VZCZCXYZ0028
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0230/01 0311642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311642Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5077

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000230 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/PPC--MICHAEL PUCCETI, G/TIP--ANTHONY 
ETERNO AND AMY O'NEILL RICHARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KWMN KCRM ELAB PREL SMIG ASEC NU
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MANAGUA SUBMISSION FOR INCLE-FUNDED 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS PROJECT 
 
REF: A. 05 STATE 221183 
 
     ¶B. 05 MANAGUA 750 
     ¶C. 05 MANAGUA 1243 
     ¶D. 05 MANAGUA 2009 
     ¶E. 05 MANAGUA 2853 
     ¶F. 05 MANAGUA 2852 
 
¶1. Embassy Managua submits the following law enforcement 
anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) project proposal for INCLE 
funding by G/TIP.  While the Ministry of Government's 
proposal is broadly similar to its previous (2005) proposal, 
this year's submission is much more tightly focused on 
addressing concrete needs of the specific sections of the 
Ministry that are most directly involved in fighting TIP. 
Because of the scope of the ministry's needs and its central 
role in fighting TIP in Nicaragua, if all of its requests 
cannot be met because of funding limitations, post requests 
that G/TIP still consider funding a portion of the project 
proposal. 
 
¶2. Proposed Ministry of Government Law Enforcement Project 
for INCLE funding: 
 
TITLE OF PROJECT: 
------------------ 
 
Strengthening the Capacity of GON institutions to fight TIP 
 
NAME OF RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION/GOVERNMENT AGENCY: 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
The Ministry of Government 
 
DURATION OF PROJECT: 
-------------------- 
 
Two years 
 
DESCRIPTION: 
------------ 
 
¶I. OBJECTIVES: 
-------------- 
 
--Inform and educate government officials and the public on 
the general nature and characteristics of TIP, as well as the 
means of detecting, avoiding, and reporting it. 
 
--Develop cooperation between the public, government 
organizations, and NGOs to facilitate the social and economic 
reinsertion of TIP victims. 
 
--Bring Nicaraguan laws into line with international 
agreements and standards on TIP and ensure that the law is 
more effectively implemented. 
 
--Improve the GON's ability to collect and analyze data on 
the magnitude and characteristics of the TIP problem in the 
country as a means of focusing anti-TIP strategies. 
 
--Improve GON and NGO capacities to prevent, detect, and 
handle TIP cases. 
 
--Address specific Ministry of Government needs to improve 
the capacity of its key divisions (border police (Migration), 
the Anti-Trafficking office, and the Anti-Trafficking unit of 
the National Police) to fight TIP. 
 
--Establish monitoring and evaluation methods on TIP and make 
them compatible with those of other Central American 
countries. 
 
II. ACTIVITIES: 
--------------- 
 
--Establish a Ministry of Government anti-TIP web page. 
 
--Carry out anti-TIP awareness-raising campaigns nationwide. 
 
--Carry out regular anti-TIP training seminars for GON 
officials and NGOs. 
 
--Train more police and government officials on victim 
assistance. 
 
--Provide Migration and the NNP with equipment to enable them 
to more effectively control movements across Nicaraguan 
borders and investigate TIP cases. 
 
--Construct and equip five interview rooms for use with TIP 
 
victims. 
 
--Establish a monitoring system for all of the above 
activities. 
 
III. SUSTAINABILITY: 
-------------------- 
 
The project would build on previous anti-TIP accomplishments, 
such as the establishment of a national anti-TIP coalition 
and an anti-TIP coordination office in the Ministry of 
Government in 2004.  Because the GON is unable to assign the 
fight against TIP all the resources it would like, the 
Ministry of Government will need to seek additional 
assistance from international donors, members of the national 
anti-TIP coalition, and other sources to sustain the project. 
 
JUSTIFICATION: 
-------------- 
 
The Ministry of Government is the most important anti-TIP 
government actor in Nicaragua.  The Vice Minister of 
Government leads the national anti-TIP coalition that brings 
together all GON and NGO organizations involved in the fight 
against TIP.  The ministry controls all law enforcement 
bodies in the country, including the regular police, the 
women's police stations that bear primary responsibility for 
assisting TIP victims, and the border police (Migration).  In 
2004, the Ministry opened an anti-TIP office to coordinate 
the activities of the GON and those of the national anti-TIP 
coalition and began gathering information on TIP cases for an 
anti-TIP database (using the women's police stations to 
collect the data), but these efforts need additional support 
in order to be sustained and improved.  Many of the needs 
addressed in this project were highlighted in post's 2005 
reporting, including Migration's needs for more computers and 
vehicles at borders, the need to improve the ability of the 
police to gather evidence for TIP prosecutions, and the need 
to build and equip private interview rooms for TIP victims 
(reftels B-F). 
 
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: 
----------------------- 
 
--The full development and activation of the ministry's TIP 
database and webpage; number of hits on the webpage. 
 
--The number and type of awareness/education campaigns 
carried out. 
 
--The number and type of training seminars carried out for 
GON officials and NGOs. 
 
--The number of government officials trained in victim 
assistance. 
 
--The functioning of the ministry's TIP monitoring system. 
 
--The construction and equipment of the five interview rooms 
for TIP victims. 
 
EVALUATION PLAN: 
---------------- 
 
The Ministry of Government, through the office of the Vice 
Minister and the anti-TIP office, will write monthly reports 
on the evolution of its TIP project.  These reports will be 
evaluated and edited by the principal members of the national 
anti-TIP coalition.  Once each report has been approved by 
the coalition members, it will be submitted to the Embassy. 
 
BUDGET BREAKOUT: (all numbers in USD) 
---------------- 
 
--Office and computer equipment for the Ministry of 
Government anti-TIP office: 17,650 
 
--Vehicle (pickup truck) for use by the Ministry of 
Government anti-TIP office (to enable the office to send its 
personnel to activities, and deliver TIP campaign materials, 
country-wide) : 18,000 
 
--Specialized equipment for the Anti-Trafficking in Persons 
unit of the National Police (lie detector, laboratory 
equipment, high quality digital camera and recording 
equipment): 42,600 
 
--Vehicle (van) for use by National Police Anti-Trafficking 
unit (to enable the unit to deploy quickly to obtain crime 
scene evidence; particularly important for cases outside 
 
Managua) : 18,000 
 
--Computers for Migration Directorate use at border posts: 
10,000 
 
--Vehicles (1 pickup truck and 4 motorcycles) for Migration 
Directorate (to be able to cover borders better): 26,000 
 
--Training seminars and conferences for government officials 
(for prosecutors, police, consular officials, and key 
officials of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, 
and Ministry of the Family) and NGOs: 99,950 
 
--Victim assistance (construction and equipment of five 
interview rooms for use with TIP victims): 21,250 
 
--Accounting, evaluation, and unforeseen costs: 20,276 
 
TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE REQUESTED: 273,726 
 
TYPE AND AMOUNT OF HOST GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION: 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
--Administrative and operating costs in the Ministry of 
Government and other government facilities (light, water, 
telephone service). 
 
--Maintenance of the web page (estimated at USD 3600 per 
year). 
 
--Salaries of the anti-TIP program director and secretary. 
 
PROPOSED FUNDING MECHANISM: 
--------------------------- 
 
Letter of Agreement (LOA) 
 
EMBASSY POC: 
------------ 
 
Political Officer Jeff Giauque (unclassified email: 
giauquejg@state.gov, tel: 011-505-266-6010 ext. 4728, fax: 
011-505-266-9942).  Backup POC: Political Counselor Victoria 
Alvarado (unclassified email: alvaradova1@state.gov, 
tel:011-505-266-6010 ext. 4665, fax: 011-505-266-9942). 
 
OTHER DONORS: 
------------- 
 
No other donors are committed at this time, but the Ministry 
anticipates seeking the assistance of the following 
organizations: 
 
International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 
TRIVELLI