US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA218

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEGUCIGALPA 000218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL/PHD, DRL/IL, AND INL/LP 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC AND WHA/CEN 
DOL FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, PHUM, SMIG, ELAB, EAID, ASEC, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS REQUEST FOR INCLE ANTI-TIP FUNDS - 
COMBATING THE COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN AND 
CHILDREN 
 
REF: A. 04 STATE 247994 
 
     B. 04 STATE 265981 
     B. 04 TEGUCIGALPA 756 
 
1. Summary: We request that G/TIP allocate INCLE funds 
totaling $129,500 to one Honduran project that will 
strengthen the capacity of the National Preventive Police 
and the Public Ministry to combat the commercial sexual 
exploitation of women and children.  The project will be 
implemented jointly by the Embassy/INL office and the NGO 
Save the Children UK.  End Summary. 
 
2. Begin project proposal: 
 
Honduras Needs Help to Combat CSE 
--------------------------------- 
 
Honduras, as a country of origin and transit, is currently 
on the Tier II Watch List.  The Government of Honduras (GOH) 
has demonstrated a strong will to reduce commercial sexual 
exploitation (CSE) of women and children within its borders, 
but it needs additional resources to strengthen its capacity 
in this area.  By focusing on sexual exploitation, probably 
the most prevalent aspect of TIP in Honduras, this project 
addresses the significant internal component of trafficking 
in Honduras.  In this way it complements post's other anti- 
TIP project, which aims to combat transnational trafficking 
in persons, and which is currently under implementation. 
 
Description of project 
---------------------- 
 
The project includes two components: one that will target 
the Preventive Police and be managed by Save the Children UK 
and one that will target the Public Ministry (prosecutors) 
and be managed directly by the Embassy/INL.  Based on the 
ref A request, we recommend $64,500 for the Save the 
Children-UK component and $65,000 for assistance to the 
Public Ministry. 
 
4.  Title: Building the Capacity of the Government of 
Honduras to Combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of 
Women and Children 
 
Recipient Organizations: Preventive Police through Save the 
Children UK and Embassy/INL; Public Ministry through 
Embassy/INL 
 
Duration: Save the Children UK: 1 year 
          Public Ministry: 2 years 
 
Save the Children UK Component: 
------------------------------- 
 
Through this initiative, Save the Children UK aims to 
strengthen the capacity of the Preventive Police in such a 
way as to institutionalize a focus on commercial sexual 
exploitation of children (CSEC) throughout the organization. 
Save the Children UK will reach this goal through two means: 
educational materials and training for the Superior 
Institute for Police Education (ISEP) as well as support to 
the division within the Preventive Police that focuses on 
the abuse, smuggling, and sexual exploitation of children 
(DATESI). 
 
The educational component will involve the production of 
texts and supplementary material in Spanish that will be 
required for training within the ISEP.  Save the Children UK 
will produce the materials, train the ISEP instructors, plan 
the curriculum, and monitor and evaluate the implementation. 
 
The second part will involve capacity building for the 
DATESI.  Although DATESI has a broader mandate, the project 
will focus only on the efforts against CSEC.  The principal 
goal is to develop in conjunction with ten regional police 
chiefs a National Archiving and Processing System for the 
registration and follow-up of CSEC cases.  This system will 
be connected to the existing national criminal information 
database.  Save the Children UK will also produce 
educational materials to be used by DATESI to raise 
awareness among elementary and high school students, as well 
as community members, to prevent CSEC. 
 
Public Ministry Component: 
-------------------------- 
 
Embassy/INL will provide investigative support to the Public 
Ministry's Special Prosecutors for Children and Women for 
work with the Preventive Police in combating the domestic 
commercial sexual exploitation of women and children.  For 
technical assistance and operational support:  technical 
advisors from the Department of Homeland Security and other 
U.S. law enforcement agencies, specializing in specific 
commercial sexual exploitation-related forensic, crime 
scene, investigative techniques, use and control of 
informants and information will be utilized.  In addition, 
services for mobile phones (and possibly satellite phones), 
as well as other operational support mechanisms, will be 
funded.  For equipment: equipment will be provided for the 
investigation of crimes related to commercial sexual 
exploitation.  Examples include surveillance equipment, 
limited vehicle support, and a server-based computer system 
to be connected to the current INL-funded Honduran criminal 
information database NACMIS.  This support will complement 
similar efforts in the area of trans-border trafficking 
already under implementation (ref C). 
 
Justification: As mentioned above, the will to combat 
commercial sexual exploitation is strong within the GOH. 
The Save the Children UK component of this project will 
strengthen its institutional capacity to respond to the 
problem by permanently incorporating anti-CSEC training into 
the curriculum of the Preventive Police.  The information 
system to be implemented by Save the Children UK is also a 
particularly dire need, as the quality of information 
technology available to the GOH in general is abysmal and 
information on CSEC cases and actions is widely dispersed 
and not easily accessible.  Furthermore, the significant 
financial contribution to be made by the Preventive Police 
demonstrates a strong commitment to this initiative.  Direct 
support to the Public Ministry will complement Save the 
Children's efforts by further augmenting the resource- 
strapped GOH's capacity to combat this crime. 
 
Performance indicators: Save the Children UK component: 
publication of official policy on CSEC within the Preventive 
Police, distribution of curriculum materials for ISEP, 
database system implemented and statistical reports 
generated, public awareness materials for DATESI.  Public 
Ministry component: strengthened capability of the 
investigators and prosecutors to detect and properly 
prosecute cases of commercial sexual exploitation (specific 
measurements include number of new prosecutors and number of 
cases opened). 
 
Evaluation: Save the Children UK component: meet with Save 
the Children UK and GOH officials every three months.  Save 
the Children UK will use its Global Impact Monitoring System 
to carry out two quantitative evaluations, one at the mid- 
point and one at the completion, as well as annual 
qualitative evaluations.  Public Ministry component: POL and 
INL POCs to meet with GOH officials once every three months 
to monitor progress. 
 
Budget breakout: 
 
$18,240  Educational materials, curriculum development, and 
         training for ISEP 
$28,025  Design, implementation, and monitoring of 
         information system 
$10,800  Public awareness materials and training for DATESI 
$ 7,435  Save the Children UK administration 
------- 
$64,500  Save the Children UK Total 
 
 
$15,000  Investigative technical assistance and operational 
         support 
$50,000  Investigative equipment 
------- 
$65,000  Public Ministry Total 
 
 
$129,500 Overall Total 
 
Host government contribution: The Preventive Police will 
contribute $13,880 and Save the Children UK will contribute 
$29,035. 
 
Proposed funding mechanism: Amendment to existing Letter of 
Agreement 
 
Embassy POC: Roberto Coronado, Law Enforcement Advisor, and 
Derrick Olsen, Deputy Political Counselor/Labor Attache. 
Contact information is phone: (504) 236-9320, x4787 
(Coronado) or x4394 (Olsen), fax: (504) 238-4446.  They can 
also be reached via e-mail. 
 
3. End project proposal.