VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKB #0141/01 0540830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230830Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0810

UNCLAS BAKU 000141 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP; G-ACBLANK; INL; DRL; PRM; AND EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP PHUM PREF ELAB KCRM KWMN KFRD SMIG AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 
 
REF: (A) 2008 STATE 132759; (B) 2009 STATE 5577 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (U) Per reftel instructions, Embassy submits answers to 
reftel questions on Trafficking in Persons in Azerbaijan. Point of 
contact is Conoff Scott Whitmore, phone 994-50-206-5617, email: 
whitmoresl@state.gov.  Estimated number of hours spent on report is 
50 hours.  Number/letter format follows that of reftel cable, per 
instructions. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  Anti-TIP efforts in the Republic of Azerbaijan 
are conducted under the direction of the Deputy Minister of Internal 
Affairs (MIA), Vilayet Eyvazov, who serves as the National 
Coordinator for the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons and the 
Anti-TIP Unit which was created in August 2006 and operates under 
the national coordinator's direction within the MIA.  In comparison 
to previous years, the GOAJ has taken important steps to increase 
efforts to combat TIP, including drafting and approving updated 
legislation for both a national referral mechanism (NRM) and new 
national action plan (NAP) approved by the GOAJ in February, 2009. 
They have also improved channels of communication with both NGOs and 
IOs working in this field by reaching out to both for input on this 
new legislation.  Much work remains, however, in the areas of 
prevention and protection.  Despite claims from the GOAJ and from 
several NGOs of an increase in outreach programs, efforts to 
increase awareness are minimal.  Also, the government continues to 
dominate the area of victim protection through their direct funding 
of both the victim hotline and shelter. While the new NAP includes a 
NRM, it has not yet been implemented and there remains no formal 
referral process for TIP victims.  Coordination among the government 
agencies assigned to combat trafficking is infrequent and most 
agencies do not have a dedicated office for combating TIP, making 
actual coordination very difficult.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) THE COUNTRY'S TIP SITUATION 
 
¶A. Trafficking in persons information is available, upon request, 
from the MIA anti-trafficking department.  According to officials 
from this department, they will establish a trafficking website that 
will include real time information on trafficking statistics and 
anti-TIP efforts being conducted.  Other sources of trafficking 
information include yearly reports from international organizations 
IOM, ILO and OSCE.  The newly formed network of local NGOs (NAHTA - 
Network Against Human Trafficking in Azerbaijan) will also produce a 
yearly report on government anti-TIP efforts and provide data on the 
overall TIP situation in Azerbaijan.  Local NGO, Azerbaijan 
Migration Center, produced an alternative TIP report as part of its 
GTIP grant for 2008-2009. 
 
¶B. Azerbaijan is a country of origin and transit.  According to the 
GOAJ, 78 victims of trafficking were identified in 2008 (76 women, a 
two year old boy and a newborn child).  Most victims were from 
Azerbaijan however according to the MIA there was also one Ukrainian 
and two Russian citizens.  According to the director of the 
government hotline shelter there were three victims from another 
country- one victim each from Moldova, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. 
They were in transit through Azerbaijan.(Note: This suggests that 
the actual number and nature of victims may not be accurate as the 
MIA and government shelter are closely connected). According to the 
GOAJ and to several local NGOs, the Azerbaijani exclave of 
Nakhchivan remains a transit point for women trafficked to Turkey. 
It should be noted that there was no reliable information regarding 
trafficking to, from, or through the Azerbaijani territory currently 
occupied by Armenian forces, including Nagorno-Karabakh.  The GOAJ 
does not exercise control over this territory. 
 
According to the GOAJ, Azerbaijani victims were trafficked primarily 
by air to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and 
Russia.  Several NGOs and ILO believe that trafficking for both 
forced labor and sexual exploitation occurs within Azerbaijan but 
exact numbers do not exist.  Local NGos believe that lack of 
specific training for Anti-TIP investigators and a general lack of 
awareness among the public that forced labor is a punishable crime 
are the reasons that no cases of forced labor were reported. 
 
Of the 78 victims identified by GOAJ, five individuals were under 
the age of 18, 34 were between 18-25 years old, 30 were between 
25-35 years old and 9 were over 35.   All were trafficked for sexual 
exploitation. 
 
 
¶C.  Trafficking for sexual exploitation both within and outside 
Azerbaijan occurs in motels, apartments and local sauna and massage 
parlors where prostitution also occurs.  Trafficking for forced 
labor primarily occurs in the agricultural regions outside of Baku 
and within Baku city in the form of street begging. 
 
¶D.  It is difficult to identify vulnerable populations due to the 
overall lack of information on TIP crimes; however, it is believed 
that most victims are women who are lured abroad for better economic 
conditions, including those who knowingly agree to work in the sex 
industry.  Local NGOs reported that traffickers are increasingly 
using the prospect of marriage to lure victims.  This is often 
through religious marriages, which mostly occurs in Azerbaijan's 
southern regions.  In spite of GOAJ and NGO attention to the matter, 
religious and early marriages remain a taboo topic and no concrete 
information is available. 
 
Women continue to be the group at the highest risk for trafficking 
based on the statistics provided by the GOAJ with a growing concern 
that men are being targeted for exploitation of labor both within 
Azerbaijan and also to neighboring countries.  There is no reliable 
source of information to indicate that refugees, orphans and other 
groups of economically disadvantaged people are at risk but members 
of civil society are concerned that these groups are being targeted 
with little effort by the GOAJ to prevent this. 
 
¶E. Since the last reporting date there have been 76 TIP criminal 
cases initiated with 66 cases referred to the court system.  The 
remaining cases are still in the investigative stage.  During the 
year the GOAJ identified 43 unorganized crime groups conducting 
human trafficking operations in Azerbaijan.  The GOAJ did not report 
any activity in trafficking by organized or transnational crime 
groups.  The GOAJ believes that there are no foreign traffickers 
operating in Azerbaijan but it is impossible to confirm that 
statement.  The GOAJ believes that most traffickers are individuals 
who are familiar with their victim or victims and use deception or 
false promises to lure them overseas for sexual exploitation. 
 
Several unconfirmed reports from local NGOs include detailed 
information of widespread involvement of law enforcement officials 
in trafficking in persons within Azerbaijan.  This is usually in the 
form of government officials controlling activities at brothels, 
motels and massage parlors/saunas where both prostitution and forced 
sexual exploitation occurs.  One local NGO provided details on three 
cases involving both women and children allegedly being taken by 
police officers to unknown locations for sexual exploitation and 
held for several months before being released.  According to this 
NGO, most victims are afraid to pursue prosecution because of this 
alleged police involvement in this activity. 
 
¶4. SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
¶A. The GOAJ recognizes that trafficking in persons is a problem. 
 
¶B.  In 2006 a national coordinator for the fight against trafficking 
in persons was created along with a separate Anti-TIP unit also 
formed to combat human trafficking in Azerbaijan.  Both the national 
coordinator and Anti-TIP unit are under the authority of the MIA. 
There is also a national government TIP working group that includes 
the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of National Security, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry 
of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, 
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Health, the 
Prosecutor General's Office, the State Committee for Family, Women 
and Children's Issues, the State Border Services, and the State 
Customs Committee.  The National Coordinator, who is also a deputy 
minister in the MIA, chairs this working group and also has the lead 
for all TIP activities in Azerbaijan. 
 
¶C. Funding for anti-trafficking efforts remains low and 
inconsistent.  There appears to be no specific budget for 
anti-trafficking efforts in any of the ministries assigned to combat 
TIP and despite the passing of a new NAP, this issue remains a 
concern.  For example, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection 
has not built any assistance centers throughout Azerbaijan for the 
rehabilitation of TIP victims, despite being tasked in both the new 
NAP and the previous one from 2004.  According to a TIP advisor from 
this ministry, there has never been money allocated to this issue 
despite sufficient overall funding to the ministry. 
 
Coordination among the ministries and agencies working on TIP also 
remains low and unorganized.  The national government's TIP working 
group rarely meets and there appears to be no primary contact or 
separate office on this issue in any ministry besides MIA, Ministry 
of Labor and Social Protection and Ministry of Justice. 
 
Corruption continues to be a problem throughout Azerbaijan including 
within the government.  While there is no concrete evidence that 
shows GOAJ officials involved in human trafficking, the low salaries 
of these officials increases the likelihood of bribery or other 
forms of corruption.  Regarding victims assistance, the GOAJ 
previously provided a one-time payment to trafficking victims of 
forty dollars which is a small amount based on the cost of living in 
Azerbaijan.  This amount is set to be increased as part of the new 
NAP. 
 
¶D. The GOAJ periodically provides statistics and updates on anti-TIP 
efforts to the USG and other international partners, however, 
detailed reports including information on individual cases are not 
available.  The Anti-TIP Unit conducts weekly meetings with section 
heads and the analytical section prepares weekly, monthly and 
quarterly reports to assist with data review.  The GOAJ claims to 
conduct annual performance evaluations of its investigators however 
the lack of clarity with their responses suggests otherwise.  All 
assessment information is disseminated by the national coordinator 
who provides press releases and interviews highlighting anti-TIP 
efforts. 
 
¶5. (SBU)INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
¶A. In February 2009, the GOAJ passed a new NAP for the period of 
2009-2013.  This new NAP updates the previous legislation on the 
Fight Against Trafficking in Persons and includes article 144.1 
(trafficking for sexual exploitation) and article 144.2 (trafficking 
for forced labor)of the criminal code.  The new NAP was written in 
close consultation with the international community and local NGOs 
and as such, meets international standards and covers a plethora of 
TIP circumstances.  Azerbaijan also adopted the Council of Europe 
Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the new 
legislation is in accordance with this agreement.  The law itself 
bans trafficking for the purposes of human exploitation, which 
includes a broad range of activities including sexual exploitation, 
forced labor, slavery, recruitment for unlawful activity, etc.  The 
law makes no distinction that the activity must involve crossing 
international borders.  The law also sets out an ambitious program 
that relevant authorities within the GOAJ must undertake in order to 
investigate, prosecute, and prevent trafficking, as well as 
provisions for victim protection and rehabilitation. 
Prior to the law's passage and adoption of criminal code amendments, 
traffickers were convicted under the country's laws that covered 
trafficking-related crimes.  Outside of the law specifically 
criminalizing TIP, traffickers may be prosecuted under articles 
prohibiting slavery, rape, forced prostitution, sexual coercion, 
operation of brothels, the trade and transit of minors, and 
involvement of minors under the age of 16 in sexual coercion, 
prostitution or other obscene acts, and travel document forgery. 
Taken together, these laws encompass the full scope of possible 
trafficking activities. 
 
 
In February 2008, as a result of the national TIP working group's 
recommendation, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the order on 
"Rules for Immediate and Unconditional Referral to Anti-TIP Unit." 
This order requires that all relevant law enforcement agencies must 
refer trafficking cases to the Anti-TIP unit and that this unit has 
sole jurisdiction over the investigation of these cases including 
traffickers and victims. 
 
The above represents a full inventory of trafficking laws in 
Azerbaijan, with the relevant penalties described below.  The 2005 
TIP legislation included, for the first time, the possibility of 
confiscation of property.  While roughly equivalent to a civil 
forfeiture law, this provision is included in the criminal code. 
 
¶B. The criminal code amendments passed by Parliament in October 2005 
established the following penalties for human trafficking without 
distinction as to the type of human trafficking: 
 
Trafficking of one human being is punishable by five to ten years' 
imprisonment and confiscation of property. 
 
-- Trafficking of more than one person, committed repeatedly, or 
with various special circumstances is punishable by eight to 12 
years' imprisonment with confiscation of property. 
 
-- Trafficking that results in the death of a victim or other grave 
results due to negligence is punishable by ten to 15 years 
imprisonment with confiscation of property. 
 
The criminal code also outlines penalties for dissemination of 
confidential information about a TIP victim, which is a fine of 100 
to 500 times the nominal fiscal unit, equal to 1 new manat or 
approximately USD 1.19, (the average monthly salary is approximately 
USD 300); up to 240 hours of community service; or up to one year of 
correctional labor.  Should the same act be committed by a person 
using his or her official status, the fine is increased to 500 to 
1,000 times the average monthly salary; one year of correctional 
labor; or up to six months' imprisonment.  If the same actions 
include grave results, the punishment is one to five years' 
imprisonment. 
 
¶C. Trafficking for labor exploitation, like other forms of 
trafficking, is punishable as human trafficking under the criminal 
code, with penalties as described above.  While labor recruiters in 
labor source countries are convicted under the article on human 
trafficking, employers and labor agents who confiscate workers' 
 
passports and keep workers in a state of service are convicted under 
the separate article on forced labor.  This is punishable by up to 
two years of correctional work or imprisonment, unless it is 
organized and carried out by a group, in which case the law would 
consider it an aggravating circumstance and increase the punishment 
to three to five years of imprisonment.  As mentioned above, there 
were no cases of trafficking for labor exploitation reported by the 
GOAJ. 
 
¶D. Under the criminal code provisions, traffickers prosecuted for 
sexual violence (which can include rape, compulsion to prostitution, 
compulsory sterilization or commitment against persons of other 
actions connected to sexual violence) may receive a jail sentence of 
ten to 15 years or life imprisonment.  Rape itself is punishable by 
four to 15 years.  Violent actions of a sexual nature carry a 
sentence of three to eight years, or up to 15 if the victim is a 
minor, dies, or contracts HIV.  Coercion into sexual actions is 
punishable by a fine, corrective works, or imprisonment up to three 
years.  The more punitive charges are in line with the penalties for 
sex trafficking. 
 
¶E. During 2008, the GOAJ reported that it identified 76 instances of 
human trafficking and 66 trafficking in persons criminal cases were 
opened.  Five cases were still under investigation at year's end. 
Out of the remaining 61 cases, all were sent to the courts for 
prosecution.  Of these 61 cases, 33 individuals were sentenced to 
imprisonment from 2 to 6 years; 10 individuals were sentenced to 
imprisonment from 6 to 8 years and 14 individuals received 
probational sentences of 1 to 3 years due to severe illness or 
disability.  The remaining 4 cases were not determined to be human 
trafficking: 2 individuals were absolved of violations under 
Criminal Code article 144-1 (human trafficking) but were convicted 
under article 243 of the Criminal Code (pimping) and received 
probation of 1 year and 6 months and 2 individuals were convicted 
under article 243 (pimping) and imposed fines of $900USD. 
 
¶F. According to the anti-trafficking unit, their staff members have 
attended seminars and conferences in Austria, Finland, Poland, 
France, Ukraine, Estonia and Turkey. Additionally, they have 
participated in trainings and seminars organized by the European 
Union,ILO, OSCE, IOM and  the US Embassy. 
 
The US Embassy has organized a TIP victim treatment workshop for 
GOAJ officials including investigators, prosecutors and judges.  INL 
has also funded a one year TIP advisor position through IOM to 
develop capacity within the government affiliated hotline and 
shelter.  This advisor also works closely with GOAJ anti-TIP staff 
on professional development programs and organized two exchanges to 
Turkey and Ukraine to observe TIP hotline and shelter operations. 
The TIP advisor has also played an integral role in the formation of 
the NAHTA, new NGO network of independent NGOs from both Baku and 
the regions committed to fighting TIP. 
 
¶G. The GOAJ has signed bilateral extradition agreements with Turkey, 
Pakistan and UAE.  The GOAJ has not received any requests from other 
countries to assist with international investigations or extraditing 
citizens accused of trafficking in other countries in 2008. 
 
¶H. As mentioned above, the GOAJ is not currently working with any 
other countries to extradite citizens from Azerbaijan.  In 
principle, the GOAJ allows for the extradition of Azerbaijani 
nationals to other countries where a crime was committed; however 
the GOAJ has said it has no prior experience with this situation. 
According to its procedures the GOAJ considers the place of 
origination for trafficking as the jurisdiction under which 
traffickers should be prosecuted.  This means if an Azerbaijani 
citizen committed a crime in a different country and returned to 
Azerbaijan, the GOAJ would extradite that person if there was an 
extradition agreement in place. 
 
¶I. The GOAJ reported that there were no government officials 
involved in trafficking nor were there any investigations opened 
into possible involvement of trafficking by a government official. 
 
 
However, according to several local NGOs, police are alleged to 
control many, if not most, of the saunas, motels and massage parlors 
in Baku and the regions where prostitution and possibly trafficking 
occurs.  We have no evidence of official investment or direct 
involvement in these businesses.  One NGO provided details from 
alleged victims of trafficking who were taken by law enforcement 
officials to an undisclosed location for sexual exploitation over 
the course of several months before being released.  Their families 
were allegedly threatened by police not to press charges.  Another 
instance involved a woman taken to a massage parlor in Baku by a 
police officer where she was sexually exploited.  The woman claimed 
that this establishment was either owned or controlled by the local 
police. 
 
The GOAJ reported that investigations on law enforcement officials 
are conducted internally by the MIA itself and by the Ministry of 
National Security.  No details were provided as to how these 
investigations are conducted and by whom.  It is highly unlikely 
that no government official is involved in TIP considering the 
current environment of corruption and instances of police corruption 
in other areas. 
 
The GOAJ reported that the 2007 case involving several airport 
officials accused of trafficking was closed. The result of the 
investigation and court case revealed that one official was 
convicted of treason.  The GOAJ explained that the media had 
incorrectly reported this case in the news and they claim the case 
involved only one official who was involved with treason. 
 
Regarding the case of the deputy police chief alleged to be involved 
with trafficking; a respected NGO conducted an independent 
investigation and concluded that there was no trafficking. 
According to the GOAJ, this case was investigated and no police 
involvement in any criminal activity was discovered.  The case is 
still in court proceedings. 
 
¶J.  As mentioned above, there have been no criminal cases of 
government officials involved in trafficking for 2008. 
 
¶K. Prostitution is illegal in Azerbaijan.  The activities of a 
prostitute, brothel owner/operator, pimp, and enforcer are all 
criminalized and the laws are enforced.  The actions of clients are 
not criminalized. 
 
¶L. This paragraph does not apply to Azerbaijan. 
 
¶M. There is no evidence of child sex tourism in Azerbaijan. 
 
¶6. (SBU)PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
 
¶A. The Law on Trafficking passed in 2005 provides for relief from 
deportation for victims for up to one year.  If a victim cooperates 
in the investigation, the victim is entitled to stay until the court 
case is completed.  A victim can also apply to the relevant 
government authorities for immigrant status. 
 
¶B. In October 2006, the GOAJ opened a permanent shelter for TIP 
Victims which is now fully renovated and operational. The shelter 
has the capacity to handle 45 people at one time and provides access 
to legal, medical, and psychological services for TIP victims. 
Families of underage TIP victims can also be housed in the shelter. 
Victims are allowed to stay in the shelter for an initial 30 days 
and may reapply to the shelter director for additional one month 
periods. The shelter is run by a local NGO closely associated with 
the GOAJ and which primarily receives funding from the GOAJ.  There 
are limited medical facilities on site but the shelter has an 
agreement with a nearby hospital to treat victims in need of medical 
attention.  The GOAJ also arranges legal, medical and psychological 
assistance to victims if the victim requests it.  Local NGOs report 
that many victims prefer to seek shelter through friends or other 
NGOs that are viewed as more independent from the GOAJ.  There are 
no exact numbers or data to show the extent of this housing method. 
 
In February, 2008, the GOAJ also opened a national TIP hotline that 
is funded by the GOAJ and run by a local NGO.  The hotline is 
located in a building that is still under renovation; frequent power 
failures, inadequate heat for operators and construction noise are 
problems that plague this hotline.  The GOAJ, in cooperation with 
the IOM TIP advisor, created a posteradvertising the hotline number 
and distributed to NGOs and government agencies working on TIP. 
 
C.The GOAJ has created a trafficking victims fund through the 
Ministry of Social Protection and Labor and money is also received 
from the Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons State Committee to 
assist with food and clothing.  According to the GOAJ, trafficking 
victims receive a one time payment equivalent to $40 for relocation 
assistance.  As stated above, the GOAJ provides funding to the NGOs 
that operate the shelter and hotline. 
 
The GOAJ provides trafficking victims with access to legal, medical, 
and psychological services although there currently does not appear 
to be an effective referral mechanism process in place. 
 
The GOAJ recently created a grant program for NGOs working on TIP 
however it is not widely advertised and only one NGO has applied and 
was refused the grant.  It is implemented by the MIA however funding 
for this grant program is not fixed from year to year. 
 
¶D. The GOAJ assists foreign trafficking victims by allowing them to 
remain in Azerbaijan for one year before deportation. 
 
¶E. According to the NAP, the GOAJ is responsible for rehabilitating 
TIP victims.  Actual efforts in this area remain low.  Despite a 
requirement in the previous NAP to open rehabilitation assistance 
centers throughout Azerbaijan, none have been opened and funding for 
these centers is doubtful.  One assistance center was opened in Baku 
last year but is not operational due to lack of funding and 
training.  There are no long term housing or living assistance 
benefits for TIP victims. 
 
¶F. The new NAP includes guidelines on the creation of a new national 
referral mechanism.  However, this NRM remains in draft form and is 
scheduled to be approved by the cabinet of ministers no later than 
the beginning of April according to the NAP legislation.  Most 
victims are identified by GOAJ law enforcement officials who then 
refer them to the government shelter.  There does not appear to be a 
formal referral process involving victims being referred by the GOAJ 
to NGOs. 
 
¶G. The GOAJ identified 78 trafficking victims for 2008.  Of these, 
52 were referred by law enforcement officials to the government 
shelter.  The average length of stay was two weeks.  No victims were 
referred by social services officials.  NGOs identified and referred 
three victims to the government shelter.  According to one NGO it is 
estimated that 40 TIP victims were identified and under the care of 
local NGOs. 
 
¶H. There is no formal system of proactively identifying victims of 
trafficking among high-risk persons by government officials. 
 
¶I. The Embassy has received no reports of trafficking victims being 
jailed.  The GOAJ reported that former victims of trafficking have 
been convicted for involving others in prostitution, but we have no 
evidence that victims of trafficking have been prosecuted for 
violations of the law because of their actions while being 
trafficked. 
 
¶J. The GOAJ encourages victims to assist in the investigation and 
prosecution of traffickers.  Exact figures on the number of victims 
who assisted the GOAJ are not known.  The TIP law permits a victim 
to gain employment elsewhere if he or she is a witness in a case 
against a trafficker; it also permits a victim to remain in the 
country if he or she wishes.  Trafficking victims rarely file civil 
suits or seek legal action against the traffickers, but there are no 
legal restrictions on their ability to do so.  There are no 
restrictions on a witness' actions during a court case.  According 
to a report from a local NGO, 27 of the 40 victims of human 
trafficking which are under protection of NGOs filed a civil claim 
for restitution.  The minimum amount seized from the traffickers was 
$2500 and the maximum amount was $13000. 
 
¶K. In 2008, the GOAJ reported that the MIA conducted TIP-related 
training for employees of the Police Academy, the Ministry of 
Justice's Legal Education Center, and the Prosecutor General's 
Office's Education Center.  Under the GOAJ's TIP legislation, 
embassies and consulates are instructed to provide quickly the 
necessary documentation for victims abroad to return to Azerbaijan. 
There were no instances of embassies or consulates providing 
assistance to trafficking victims during the reporting period. 
 
¶L. The GOAJ provides medical assistance and shelter to repatriated 
victims at the TIP victims' assistance shelter.  Victims of 
trafficking are entitled to financial compensation under the TIP 
law. 
 
¶M.  IOM conducts substantive research on the trafficking problem in 
Azerbaijan and also works directly with victims although the lack of 
a dedicated staff member to TIP has hindered IOM's ability to 
address this issue.  The USG, IOM, ILO and OSCE provide guidance and 
conduct anti-TIP programs.  ILO organized a workshop regarding 
drafting and implementing a national action plan that was attended 
by local NGOs, IOs and GOAJ officials from the relevant agencies 
including the national coordinator for the fight against TIP.  ILO 
has also created a steering committee for their Anti-TIP program 
consisting of members from these same organizations.  There are a 
number of domestic 
NGOs that also deal with the problem of trafficking, including Clean 
World, the Women's Crisis Center, the Center for Legal Assistance to 
Migrants, Symmetry, the Forum of Azerbaijan NGOs on Migration 
(FANGOM, a network of 35 NGOs), and the Azerbaijan Children's Union. 
 There are also several regional NGOs that concentrate on 
trafficking programming.  These NGOs serve primarily as contact 
points for at-risk populations and engage in some information 
campaigns about the dangers of trafficking.  Two of these 
organizations also informally shelter local and foreign trafficking 
victims.  The Center for Legal Assistance to Migrants provides free 
legal services to trafficking victims and works with other NGOs to 
coordinate services.  The Women's Crisis Center operates a crisis 
hotline and provides free legal, psychological, and medical 
services. 
 
7.(SBU)PREVENTION 
 
¶A. In 2008 the GOAJ, together with over 30 NGOs dealing with 
trafficking, conducted seminars in high schools and higher education 
institutions in 70 cities and regions throughout the country to 
examine the causes and conditions of trafficking crimes and to raise 
awareness among the youth, the local executive authorities, 
municipalities and local police officers of these regions. 
 
The GOAJ also conducted an advertising campaign, working with both 
newspapers and television stations to raise awareness of the issue 
among the general public. A series of informative articles on TIP 
were printed in Azerbaijan, People and Echo newspapers and several 
television channels (AzTV, Lider TV, ITV, Khazar TV, ATV, ANS TV) 
have shown short documentaries on TIP and anti-TIP officials and 
local NGOs have conducted several interviews on talk shows. 
 
The television channels AzTV and ITV have aired public service 
announcements on the topic of prevention of human trafficking and 
the Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs funded and 
produced a documentary called Protect me that aired on several 
television stations. 
 
¶B. The GOAJ does not actively monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking.  The State Migration Service 
is responsible for tracking and issuing work permits issued to 
foreigners.  However, there is no separate department within this 
agency trained in identifying trafficking victims. 
 
¶C. The GOAJ coordinates communication between various government 
bodies and international institutions.  The multi-agency task force 
is headed by the National TIP Coordinator, who is also the Deputy 
Minister of Internal Affairs.  The task force is composed of 
department heads from the Ministries of Justice, National Security, 
Labor and Social Welfare, Youth and Sport, Culture and Tourism, 
Economic Development, and Health, as well as the Prosecutor 
General's Office, the President's Office, the State Border Service, 
and the State Customs Committee.  The National Coordinator serves as 
the single point of contact for anti-TIP efforts. 
 
¶D. In February 2009, the GOAJ adopted an updated National Action 
Plan (NAP) that will cover the period from 2009 to 2013.  This plan 
was developed in close coordination with international organizations 
and NGOs.  Several roundtables were held by the GOAJ that involved 
representatives from IOs, embassies, NGOs and the media and the GOAJ 
incorporated many of the suggestions provided by these organizations 
into the final legislation.  Most NGOs and IOs agreed that the 
relationship with the GOAJ was much more cooperative in comparison 
to previous years.  The NAP is already in effect and will be 
implemented by the Cabinet of Ministers and coordinated by the 
national coordinator at the MIA. 
 
The GOAJ takes the lead on Anti-TIP efforts. However, relations with 
NGOs, IOs and other civil society organizations are mixed.  The GOAJ 
has shown a willingness to cooperate on training programs with IO's 
and the USG as well as providing access to statistical data. 
However, access to Anti-TIP staff and detailed information on 
individual cases is difficult.  Meetings with Anti-TIP unit staff 
require written approval from the national coordinator and despite 
promises to provide information on individual trafficking 
investigations none have been provided as of the date of this 
report.  The GOAJ claims to work with over 30 NGOs and to have 
organized a meeting in April 2007 with 21 NGOs working on TIP in 
Azerbaijan.  However, local NGOs and IOs have stated that they often 
are not included in GOAJ decisions nor are their suggestions 
elicited by the GOAJ.  There is the belief among domestic NGOs and 
IOs that the government cooperates more with friendly NGOs and keeps 
at a distance those they consider to be opposition organizations. 
There was a credible report of the GOAJ refusing to attend TIP 
training because one of the presenters was considered to be a member 
of such an opposition organization. 
 
¶E.  The GOAJ has attempted to reduce the demand for commercial sex 
acts through a combination of law enforcement and improved social 
programs for unemployed and low-income groups.  The GOAJ has 
targeted brothels, hotels and saunas for sting operations to 
identify and arrest those involved in prostitution or other illegal 
sexual activities.  The GOAJ also passed several laws on social 
assistance and poverty reduction with the aim of reducing the 
likelihood of involvement in this field by vulnerable groups. 
 
¶F. The GOAJ has taken no specific steps to reduce participation in 
international child sex tourism by nationals of Azerbaijan. 
 
 
DERSE