US embassy cable - 05LJUBLJANA247

UNCLAS  LJUBLJANA 000247 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PGI, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, SI 
SUBJECT: GOVT. OF SLOVENIA FINDS RESOURCES TO KEEP TIP NGO 
GOING 
 
REF: HYLAND-TOPPING EMAIL 3/31 
 
1.(SBU)  Summary. On 31 March, Post first became aware of 
budgetary problems for the NGO Kljuc - the Government of 
Slovenia's primary partner in the fight against trafficking 
in persons (TIP), through a press release from Kljuc.  The 
press report stated that Kljuc had not received funding 
guaranteed by the Government of Slovenia's national action 
plan against trafficking in persons.  Post alerted Washington 
(Ref) to this potential problem and began work to determine 
how/if the GOS could resolve it in a timely manner. Stop-gap 
measures are now being taken. The Ministry of Justice has 
transferred SIT one million ($5,500) to Kljuc and we have 
been assured that the Ministry of Interior is depositing the 
same amount in Kljuc's account today.  We expect the Ministry 
of Labor to follow suit.  This will tie Kljuc over until the 
"rebalancing" of the budget is completed in May, when Kljuc 
should become fully funded.  End Summary 
 
2. (SBU) Post first became aware of funding problems for 
Slovenia's primary anti-trafficking NGO, Kljuc, via a press 
statement on March 31, 2005.  (Note: The statement suggested 
that Kljuc leadership had been informing Embassies of its 
problems, but post had not been contacted by Kljuc prior to 
the release.)  Initial inquiries to key members of the Inter 
Ministerial Working Group (IWG) on TIP elicited comments of 
continuing, strong support for the TIP program, with the 
caveat, however, that the entire government was having cash 
flow issues due to budgetary problems, which should be solved 
by May when Kljuc would be fully funded. 
 
3.(SBU)  Three ministries are expected to support Kljuc: 
Interior, Justice, and Labor.  According to the GOS Action 
Plan:  "Operating costs amount to SIT 27 million per year. 
The resources are exploited for concrete assistance to 
trafficked victims, the operation of the (safe) house, 
engagement of the Social Work Centers when appropriate, and 
reintegration of trafficked persons.  The gap in funding 
shall be filled in by the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry 
of Justice, and Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Affairs, 
each contributing and equal share of SIT 9 million per year." 
 
4.(SBU)  The Ambassador then made calls to the Deputy Foreign 
Minister Bozo Cerar, Minister of Interior Dragutin Mate, and 
Slovenia's Ambassador in Washington Samuel Zbogar to 
reinforce the urgency with which this funding issue needed to 
be addressed.  It was in nobody's interest that Kljuc close 
its doors due to lack of short-term funding.  Putting it into 
a larger context, the Ambassador emphasized that 
anti-trafficking is considered an extremely important 
bilateral and multilateral issue by the USG. We had invested 
a great deal in promoting anti-trafficking programs in 
Slovenia, through Kljuc and other agencies, and we have a 
strong interest in protecting and promoting that investment. 
 
5. (SBU)  In two conversations with the Ambassador, Interior 
Minister Mate explained that the GOS was fully committed to 
its anti-trafficking plan, and that he, too, had been 
surprised to hear of the budgetary crunch of Kljuc.  Mate 
also blamed the previous government for not putting the money 
for anti-trafficking in the 2005 budget it had prepared. 
Ultimately, Mate committed to finding the money to keep Kljuc 
going, saying it was more important to keep the shelter open 
than to worry about rankings in a report - the GOS was fully 
committed to this goal.  A day later, he called the 
Ambassador with the news that his ministry was transferring 
the equivalent of $5,500 to Kljuc on April 13. 
 
6. (SBU) A subsequent conversation between the Ambassador and 
Deputy Foreign Minister Cerar resulted in the following GOS 
formal statement: 
 
 "The Republic of Slovenia supports the NGO Kljuc and 
provides it with all necessary assistance in carrying out the 
projects laid down in the Action Plan to Fight Human 
Trafficking 2004-2006.  The NGO Kljuc is entitled to receive 
all the required funds for the project "Trafficking in Human 
Beings Victim's Care" in 2005.  First, the advance amount 
will be paid; with the remaining funds being paid after the 
budget approval procedures are completed." 
 
7. (SBU)  Comment:  This is a typical example of the 
stove-piping of information and policy guidance that occurs 
within the Government of Slovenia.  The irony is not lost on 
us that on the very day we were brow-beating the GOS to make 
good on its commitment to fund anti-trafficking programs, 
Foreign Minister Rupel was talking to the press about 
Slovenia's desire to use the OSCE to showcase 
anti-trafficking initiatives.  Additionally, Slovenia will be 
hosting a large, international, anti-trafficking seminar in 
late June.  There is much blame to go around for the current 
 
 
state of affairs, the new GOS was perhaps not aware of the 
importance of this particular commitment made by the previous 
GOS; perhaps the previous GOS did not, in fact, work Kljuc 
funding into the 2005 budget; and Kljuc waited too long 
before getting us involved, and in fact never directly 
approached us for help, but clearly was expecting the Embassy 
to carry its water with the GOS. 
 
8. (SBU)  The decision on whether Slovenia earns a Tier 1 or 
Tier 2 ranking in this year's TIP report is up to decision 
makers in Washington.  It has been a bumpy week getting the 
new GOS to this point, and we suspect it had neither focused 
on TIP as a priority issue, nor fully appreciated just how 
aggressive we would be, once we learned the core of the plan 
appeared to be at risk.  The concrete transfers of funds 
combined with the very explicit statement from the GOS, give 
us confidence that at senior levels of the GOS, there is 
every intention to follow through on commitments made by the 
previous government to combat trafficking in persons.  End 
Comment. 
ROBERTSON 
 
 
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 2005LJUBLJ00247 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED 


 
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