VZCZCXRO0011
RR RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #1304 3181135
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131135Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0581
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 4479
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0696
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 5096
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0963
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0393
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0975
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 4713
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 3000
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0999
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1659
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1576
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2930
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0398
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC 0545

UNCLAS TASHKENT 001304 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA, DRL, AND G/TIP 
G/TIP FOR MEGAN HALL, SCA FOR JESSICA MAZZONE AND BRIAN 
RORAFF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB KTIP KWMN KCRM PGOV PREL SOCI UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: AUTHORITIES TO OPEN REHABILITATION 
CENTER FOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS 
 
REF: A. TASHKENT 1274 
     ¶B. TASHKENT 1225 
     ¶C. TASHKENT 1265 
 
¶1. (U)  On November 11, the state-controlled UzReport.com 
website reported that - in line with a resolution of 
President Karimov's from November 5 - the Ministry of Labor 
will open a national rehabilitation center in Tashkent to 
assist and protect human trafficking victims.  According to 
the website, the rehabilitation center will have 30 beds and 
provide human trafficking victims with food and lodging, as 
well as any necessary medical, psychological, and legal 
assistance; help reestablish contact between victims and 
their relatives; and assist in victims' social 
rehabilitation.  The center will be open to all trafficking 
victims - including Uzbek citizens, foreigners, and stateless 
individuals - who will be accommodated at the center for 30 
days and will be allowed to stay longer if necessary. 
According to the website, the Labor Ministry will appoint the 
center's head in consultation with the government's 
interagency commission on combating human trafficking, and 
the center's operations will be financed by the state. 
 
¶2.  (U) In a separate post from November 10, the 
state-controlled Gzt.uz website added that the rehabilitation 
center will have a staff of 20, who will provide assistance 
to trafficking victims "in accordance with an individual plan 
that will be worked out based on the results of a 
comprehensive examination and assessment of their health and 
need."  The website also reported that the Labor Ministry has 
been given a month to organize the center. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) We have not seen President Karimov's November 5 
resolution, but we will try to procure a copy.  On November 
12, poloff discussed the government's plans to open a shelter 
with International Organization for Migration (IOM) officials 
in Tashkent, who confirmed hearing about the government's 
plan but knew of no additional details (Note: IOM itself is 
unregistered in Uzbekistan, but it operates as a registered 
local NGO, Istiqbolli Avlod.  IOM plans to attempt to 
register in the near future, see ref A.  End note.)  Ministry 
of Interior officials first reported to poloff the 
government's plans to open a shelter for trafficking victims 
in September (ref B).  Also in late September, the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 
office in Tashkent reported that it planned to work with the 
government on training staff for the rehabilitation center 
and developing an appropriate identification and referral 
mechanism (ref C). 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) We applaud the Uzbek's decision to open a 
rehabilitation center, as providing direct assistance to 
trafficking victims was one of the items we specifically 
requested of the government this year.  IOM (as Istiqbolli 
Avlod) already operates two shelters for trafficking victims 
in Tashkent and Bukhara, but these appear to have already 
reached their capacity, and there is now need for additional 
shelters in Uzbekistan.  In designing its own shelter, we 
will urge the government to at least consult with IOM, which 
has many years of experience of providing assistance to 
trafficking victims in Uzbekistan. 
NORLAND