US embassy cable - 05BRATISLAVA903

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 000903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PGI, AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, PREL, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA SUBMISSION FOR TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: STATE 188750 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
1.  (SBU)  Below, please find responses to the post-specific 
questions raised reftel outlining the progress the Government 
of Slovakia has made in the following areas: 
 
A.  CREATING A NATIONAL COORDINATING EXPERT WORKING GROUP AND 
APPOINTING A NATIONAL COORDINATOR: 
 
The Slovak Republic appointed Pavol Draxler, previously head 
of the Ministry of Interior's Anti-Extremism Unit, to the 
position of National Coordinator for the Fight Against 
Trafficking in Persons.  Draxler, a close advisor to Minister 
of Interior Vladimir Palko and a straightforward, 
results-oriented interlocutor, assumed his new position 
October 1. 
 
The National Coordinating Expert Working Group has been 
meeting since April 2005.  The sixteen members are: 
 
-- Pavol Draxler, National Coordinator for the Fight Against 
Trafficking in Persons 
-- Captain Anna Babincova, head of the national police 
anti-trafficking and sex crimes unit 
-- Igor Urbancik, office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 
Human Rights 
-- Juraj Kubla, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs 
-- Peter Matula, Ministry of Finance 
-- Alexander Kunosik, Ministry of Justice 
-- Zuzana Kulasikova, Ministry of Labor, Social and Family 
Affairs 
-- Pavel Khun, Ministry of the Interior 
-- Daniela Stabova, Ministry of the Interior 
-- Eva Tomkova, Ministry of Education 
-- Milan Bodocky, Police Presidium 
-- Peter Sufliarsky, office of the General Prosecutor 
-- Anna Bystianska, General Secretary of the 
Inter-ministerial Council for Drug Abuse and the Control of 
Drugs 
-- Peter Mikus, Office of the Roma Plenipotentiary 
-- Jana Siposova, Victim Support Slovakia (NGO) 
-- Zuzana Vatralova, International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) 
 
The expert working group meets monthly; Draxler has requested 
that the group continue to meet indefinitely even after the 
approval of the national action plan.  Draxler has already 
been provided with funding to: 
 
-- Increase the victim assistance network in Slovakia; 
-- Acquire additional equipment and training for police; 
-- Establish an improved "hotline" for trafficking victims; 
-- Execute a media campaign to raise awareness of 
trafficking, and to distribute educational materials to 
police stations and high schools. 
 
 
B.  COMPLETING AND ADVANCING A NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR A 
COORDINATED GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING, AND 
INCREASING SUPPORT FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE: 
 
Draxler told us that the national action plan is nearly ready 
for submission to the parliament.  He expects it to be 
finished in November, then submitted to the cabinet in 
December.  After a two week period of government review and 
public comment, Draxler expects the national action plan to 
be approved by the end of the calendar year. (COMMENT: 
Despite the government's good intentions we can not rule out 
that the parliament could be sidetracked by an early 
beginning to next year's election cycle.  END COMMENT) 
 
One of the major aspects of the national action plan will be 
increased support for victim assistance.  Under the proposed 
plan, Slovakia will expand its basic network of assistance 
for trafficking victims and codify relationships with NGO 
partners.  Victims will move through two "phases" of support; 
the first will be providing shelter and security, the second 
will focus on education and re-intergration to society. 
 
According to Draxler, under the action plan IOM will provide 
the first phase of support for victims, offering them shelter 
and working on repatriation, where appropriate.  The second 
phase -- offering counseling, support, education, and 
re-intergration assistance -- will be handled by Lifehouse, a 
Slovak NGO.  Draxler says that the new structure has already 
been implemented and funded through 2006, and that victim 
support is a major facet of the action plan because, in the 
past, too many victims were "lost" in the system. 
 
C.  INCREASING COOPERATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NGOs 
FOR SCREENING AND REFERRING VICTIMS FOR ASSISTANCE: 
 
As mentioned above, Draxler is already coordinating closely 
with several NGOs and International Organizations to codify a 
victim support network. 
 
In addition, the GOS will be undertaking additional training 
for police in cooperation with the NGO Citizens and Democracy 
November 24-28.  This training will focus on the 
identification and referral of trafficking victims.  There 
will be additional NGO training for police working 
specifically on trafficking prevention December 4-6. 
 
The GOS will also be launching a media campaign December 
10-20 to raise awareness of the trafficking victim hotline, 
which victims and witnesses can call to report suspected 
incidents of human trafficking.  In addition, printed 
materials for police officers and high school students is 
being distributed as part of the awareness campaign, as the 
GOS has identified women between the ages of 16-18 as being 
particularly at risk for trafficking in Slovakia.  According 
to Draxler, other changes are in the works, but will require 
legislative changes that will not be possible until 2006. 
 
2.  (U)  Post looks forward to discussing and exploring the 
details of Slovakia's anti-trafficking efforts during the 
visit of G/TIP Megan Hall and EUR/PGI Jody Buckneberg 
November 14-16. 
SILVERMAN 
 
 
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