROUP, 
THE YOUNG, WILL SEE A VIDEO ON TIP JOINTLY PRODUCED BY A 
GOVERNMENT-FUNDED NGO AND MTV. 
 
4. WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE WHAT THE DUTCH ARE DOING ON THEIR 
OWN INITIATIVE.  THEY MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS ON THEIR 
OWN NATIONAL TIP PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY PROTECTING MINORS 
AGAINST TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE BY SEXUAL PREDATORS AND 
CLEANING UP THE ESCORT INDUSTRY.  THESE FACTS ARE 
SIGNIFICANT SINCE THE TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING MANY OF THE 
GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP MEASURES DOES NOT CULMINATE UNTIL 
JANUARY 2005.  THEY ARE ALSO ATTACKING TIP INTERNATIONALLY, 
PROVIDING NEARLY 2 MILLION EUROS TO IOM AND OSCE VICTIM 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN THE BALKANS. 
 
5. DUTCH PERFORMANCE ON TIP WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. 
THE GOVERNMENT WILL PRESENT A NATIONAL TIP ACTION PLAN TO 
PARLIAMENT IN DECEMBER, INCORPORATING THE NATIONAL 
RAPPORTEUR'S RECOMMENDATIONS.  OUR ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, WITH 
STRONG G/TIP SUPPORT, HAS HELPED IDENTIFY AREAS THEY ARE NOW 
INCLUDING IN THAT PLAN.  THEY ARE ALREADY TALKING TO US 
ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE COMPILATION OF STATISTICS.  WE 
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR INITIATIVES AND PUSH THEM TO 
IMPROVE VICTIM IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS AND EXPAND OUTREACH. 
 
6. SINCE YOUR INITIAL DECISION TO PLACE THE NETHERLANDS ON 
TIER ONE, ALL WE HAVE SEEN IS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY THE 
DUTCH ATTACK THE TIP PROBLEM HERE: NEW INITIATIVES, MORE 
VICTIMS IDENTIFIED, INNOVATIVE OUTREACH EFFORTS, INCREASED 
FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL ANTI-TIP PROGRAMS.  THERE HAS BEEN 
NO BACKSLIDING, ONLY FORWARD MOVEMENT WITH CONCRETE 
PROPOSALS, SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS AND MEASURABLE RESULTS. 
 
SOBEL