US embassy cable - 02TEGUCIGALPA3435

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 003435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN, PRM, AND DRL 
DOL FOR ILAB 
STATE PASS AID FOR EGAT/WID 
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT 
PANAMA FOR CUSTOMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, SMIG, PREL, ELAB, EAID, KPAO, KWMN, HO 
SUBJECT: ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) PROJECT 
PROPOSALS FOR HONDURAS 
 
REF: STATE 224985 
 
1. Post welcomes the opportunity to submit anti-Trafficking 
in Persons (TIP) project proposals.  After discussing reftel 
among the Political, Public Affairs, and Consular Sections, 
as well as INS and USAID, Post proposes two Honduras-specific 
program recommendations.  Embassy is also collaborating with 
other regional embassies on a regional project to 
survey/measure the extent of TIP in Central America, to be 
submitted separately.  Post also strongly supports a proposal 
previously submitted by the Department of Justice's Criminal 
Division's Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, 
and Training (OPDAT) for anti-TIP training to Central 
American prosecutors and police.  Post believes that it is 
essential that any regional anti-TIP programs be coordinated 
with the DOL-funded International Labor Organization's 
International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor 
(ILO-IPEC) project "Contribution to the Prevention and 
Elimination of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 
Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic," a 
three-year, approximately USD 3.8 million, project that began 
June 30, 2002. 
 
2. 
 
Project I 
--------- 
 
A.PROJECT:  Public Awareness Campaign Regarding Severe Forms 
of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
B.ORGANIZATION: A variety of GOH agencies, NGOs, and 
international organizations, such as the Office of the First 
Lady, National Women's Institute, Institute of the Child and 
the Family (IHNFA), Ministry of Labor, Public Ministry, 
Immigration, Casa Alianza, Human Rights Commission, IOM, 
UNDP, and UNICEF. 
C.DURATION: 2 years 
D.OBJECTIVE: (1) To focus Honduran audiences on the existence 
of TIP, especially those affecting women and children; (2) to 
organize a forum of GOH agencies, NGOs, and international 
organizations (listed above) to address the problem of TIP 
and seek public policies to combat it.  This forum would 
build on the already exisiting commission to combat 
commercial child sexual exploitation that includes many of 
the same organizations. 
E.JUSTIFICATION: Honduran authorities and the general public 
need to focus attention on the problem of TIP, especially 
those involving women and children.  Many human rights 
organizations have not included TIP as a top priority in 
their organization's agenda.  The media has reported 
incidences of TIP, but there has been no public service 
campaign against TIP.  With a per capita GDP of USD 920 and 
approximately half the population of Honduras under age 16, 
poverty and unemployment exacerbate the number of potential 
TIP victims. 
F.PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Radio and TV campaigns; audience 
levels can be determined.  Number of hot line calls to 
prevention center can be tallied.  Statistics on number of 
victims assisted and/or criminals prosecuted. 
G.BUDGET BREAKOUT: 100,000 USD/year to develop and place 
radio and TV public service announcements (PSAs) involving 
sports and cultural figures and for sponsoring a forum in 
Honduras of interested parties.  Recent studies in Honduras 
have found that the frequency of PSAs is the key to having an 
impact on society.  Unfortunately, Honduran radio and TV 
stations do not run PSAs free of charge.  Seed money 
(approximately USD 10,000 of the USD 100,000 total budget) to 
launch a national forum on TIP. 
H.GOH CONTRIBUTION? In-kind support. 
I.OTHER DONOR COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTING? none 
J.PROPOSED FUNDING MECHANISM: Public Affairs Section grants 
to the co-sponsoring institutions. 
K.EMBASSY POINT OF CONTACT: Derrick Olsen, Deputy Political 
Chief/Labor Attache, (504) 236-9320, ext. 4394, and Melissa 
Cooper, Public Affairs Officer, (504) 236-9320 ext. 4139. 
 
Project II 
---------- 
 
A.PROJECT: Assistance to Victims of Trafficking 
B.ORGANIZATION: Governmental agencies Honduran Institute of 
the Child and the Family (IHNFA) or National Women's 
Institute, NGO Women's Studies Center (CEM-H), or UNICEF. 
C.DURATION: 2 years 
D.OBJECTIVE: Assist victims of trafficking, primarily women 
and children, to reinsert themselves into productive society, 
by providing counseling, education, and social support. 
E.JUSTIFICATION: Victims of trafficking may be reticent to 
become active members of society because of the stigma of 
their exploitation.  Victims often lack life skills and have 
substance abuse problems, thus making reinsertion difficult. 
F.PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Number of victims served. 
G.BUDGET BREAKOUT: 50,000 USD/year to establish a counseling 
center, have NGO train IHNFA staff, provide training to 
clients. 
H.GOH CONTRIBUTION: In-kind contributions from IHNFA or 
National Women's Institute. 
I.OTHER DONOR COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTING? none 
J.PROPOSED FUNDING MECHANISM: Public Affairs Section grants 
to IHNFA or National Women's Institute. 
K.EMBASSY POINT OF CONTACT: Derrick Olsen, Deputy Political 
Chief/Labor Attache, (504) 236-9320, ext. 4394. 
Palmer