VZCZCXRO4417
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHBE #0149/01 0732018
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 132018Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1165
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BELMOPAN 000149 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP (FLECK), G, INL, PRM  DEPT FOR WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI), 
WHA/CEN (BEAL) GUATEMALA FOR USAID 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE - EIGHTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT 
(PART THREE OF THREE) 
 
REF:   A) STATE 02731, B) 06 BELIZE 673 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Protection and Assistance to Victims 
 
¶A.  The rights of victims are always respected and are codified in 
the standing operating procedures and in the Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act.  Also, victims also have access to free medical 
services and to counseling services. These facilities are dedicated 
exclusively to trafficking victims. Foreign victims have the same 
access to care as domestic victims. The Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act requires the government to provide protection to 
victims to prevent recapture by traffickers and to ensure personal 
security. The Department of Immigration informs victims of 
procedures to return to their home country and informs victims of 
procedures for seeking permanent residency or citizenship in Belize. 
If the victim so desires, the Department of Immigration is also 
required to provide assistance in applying for permanent residence 
and citizenship in Belize once the criteria is met. The Department 
of Immigration issues the victim (and child) with a temporary 
residency permit for enable their stay in Belize during court case. 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belize is also required to 
provide assistance if the victim is unable to prove their 
nationality and for repatriation.  Belize provides all victims with 
free access to legal, medical and psychological services. 
 
¶B. The government supports two shelters for trafficking victims, one 
in Belmopan and one in Hattieville in the Belize district. The 
Government of Belize facilitated the acquisition of the facility in 
the Belize District and provides funding for the general operation 
of the facilities. Funding has recently been obtained through the 
U.S. Embassy for refurbishment of the facility in the Cayo District. 
 Children who are victims of trafficking are placed in existing 
child care institutions.  If necessary, victims can also be housed 
in hotels at government expense. 
 
¶C.  The Government of Belize provides an annual subvention to all 
local non-governmental organizations, including child care 
facilities where minors who are victims of trafficking in persons 
are placed for protective care. The shelters and facilities for 
adult victims are fully operated by the Government of Belize. The 
Government of Belize does not provide foreign aid. 
 
¶D.  Law enforcement and social services personnel received extensive 
training during the year on the identification and interviewing of 
potential trafficking victims.  When a person is identified as a 
potential victim, the Department of Human Services (under the 
Ministry of Human Development) is immediately notified and a social 
worker is deployed to conduct an interview.  Victims of trafficking 
are never jailed or detained. Victims are never fined or prosecuted 
for violating any law. Section 10 of the Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act stipulates that a victim "is not criminally liable 
for any immigration-related offence, or any other criminal offence 
that is as a direct result of being trafficked."  Victims are 
encouraged to provide assistance in the investigation and 
prosecution of trafficking cases. In fact victims are issued 
temporary residency permits by the Department of Immigration and 
Nationality Services to enable them to remain in Belize for the 
duration of the criminal proceedings provided they are willing to 
provide assistance. In some cases, the victims do not want to be 
protected and only desire to return to their place of employment. 
 
¶E.  Prostitution is not legal in Belize but prostitutes are able to 
seek assistance from social workers who would apply the same 
screening process as for other potential trafficking victims. 
 
¶F.  According to Belize law, victims of trafficking should not be 
jailed, deported or penalized in any way.  The law states that the 
victim is not criminally liable for any immigration-related offense 
or any other criminal offense.  The law also requires that victims 
receive temporary permits that allow them to remain in Belize for 
the duration of any criminal proceedings and can qualify for 
residency or citizenship.  Many victims do not view themselves as 
victims of trafficking and do not wish to pursue criminal action 
against their traffickers.  In other cases, commercial sex workers 
who may be victims are mistreated or victimized further. 
 
¶G.  Victims of trafficking can file civil suits and seek legal 
action against traffickers.  The Trafficking in Persons 
(Prohibition) Act authorizes courts to order convicted traffickers 
 
BELMOPAN 00000149  002 OF 004 
 
 
to pay restitution to their victims.  The court considers the costs 
of medical and psychological care, physical and occupational 
therapy, transportation, housing and child care, lost income, 
emotional distress, pain and suffering, and any other loss suffered 
by the victim when determining the amount of restitution.  The 
government lacks the resources to provide a formal restitution 
program. 
 
¶H.  The government provides security - in the form of police 
protection - to victims, their families and witnesses.  This 
protection is provided on an as-needed basis; there is no formal 
witness protection program and the country's population is likely 
too small to create an effective program. 
 
The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act requires that court 
proceedings for all TIP cases be held in camera, and the court is 
required to ensure that the identity of the victim and his/her 
family remains confidential.  No identifying information may be 
released to the public or press although the country's population is 
so small that personal information frequently leaks to the public. 
 
¶I.  All of Belize's embassies and consulates are aware of the 
government's efforts to prevent trafficking in persons. Officers at 
embassies and consulates are provided with material to assist them 
in identifying victims and in providing the necessary protection. 
Embassies and consulates are very active in developing partnerships 
with International Organizations and NGOs which serve trafficking 
victims. For example, The Embassy of Belize in Washington D.C. has 
been successful in obtaining assistance particularly in the area of 
training from both the OAS and the IOM; the Permanent Mission of 
Belize to the UN is working on establishing a relationship with the 
UN Office of Drugs and Crime; the Consulate of Belize in Los Angeles 
has obtained training materials from the Salvation Army in Los 
Angeles for use by the Committee.   No victim of trafficking in 
persons has approached an embassy or consulate of Belize for 
assistance. However, should the need arise Belize's embassy and 
consulates would provide full consular assistance including 
providing accommodation, assistance in dealing with authorities 
facilitating repatriation to Belize.  Assistance is available from 
the Government of Belize, through its embassies and consulate abroad 
to any Belizean national who requires repatriation as victim of 
trafficking, including accommodation, money and issuance of 
necessary documents to enable repatriation. 
 
¶J.  If needed, the Belize government will provide medical 
assistance, shelter and financial aid to any Belizean national who 
is a victim of trafficking and has been repatriated to Belize. 
 
¶K.  Local NGOs such as the National Organization for the Prevention 
of Child Abuse and Neglect (NOPCAN) and Youth Enhancement Services 
(YES) work with trafficking victims and focus on trafficking issues. 
International organizations like UNICEF and IOM also provide 
assistance.  The Inter American Development Bank (IDB) approved 
funding to the government for assistance in strengthening national 
protocols, including victim assistance, for trafficking in persons. 
There are no international NGOs working with trafficking victims in 
Belize. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Prevention A. The Anti Trafficking in Persons Committee, 
through intelligence driven operations conducted by its Tripartite 
Team (the Departments of Immigration, Police and Human Services), is 
vigilant in confronting possible cases of trafficking.  Trafficking 
in persons cases are documented by the Tripartite Team from 
interviews of potential victims conducted by Human Services after an 
operation.  The Belize Police Department through its intelligence 
gathering unit, Special Branch, maintains a permanent presence at 
the Belize Western Border Station, and at the Phillip Goldson 
International Airport as well as in every district. A police officer 
works within the Immigration and Nationality Department at the 
Belize Northern Border station to assist in the monitoring of 
immigration and emigration patterns and the screening for potential 
victims of trafficking. 
 
¶B. During the reporting period, the government, through the 
Anti-trafficking in Persons Committee continues its efforts to 
combat trafficking in persons. The committee meets once a month and 
has three sub-committees to help implement its annual operation plan 
in the areas of prevention, protection and prosecution. The 
Committee has received financial support from Belize Tourism Board 
and the Belize Tourism Industry Association for the designing, 
printing and distributing of posters aimed at raising awareness 
 
BELMOPAN 00000149  003 OF 004 
 
 
about trafficking in persons and commercial sexual exploitation in 
the tourism industry. This initiative promoted the Code of Conduct 
for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel 
and Tourism.  During the reporting period the Anti Trafficking in 
Persons Committee continued its nationwide bilingual public 
awareness campaign. This campaign included the reprinting of 2000 
English language and 1000 Spanish language posters which were 
distributed widely at public places and government offices. These 
posters highlighted the elements of trafficking and targeted 
victims.  The NCFC also assisted the Committee in coordinating the 
printing of anti-trafficking posters in both English and Spanish. 
The posters were distributed to government offices countrywide, 
border points and bus stations. 
 
The Chair of the Committee continued to discuss the issue of 
trafficking in persons by appearing on radio shows such as 'Facts 
for Families' and 'Link Up' The Chair also gave a presentation to 
the recruits at the Police Training Academy on trafficking and how 
to identify trafficking victims. 
 
Additionally, some training materials for anti-trafficking training 
were received by the Committee from the Belize Consul General in Los 
Angeles. The training materials were distributed to the Department 
of Human Services for intra-department training.  Television and 
radio public service announcements were aired at various times over 
the course of the last 12 months both by the Committee and NGO 
partners such as Youth Enhancement Services. The Chair of the 
Committee also appeared on radio on several occasion to highlight 
the issue of trafficking in person, including on such shows as 
"Facts for Families" and "Link Up."  Additionally, outreach 
initiatives were undertaken by the Committee which targeted specific 
groups such as law enforcement, justices of the peace, residents of 
municipalities such as Benque Viejo and San Ignacio.  These public 
awareness campaigns target both victims and the demand for 
trafficking. The campaigns are also bilingual across the various 
media, including printed posters, radio and television.  Some local 
NGOs have questioned the effectiveness of the government's public 
awareness campaign, especially among at-risk groups such as 
commercial sex workers (CSWs).  Because most CSWs keep 
non-traditional hours (i.e., sleeping until late in the day and 
working from late afternoon until the wee hours of the morning), 
they are not in a position to see, hear, or read the government's 
PSAs.  In addition, these women are virtually confined to the 
neighborhood of their brothel/home and are unlikely to visit 
government offices, border crossing points or bus terminals.  One 
NGO suggested that strategically-placed billboards would be a more 
effective way to distribute information and would have a better 
chance of reaching the target audience. 
 
During the reporting period, A-TIPS received support from the IDB to 
implement a project aimed at the strengthening and streamlining of 
anti-trafficking protocols and the development of a comprehensive 
communications strategy. In July 2007, the project was completed and 
the A-TIPS Committee received the final communications strategy 
which included an assessment of anti-trafficking efforts in Belize 
and provided recommendations for streamlining standard operation 
procedures for law enforcement. 
 
¶C.  The government, NGOs, international organizations and other 
elements of civil society generally have a good working 
relationship. Members of relevant NGOs (such as NOPCAN), 
international organizations (such as IOM), and government officials 
worked together to offer training to stakeholders and often 
cooperated on relevant boards or committees.  For example, 
representatives from several NGOs sit on the Anti-Trafficking in 
Persons Committee.  However, local NGOs - which often receive some 
funding from the government - must walk a fine line between 
accurately reporting the trafficking situation in Belize and 
maintaining the favor of the Belize government.  International 
organizations, such as UNICEF and IOM, and embassies (neither of 
which fear government reprisal or loss of government funding) are 
able to accurately report on and (if necessary) criticize the 
government's actions. 
 
¶D.  As mentioned, the Department of Immigration and Nationality 
(DINS) monitors the movements of people within and outside the 
country's borders for evidence of trafficking.  Though training to 
screen for trafficking victims is provided to immigration officers, 
the department's meager resources limit its ability to effectively 
monitor immigration and emigration patterns and screen for potential 
trafficking victims.  Immigration records are not computerized at 
 
BELMOPAN 00000149  004 OF 004 
 
 
any of the country's points of entry, including Philip Goldson 
International Airport in Belize City - the main port of entry for 
visitors to Belize.  Special Branch, the intelligence gathering unit 
of the Belize Police Department, maintained a permanent presence at 
the Belize Western Border Station and at Philip Goldson 
International Airport.  A police officer was assigned to the DINS at 
the Belize Northern Border Station to assist with monitoring 
immigration and emigration patterns and screening for potential 
victims of trafficking. 
 
¶E.  The A-TIPS Committee coordinates the anti-trafficking activities 
executed by the frontline agencies including monitoring the 
movements of people within and without Belize's borders for evidence 
of trafficking and screening for potential trafficking of victims, 
and the gathering of intelligence. 
 
While there is no public corruption task force, the government has 
appointed an ombudsman to investigate complaints against public 
officials and private citizens.  However, no public officials have 
ever been prosecuted as a result of the ombudsman's inquiries.  The 
government also maintains an Integrity Commission to oversee 
compliance with financial disclosure laws. 
 
¶F.  The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Committee drafted a five-year 
national action plan to address trafficking in persons.  All member 
agencies of the committee, as well as UNICEF, were consulted in 
developing the plan.  The plan was disseminated to member agencies 
of the Committee as well as the Committee's international partners. 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Heroes 
 
Ms. Anita Zetina, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry 
of Human Development, managed to organize multiple agencies to press 
for change in the treatment of victims and raise the level of 
importance of the trafficking issue in Belize.  She worked 
tirelessly in this effort. 
 
¶7.  (U) Best practices 
 
The government of Belize employs a multi-sectoral approach to 
combating trafficking in persons.  This method strengthens 
coordination among frontline agencies, ensures a victim-centered 
approach to combating TIP, and leads to direct and efficient 
delivery of services to victims.  This multi-sectoral approach led 
to the development of a tripartite team comprised of the police, 
immigration officials, and social workers who are responsible for 
the planning, execution and evaluation of operations - thereby 
ensuring that operations are intelligence-driven. Social workers are 
present at every operation to make certain that victims receive 
immediate assistance. 
 
¶8.  Post's POC for trafficking and human rights issues is poloff Sue 
Kuester, e-mail:  KuesterSG@state.gov; telephone:  011-501-822-4011, 
ext. 4113; fax:  011-501-822-4012.  In her absence, please contact 
political/economic chief Thomas Wise, e-mail: WiseTW@state.gov. 
 
¶9.  Post estimates that over the course of the year, poloff and one 
LES have spent approximately 60 hours gathering information, meeting 
with government officials, and preparing reports on trafficking in 
persons in Belize. 
 
HILL