VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSL #0456 2801622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061622Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1997

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000456 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, EUR/PGI, EUR/CE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG KFRD PREF ASEC
LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA: TIP TRAINING UNDERWAY 
 
¶1. Summary:  As part of its 2008-2010 National Action Plan to 
Combat Trafficking in Persons, the Government of Slovakia, in 
cooperation with the NGO community, developed an extensive 
training program for NGO workers, law enforcement officials, 
religious workers, and community social workers.  The 
training is designed to educate these target groups about how 
to identify, predict, and prevent trafficking, as well as how 
to assist trafficking victims.  On October 2, PolOff attended 
the second of two trainings for social workers from 
municipalities in Central and Eastern Slovakia with high 
concentrations of Roma.  The Ministry of Interior hosted the 
trainings at its conference center in Donovaly, central 
Slovakia, and the training was conducted by TIP experts from 
the Bratislava IOM office.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  Under the current National Action Plan, the GOS's TIP 
coordinator Vladimir Cecot, State Secretary of the Ministry 
of Interior, and his staff, in consultation with NGOs who 
work on TIP issues, identified groups most likely to come 
into contact with trafficking victims, or with potential 
victims in vulnerable populations.  The GOS then developed a 
training schedule for these target groups and began training 
in June.  Since then, the GOS has trained 20 social workers 
who work with commercial sex workers, 22 individuals from 
Roma NGOs, and 40 social workers from municipalities with 
high concentrations of Roma.  Through next spring, the GOS 
plans to train 180 police officers, including 60 members of 
the border police, 30 trainers from the Ministry of 
Education, and 45 social workers from the Ministries of Labor 
and Social Affairs and the Department of Migration of the 
Ministry of Interior. 
 
¶3.  During the training that PolOff attended on October 2, 
the social workers from Roma municipalities enthusiastically 
participated in the IOM training modules, which included role 
play, collective definition making and explanation of the 
Palermo protocol, and discussion of several TIP-related 
videos as well as a domestic documentary on TIP in Slovakia 
produced by IOM and Slovak national television.  It was clear 
that many of the participants had never discussed TIP in a 
formal way, and appreciated the opportunity to learn the 
difference between TIP and voluntary prostitution, domestic 
violence, usury, and other social problems that typically 
afflict Roma communities.  Participants acknowledged that the 
dire socio-economic situation of the Roma makes male and 
female teens particularly vulnerable for TIP, but they were 
glad to know that the GOS has established funding to assist 
victims and to develop prevention mechanisms such as public 
information campaigns. 
 
¶4.  UNODC, under its National Project on Trafficking in 
Persons in Slovakia, also recently conducted a training 
specifically for law enforcement and judicial officials, in 
Bratislava, September 22-26.  UNODC National Project Officer 
Alexandra Malangone lamented that no Slovak judges were able 
to attend the training, which included presentations by 
international TIP experts such as a British prosecutor who 
successfully prosecuted a case with Slovak TIP victims, and a 
post-traumatic stress disorder expert from the U.K.-based 
Helen Bamber Foundation.  The instructors said the 11 Slovak 
officials (four prosecutors and seven police) who 
participated in the training learned quickly and exhibited a 
resolve to learn more about how they can effectively fight 
TIP. 
 
¶5.  COMMENT: The GOS, through the Ministry of Interior, seems 
to be making a good-faith effort to educate law enforcement 
and social workers about the dangers of TIP, how to prevent 
it, and how to identify and assist victims.  However, since 
most NGO experts agree that the vast majority of Slovak TIP 
victims are Roma, the TIP issue often becomes enmeshed in the 
historical discrimination against the Roma and their limited 
access to State services.  We have seen some attitudes 
changing, but more work remains to be done. 
 
¶6.  COMMENT CONTINUED:  The Slovaks who are charged with TIP 
at the Ministry of Interior are approaching their work 
seriously and methodically, and have good working relations 
with the NGOs also serving TIP victims.  Embassy Bratislava 
will remain active on this issue and welcomes G/TIP and EUR 
support for any regional speaker's program on TIP.  We 
believe a judge or police investigator would be particularly 
useful.  End Comment. 
OBSITNIK