VZCZCXRO8063
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0430/01 0781237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181237Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7903
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1845
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1648
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 1071
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1463

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 000430 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
G/TIP FOR BJFLECK 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BR KCRM KWMN PREL PHUM HA
SUBJECT: G/TIP PROGRAM: FIRST MONITORING REPORT 
 
REF: A. 07 STATE 144596 
     ¶B. PORT AU PRINCE 336 
 
PORT AU PR 00000430  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. Summary: The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
Persons (G/TIP) awarded the Pan-American Development 
Foundation (PADF) a USD 250,850 grant to support an 
anti-trafficking program in Haiti from September 30, 2007 
through October 1, 2008.  Due to extensive staff turnover at 
PADF's Haiti office, Poloff initiated the mandated six-month 
assessment one month early.  After a slow start marred by 
inadequate staffing, PADF has successfully re-launched the 
project.  PADF must more effectively support its local GOH 
partner, the Office of National Migration (ONM), and also 
re-engage the anti-TIP NGO Solidarite Fwontalye (SF), in 
order to increase the chances of the project's success.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. The cable follows the reporting guidance as outlined in 
reftel. 
 
¶3. PROJECT ASSESSMENT 
 
¶A. Poloff held discussions with the following individuals on 
March 5: 
Noelcin Joseph, Mayor of Ouanaminthe 
Jean Claude Jean, Division Inspector, Haitian National 
Police (HNP), Ouanaminthe 
Elifete Charles, Regional Coordinator, Office of National 
Migration (ONM), Ouanaminthe 
Perardh Monestine, Director, Solidarite Fwontalye (SF) 
Andre Ibreus, Solidarite Fwontalye 
Joanis Daniece, Solidarite Fwontalye 
Jean Leonard, Solidarite Fwontalye 
Kenal Senatus, Solidarite Fwontalye 
Jean Winston, Solidarite Fwontalye 
Josette Poisson, Director, Radio Massacre, Ouanaminthe 
Herve Razafimbahiny, PADF Acting Director for Protecting 
Human Rights and Acting Director for G/TIP Project, 
Port-au-Prince 
Herve Joseph, PADF G/TIP Project Coordinator, Cap Haitien 
 
¶B. The following benchmark/assessment items are from PADF's 
work plan of scheduled activities within the first five 
months of the project. 
 
START-UP AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
 
--Mobilize and hire staff: Accomplished despite office and 
project staff turnover. 
 
--Set up coordination and procure equipment: Accomplished. 
 
--Submit work plan: Accomplished. 
 
--Meet with current TIP groups in Ouanaminthe: Accomplished, 
but SF claims to not have enough information to submit a 
proposed contract for services and service providers. 
 
--Hold regular oversight meetings with U.S. Embassy officer: 
Accomplished. 
 
--Submit quarterly evaluation of portfolio and progress to 
date: Accomplished. 
 
--Organize local and national databases: NOT Accomplished. 
PADF wants to drop this part of the project since SF, the SF 
sister organization in the Dominican Republic, and other 
human rights organizations along the Haitian-Dominican border 
have already developed such a database.  PADF believes that 
organizing another database would duplicate efforts.  Post 
recommends that G/TIP wait until this coalition of human 
rights organizations releases its report and database before 
determining the validity of PADF's assessment. 
 
--Draft/adapt contracts and agreement templates: PARTIALLY 
Accomplished.  Radio Massacre has a contract for 
anti-trafficking service announcements and programming.  No 
other contracts have been signed. 
 
 
PORT AU PR 00000430  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
--Confirm partnership with Solidarite Fwontalye, ONM, and the 
Ouanaminthe Mayor's Office: NOT Accomplished.  Solidarite 
Fwontalye, ONM, and the mayor's office all report inadequate 
contact with PADF and with each other.  Now that PADF has a 
project coordinator in Cap Haitien, PADF must increase 
efforts to forge relationships with these entities in 
Ouanaminthe, as well as relationships among the entities 
themselves. 
 
--Confirm partnership with the Migration Action Committee 
(MAC): NOT Accomplished.  Since there already exists a 
coalition of human rights monitoring committees along the 
border that focuses on anti-trafficking issues, PADF believes 
that forming a MAC would represent a duplication of efforts. 
 
ACTIVITY COMPONENTS 
 
--Public Forums: NOT Accomplished. 
 
--Public Service Announcements on TIP: NOT Accomplished. 
 
--Design and Distribute 2000 pamphlets: NOT Accomplished. 
 
--Renovation of ONM building in Ouanaminthe: NOT 
Accomplished, though the ONM facility in Ouanaminthe needs 
equipment, supplies, and budgetary support more than building 
renovations. 
 
--Training ONM Staff in Cap Haitien and Ouanaminthe: 
PARTIALLY Accomplished.  PADF conducted a training session in 
December, but the session was more geared toward solidifying 
how to proceed with the project.  Staff turnover at PADF 
hindered further collaborative developments.  In addition, 
the director of the ONM office in Cap Haitien, who has 
oversight of the Ouanaminthe office, died suddenly in 
January, further impeding PADF's implementation of the 
project. 
 
--ONM Capacity Building: NOT Accomplished.  See discussion 
above.  In addition, the ONM office in Ouanaminthe needs 
equipment and supplies, which are not slated for delivery 
until the seventh month of the project but are urgently 
needed now. The ONM office in Ouanaminthe submitted a list of 
needed equipment and supplies on March 5.  The ONM office in 
Ouanaminthe requested budgetary support in order to pay two 
years back-rent in arrears in addition to its current rent. 
The rent is $2,055 per year, for a total of $6,165 due in 
rent.  PADF believes that the budgetary support is justified 
and crucial to the project.  (Note:  Many GOH buildings were 
destroyed during the political and social instability that 
accompanied ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide's departure 
in 2004.  The Haitian National Police, housed in a rented 
school building, is also in arrears in rent and faces 
eviction.  End note.) 
 
--Capacity Building for MAC: NOT Accomplished, and perhaps 
not applicable. 
 
¶C. Despite the negative impact on the project schedule of the 
staff turnover at PADF's Haiti office, PADF with added effort 
should be able to successfully execute all phases of the 
project.  The current staff in their acting capacities has 
successfully revamped project management, despite the need 
for permanent replacements for its country and G/TIP project 
directors, among other senior staff.  PADF is also 
instituting new management systems.  Both the staff turnover 
and new management systems at PADF reflect its efforts to 
manage and execute projects in accordance with its growing 
portfolio. 
 
¶D. PADF operates in an environment with insufficient 
infrastructure, pervasive poverty, economic stagnation, and 
corruption.  Ouanaminthe does not have paved roads, landline 
telephone service, or electricity.  Despite Ouanaminthe's 
bustling cross-border trade with Dajabon, Dominican Republic, 
the city is engulfed by grinding poverty and offers few 
opportunities for economic advancement.  Corrupt officials on 
both sides of the border benefit from contraband trade and 
trafficking-in-persons.  Due to habitual neglect by the 
 
PORT AU PR 00000430  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Government of Haiti (GOH), public institutions often do not 
receive financial, logistical, or technical help from 
authorities in Port-au-Prince.  This project can effect 
long-term change and develop local capacity only if it can 
strengthen the operational capacity of local institutions and 
secure adequate financing for them. 
 
¶E. When a new G/TIP project coordinator based in Cap Haitien 
(located 1.5 hours west of Ouanaminthe) is hired, PADF's 
capacity to execute the project should improve.  PADF may 
also need to hire a technical assistant for the project to 
improve coordination in Ouanaminthe.  As mentioned above, 
PADF's head office is revamping its financial and personnel 
management systems in order to enhance its performance and 
capacity to execute projects. 
 
¶F. G/TIP should consider allowing PADF to reprogram some 
funding to support ONM's Ouanaminthe office, since this is 
the GOH entity officially tasked with the responsibility to 
discourage illegal migration and to assist repatriated 
migrants. 
 
¶G. PADF's project attempts to foster GOH cooperation with 
NGOs and social-welfare agencies to improve their ability to 
identify, refer, and provide services to restaveks and other 
Haitian children exploited as domestic servants. (Note: 
"Restavek" is a Creole term derived from the French words 
"rester avec," meaning "to stay with."  Restavek is a label 
for the thousands of children who move from the countryside 
into urban areas to work as domestic laborers.  The informal 
practice has existed in Haiti for decades, and is directly 
related to the country's poverty and lack of economic 
alternatives (ref B).  End note.) 
 
¶H. Due to events sometimes out of its control, PADF's 
execution of the project got off to a rocky start.  However, 
with the addition of staff and the new staff overcoming the 
learning curve, PADF should be able to successfully complete 
the project.  The major factors that may determine whether 
the project is a viable candidate for continued funding are 
PADF's success in fostering working relationships between GOH 
institutions and human rights NGOs, and whether the ONM 
office in Ouanaminthe can secure GOH support. 
Ellickson-Brown