VZCZCXRO5781
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DE RUEHPS #0066/01 0491711
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181711Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRISTINA
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0029
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 4460
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 0105
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 7512
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 4990
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 6405
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1631
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHFMIUU/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUZEJAA/USNIC PRISTINA SR PRIORITY
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 PRISTINA 000066 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G-ACBLANK, EUR, EUR/SCE, DRL, INL, PRM, EUR/PGI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KJUS EAID KDEM KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC
PREF, ELAB, KV 
SUBJECT: NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT FOR KOSOVO 
PART 3 OF 3 
 
REF: STATE 132759 
 
¶66. (SBU) UNMIK Regulation 2001/4 protects trafficking victims from 
being charged with prostitution or illegal entry, as well as from 
being deported.  It also provides for review of requests for refugee 
status and for approval of residency permits, if appropriate. 
Victims who do not wish to accept assistance are released, but they 
may be subject to re-arrest and deportation if they work as 
prostitutes. 
 
Question 26B:  Does the country have victim care facilities 
(shelters or drop-in centers) which are accessible to trafficking 
victims?  Do foreign victims have the same access to care as 
domestic trafficking victims?  Where are child victims placed (e.g., 
in shelters, foster care, or juvenile justice detention centers)? 
Does the country have specialized care for adults in addition to 
children? Does the country have specialized care for male victims as 
well as female?   Does the country have specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping victims of trafficking? Are these facilities 
operated by the government or by NGOs?  What is the funding source 
of these facilities? Please estimate the amount the government spent 
(in U.S. dollar equivalent) on these specialized facilities 
dedicated to helping trafficking victims during the reporting 
period. 
 
¶67. (SBU) There are three designated VOT shelters in Kosovo: Hope 
and Homes for Children (HAH), the Center for the Protection of 
Victims and Prevention of Trafficking in Human Beings (PVPT), and 
the Interim Security Facility (ISF).  HAH and PVPT are run by 
independent NGOs, but they both receive significant government 
funding.  HAH receives 100% from the GOK, and 20% of PVPT's funding 
comes from the government.  The ISF is a government operated shelter 
for high-risk VOT.  All trafficking victims are accorded shelter and 
access to legal, medical, and psychological services.  Foreign 
victims receive the same care as domestic trafficking victims.  Most 
medical and psychological services are provided through the 
shelters.  The IOM reports that in isolated cases, VOT with specific 
medical conditions have not received all the treatment needed due to 
a lack of funds. 
 
¶68. (SBU) HAH and PVPT provide the same services as the ISF, but 
they do not provide the same high level of security.  Hope and Homes 
operates one shelter while the PVPT operates one shelter and a 
separate rehabilitation center focusing on long-term treatment 
designed to reintegrate VOT into ordinary life.    Domestic violence 
shelters on occasion also accept trafficking victims in cases of 
emergency. 
 
¶69. (SBU) The only government-run facility dedicated to trafficking 
victims is the ISF, operated by the Ministry of Justice's (MOJ).  It 
is funded by the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and supervised by 
Ministry of Justice Victims Assistance and Advocacy Division (VAAD) 
staff.  It provides temporary shelter, medical care, clothing, 
counseling, educational assistance, recreational activities, and 
other services to victims while they consider whether to be 
repatriated or wait to testify against traffickers in criminal 
proceedings.  The average stay in the ISF is three weeks to one 
month and only the highest risk victims would normally stay longer; 
however, there are no limitations on how long victims may remain at 
any of the shelters.  The MOJ reported that it spent 50,556 Euro 
($64,786) on the ISF in 2008.  Between April 2008 and January 2009, 
15 victims (including five foreigners) stayed at the ISF facility. 
 
¶70. (SBU) Child VOT are treated in accordance with the SOPs 
described in paragraphs 63-65 and can take refuge at the HAH 
shelter, which is intended solely for children and does not accept 
adults.  Foster care is an option for long-term care for child VOT. 
The two other shelters, PVPT and the ISF, specialize in protecting 
adults.  Although PVPT and the ISF are theoretically open to both 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  002 OF 008 
 
 
men and women, in practice neither accepts men.  The victim of organ 
trafficking was not accepted at either shelter and remained at 
Pristina University Hospital until he was repatriated. 
 
¶71. (SBU) During the reporting period, Hopes and Homes (the shelter 
exclusively for children) did not assist any VOT.  PVPT assisted 
eight victims; the ISF assisted 15 for a total of 23 VOT.  In March 
the ICMPD provided a computer and database to permit more accurate 
tracking of VOT using the shelters.  The GOK is still incorporating 
this project into its anti-TIP efforts. 
 
Question 26C:  Does the government provide trafficking victims with 
access to legal, medical and psychological services? If so, please 
specify the kind of assistance provided. Does the government provide 
funding or other forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs and/or 
international organizations for providing these services to 
trafficking victims?  Please explain and provide any funding amounts 
in U.S. dollar equivalent.  If assistance provided was in-kind, 
please specify exact assistance.  Please specify if funding for 
assistance comes from a federal budget or from regional or local 
governments. 
 
¶72. (SBU) Through HAH, PVPT, and the ISF, the GOK provides VOT with 
access to legal, medical, and psychological services.  All three 
shelters provide refuge, medical care, counseling, educational 
assistance, recreational activities, and other services to victims. 
The GOK provides 24-hour protection to victims and allows them to 
give anonymous testimony if they decide to become witnesses in cases 
against their traffickers.  KPS officers perform risk assessments of 
all trafficking victims.  They refer the high-risk victims to the 
Ministry of Justice-run Interim Security Facility (ISF), a high 
security shelter that offers 24-hour protection.  They refer the 
low- and medium-risk victims to HAH or PVPT, which allow more 
freedom of movement and are generally more conducive to longer stays 
and reintegration. 
 
¶73. (SBU) The GOK, in cooperation with international donors, 
provides funding for all three VOT shelters.  Currently, the GOK 
funds 100% of HAH at a cost of 102,000 Euro ($133,801) and 20% of 
PVPT's budget, at a cost of 18,900 Euro ($24,792) per year.  The GOK 
also funds the ISF at an annual cost of 50,556 Euro ($64,786). 
(Note: Due to lack of funding the PVPT was forced to cease 
operations from December 2007 until August 2008, and HAH was forced 
to close one shelter for the same reason.  The GOK provided the 
vital funding to ensure their continued viability in 2008, and in 
the case of the PVPT, to expand its operations through the opening 
on its new rehabilitation center. End Note.) 
 
Question 26D: Does the government assist foreign trafficking 
victims, for example, by providing temporary to permanent residency 
status, or other relief from deportation?  If so, please explain. 
 
¶74. (SBU) The GOK assists foreign VOT with the same care that 
domestic victims receive.  UNMIK Regulation 2001/4 protects 
trafficking victims from being charged with prostitution or illegal 
entry, as well as from being deported.  It also provides for review 
of requests for refugee status and for approval of residency 
permits, if appropriate.  Victims who do not wish to accept 
assistance are released, but they may be subject to re-arrest and 
deportation if they work as prostitutes. 
 
Question 26E: Does the government provide longer-term shelter or 
housing benefits to victims or other resources to aid the victims in 
rebuilding their lives? 
 
¶75. (SBU) The GOK provides rehabilitation services in cooperation 
with international organizations and NGOs, but these are limited and 
are offered through the shelters.  There is no time limit to how 
long VOT may remain at the shelters, and all shelters provide access 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  003 OF 008 
 
 
to legal, medical, and psychological services, educational 
assistance, recreational activities, and other services.  Only the 
PVPT provides long-term reintegration care through its 
Rehabilitation Center.  In 2006, the International Labor 
Organization (ILO) project initiated to map services available to 
VOT and published their results.  The ILO reports that despite the 
existence of this reference, social workers are not always aware of 
resources that are available to victims. 
 
¶76. (SBU) Minors may be sent to HAH or the ISF depending on their 
risk level.  Local Centers for Social Work (CSW) handle the minors' 
cases, and report directly to the Ministry of Labor and Social 
Welfare (MLSW).  A foster care option exists, but UNICEF is 
concerned that insufficient opportunities exist for girls who do not 
want to return to their families.  They said some return to 
dysfunctional families that contributed to their initial 
trafficking, thus increasing their potential for re-victimization. 
 
Question 26F: Does the government have a referral process to 
transfer victims detained, arrested or placed in protective custody 
by law enforcement authorities to institutions that provide short- 
or long-term care (either government or NGO-run)? 
 
¶77. (SBU) Law enforcement officers in Kosovo receive training on 
identifying possible victims of trafficking.  As soon as they 
encounter a possible victim of trafficking, they follow Kosovo's 
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which were designed with the 
help of UNMIK, international organizations, and NGOs in 2006.  The 
GOK further updated the procedures in October 2008. See paragraphs 
63-65 for more details. 
 
Question 26G: What is the total number of trafficking victims 
identified during the reporting period? Of these, how many victims 
were referred to care facilities for assistance by law enforcement 
authorities during the reporting period?  By social services 
officials?  What is the number of victims assisted by 
government-funded assistance programs and those not funded by the 
government during the reporting period? 
 
¶78. (SBU) From April 1, 2008 through January 15, 2009, the KPS 
assisted 24 victims, and the IOM assisted nine. (See paragraph 71 
for a more detailed discussion of the numbers.)  The CSW assisted 
eight victims in 2008, and another in January 2009. As discussed 
earlier, there is no single database to track all VOT or determine 
how many took refuge in shelters.  During the reporting period, the 
ISF (a GOK funded shelter) sheltered 15 VOT, and PVPT (partially 
funded by the GOK) provided shelter for eight VOT.  HAH, a GOK 
funded shelter solely for children, did not shelter any VOT during 
the reporting period.  It is not clear how many of the 23 VOT the 
ISF and PVPT sheltered were initially identified by the KPS or IOM. 
 
 
Question 26H: Do the government's law enforcement, immigration, and 
social services personnel have a formal system of proactively 
identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom 
they come in contact (e.g., foreign persons arrested for 
prostitution or immigration violations)?  For countries with 
legalized prostitution, does the government have a mechanism for 
screening for trafficking victims among persons involved in the 
legal/regulated commercial sex trade? 
 
¶79. (SBU) Law enforcement officers, immigration, and social services 
personnel in Kosovo receive training on identifying possible victims 
of trafficking.  As soon as they encounter a possible victim of 
trafficking, they follow Kosovo's Standard Operating Procedures 
(SOPs), which were designed with the help of UNMIK, international 
organizations, and NGOs in 2006.  The GOK further updated the 
procedures in October 2008. (See paragraphs 63-65 for more details.) 
 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  004 OF 008 
 
 
 
¶80. (SBU) Kosovo does not have legalized prostitution. 
 
Question 26I: Are the rights of victims respected?  Are trafficking 
victims detained or jailed?  If so, for how long?  Are victims 
fined?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, such as 
those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
¶81. (SBU) According to IOM and others involved in 
counter-trafficking work in Kosovo, victims' rights are generally 
respected.  Problems have been reported in the past where VOT were 
jailed or deported, but allegations of such treatment did not 
resurface during the reporting period.  Deportations of foreign VOT 
may occur when victims arrested for prostitution vehemently deny 
being victims.  The KPS report that in such cases they have little 
choice but to deport the individuals in the absence of evidence of 
trafficking. 
 
¶82. (SBU) Other problems in previous years included victims who 
wished to remain anonymous coming into contact with their 
traffickers in courts due to lax security procedures.  There were no 
examples of this occurring in 2008.  Private interview rooms for 
victims now exist at police stations in Ferizaj/Urosevac, 
Gjilan/Gnjilane, Mitrovice/Mitrovica, Peje/Pec, Pristina, and 
Prizren, where victims can make their statement in a more secure 
environment. 
 
Question 26J: Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  How many victims 
assisted in the investigation and prosecution of traffickers during 
the reporting period? May victims file civil suits or seek legal 
action against traffickers?  Does anyone impede victim access to 
such legal redress?  If a victim is a material witness in a court 
case against a former employer, is the victim permitted to obtain 
other employment or to leave the country pending trial proceedings? 
Are there means by which a victim may obtain restitution? 
 
¶83. (SBU) Victims are encouraged to assist in the investigation and 
prosecution of traffickers, but are not pressured to do so. 
Victims' advocates are with them from identification through 
reintegration and explain their rights every step of the way. 
Between April 2008 and January 2009, two victims assisted in the 
investigation and prosecution of their traffickers. 
 
¶84. (SBU) In addition to testifying against their traffickers, 
victims may file civil suits or seek legal action against their 
traffickers.  Victims, as injured parties, may seek damages in 
criminal trials and may pursue their claims in civil litigation. 
Under Kosovo law, if the court orders confiscation of material 
benefit in a criminal case, injured parties may be entitled to seek 
compensation from the confiscated property.  According to the IOM, 
no one impeded victims' rights to such legal redress during the 
reporting period.  Victims who are material witnesses in court cases 
against former employers are permitted to obtain other employment, 
but may not leave Kosovo. 
 
¶85. (SBU) The VAAD reports that a VOT restitution program exists, 
but has never been used.  The Asset Forfeiture Law, which is 
designed to seize the assets of traffickers for the benefit of VOT, 
is still in the drafting phase and has not yet been submitted to the 
Assembly, Kosovo's legislative body. 
 
Question 26K. Does the government provide any specialized training 
for government officials in identifying trafficking victims and in 
the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the 
special needs of trafficked children?  Does the government provide 
training on protections and assistance to its embassies and 
consulates in foreign countries that are destination or transit 
countries?  What is the number of trafficking victims assisted by 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  005 OF 008 
 
 
the host country's embassies or consulates abroad during the 
reporting period?  Please explain the type of assistance provided 
(travel documents, referrals to assistance, payment for 
transportation home). 
 
¶86. (SBU) The GOK trains government officials and anti-trafficking 
partners on recognizing trafficking and providing assistance to 
victims, including minors, mostly in cooperation with its 
anti-trafficking partners in the NGO and international organization 
communities.  During the reporting period, the KPS Training 
Department officers provided specialized and Balkans-specific 
training to recruits at the Kosovo Center for Public Safety, 
Education, and Development.  Additionally, KPS Training Department 
officers provided basic TIP training to 56 police recruits and 
officers.  The KPS also provided training for an additional 13 
Training of Trainers (TOT) during 2008.  Further TIP training was 
provided by international organizations like the UNDP, the IOM, the 
Kosovo Judicial Council, as well as by neighboring and other 
countries. 
 
¶87. (SBU) Kosovo declared independence on February 17, and is still 
in the process of establishing embassies and consulates. None of 
Kosovo's embassies or consulates provided protection or assistance 
to victims of trafficking during the reporting period. 
 
Question 26L: Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help to its nationals who are 
repatriated as victims of trafficking? 
 
¶88. (SBU) The VAAD reports that the GOK does provide assistance to 
repatriated Kosovo citizens who are trafficking victims.  If they 
are placed in a shelter, they receive the same services available to 
victims identified in Kosovo.  IOM reports that there is, however, 
no other support for victims once they leave the shelter.  In the 
case of minors, social workers are involved with family mediation 
and school re-insertion and may point victims in the direction of 
other assistance. 
 
Question 26M: Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, 
work with trafficking victims?  What type of services do they 
provide?  What sort of cooperation do they receive from local 
authorities? 
 
¶89. (SBU) While many international organizations and NGOs work on 
the trafficking issue, IOM is the only one working directly with 
victims.  Hope and Homes for Children and PVPT were originally 
international NGOs, but have since spun off and become local NGOs. 
 
¶90. (SBU) For foreign victims, IOM provides case screening and 
management, psychosocial counseling inside shelters or referrals for 
outside psychiatric and psychological assistance, medical 
assistance, in-depth needs assessments, travel arrangements, travel 
documents for victims whose passports have been confiscated by 
traffickers, travel supplies and reinstallation grants, organization 
of safe transportation to departure points (in cooperation with KPS 
and based on medical and security concerns), coordination with 
receiving IOM mission, and offers escorts for minors and medical 
cases when necessary. 
 
¶91. (SBU) For local victims, the IOM provides, in cooperation with 
local NGOs, short and medium-term sheltering in preparation for 
family reunification or independent living, family mediation (in 
cooperation with social workers when victims are minors), 
psychological counseling and psychiatric assistance, material 
support for victims and/or families, access to education, 
education-related expenses, vocational training, job placement, 
awareness-raising, facilitation of relocation out of Kosovo for 
witnesses and their families, and monitoring and follow-up. 
 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  006 OF 008 
 
 
¶92. (SBU) IOM, HAH, and PVPT report good cooperation with the 
government. 
 
Question 27A: Did the government conduct anti-trafficking 
information or education campaigns during the reporting period?  If 
so, briefly describe the campaign(s), including their objectives and 
effectiveness.  Please provide the number of people reached by such 
awareness efforts, if available.  Do these campaigns target 
potential trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking 
(e.g. "clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)? 
(Note: This can be an especially noteworthy effort where 
prostitution is legal. End Note.) 
 
¶93. (SBU) Most anti-trafficking campaigns were run by international 
organizations and NGOs with the GOK's support and under the auspices 
of the KAP.  The National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator (NATC) said 
Kosovo focused mostly on potential trafficking victims but used 
commercials to warn would-be traffickers of the possible 
consequences of their actions. 
 
¶94. (SBU) The MOIA held four TIP discussion sessions with students 
at the University of Pristina.  The Ministry of Education, Science 
and Technology conducted two anti-TIP training sessions at schools 
in Kacanik, including the distribution of anti-TIP materials, and an 
anti-TIP class given by certified trainers.  The Ministry of Culture 
held 14 anti-TIP workshops for young children and adolescents. 
¶95. (SBU) International organizations and NGOs supported the GOK's 
efforts throughout the year with their own educational campaigns. 
The best example is the OSCE-sponsored "Rock to Break the Silence - 
Report Trafficking" campaign.  An intensive 16 day long campaign 
organized with the support of the GOK, it was designed to increase 
awareness of TIP and inform vulnerable populations of their options 
as well as how to protect themselves.  The campaign consisted of 
advertisements on television, radio, billboards, posters, leaflets, 
press conferences, and ended with a rock concert attended by 4,000 
people. 
Question 27B: Does the government monitor immigration and emigration 
patterns for evidence of trafficking?  Do law enforcement agencies 
screen for potential trafficking victims along borders? 
 
¶96. (SBU) KPS and Border Police monitor immigration patterns for 
evidence of trafficking.  Foreigners staying in Kosovo more than 90 
days are required to register with the Directorate for Foreigners 
and Migration Office unless they are employees of KFOR, 
international organizations or foreign diplomatic missions. 
 
¶97. (SBU) The KPS and Border Police officers also report that they 
routinely look for potential victims of trafficking entering 
Kosovo's border and the Pristina Airport.  When they suspect a woman 
or girl may be a victim or potential victim of trafficking, they 
separate her from others with whom she is traveling in order to 
question her, warn her of the risks of trafficking and give her 
information on what to do if she becomes a victim of trafficking. 
The Border Police cooperate closely with KPS. 
 
¶98. (SBU) The Border Police monitor emigration patterns to try to 
understand possible criminal networks trafficking women and girls 
from Kosovo to other European countries. 
 
Question 27C: Is there a mechanism for coordination and 
communication between various agencies, internal, international, and 
multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a multi-agency 
working group or a task force? 
 
¶99. (SBU) The Inter-Ministerial Working Group coordinates and 
communicates between the various agencies of the GOK.  Meeting once 
a month, the Group is chaired by the NATC and is composed of members 
of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW), Ministry of 
Health, Ministry of Economics and Finance, Ministry of Justice, CSW, 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  007 OF 008 
 
 
VAAD, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance 
Program (ICITAP), Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE), IOM, HAH, and PVPT.  There are also four other 
working groups to tackle prevention, protection, prosecution, and 
trafficking in children.  VAAD also reported the operation of the 
Direct Assistance Group, which meets on an as-needed basis. 
Consisting of the MLSW, VAAD, OSCE, PVPT, and HAH, they meet only to 
discuss difficult cases. 
 
Question 27D: Does the government have a national plan of action to 
address trafficking in persons?  If the plan was developed during 
the reporting period, which agencies were involved in developing it? 
 Were NGOs consulted in the process?  What steps has the government 
taken to implement the action plan? 
 
¶100. (SBU) The National Strategy and Action Plan Against Trafficking 
in Human Beings (abbreviated Kosovo Action Plan, or KAP) was adopted 
in July and widely disseminated.  All relevant ministries, 
international organizations, NGOs and civil society representatives 
participated in the process.  Implementation of the KAP is ongoing 
and responsibilities have been delegated to the various ministries. 
 
 
¶101. (SBU) The NATC holds monthly meetings with the 
Inter-Ministerial Working Group to review the implementation of the 
KAP and discuss areas needing more effort.  In December, the MOIA 
held a conference to assess the overall implementation of the KAP 
accomplished in 2008, and identify the challenges remaining in the 
KAP's implementation.  The MOIA also published a follow-on report 
detailing their successes and failures. 
 
Question 27E: What measures has the government taken during the 
reporting period to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts? 
(see ref B, para. 9(3) for examples) 
 
¶102. In 2008, the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) arrested nine people 
for prostitution and thirteen for facilitating prostitution.  They 
also conducted 694 searches of premises for various reasons, 71 of 
which were closed as a result.  The IOM noted that the GOK had 
provided school and community based training to teach possible 
victims and clients of the dangers. 
 
¶103. (SBU) The NATC continues to send a memorandum to the Ministry 
of Internal Affairs on bars suspected of trafficking in persons, 
prostitution and other criminal activities and recommends that these 
bars be placed off limits for officials working in GOK institutions. 
 
 
Question 27F: Required of all Posts: What measures has the 
government taken during the reporting period to reduce the 
participation in international child sex tourism by nationals of the 
country? 
 
¶104. (SBU) Tourism -- both incoming and outgoing -- in Kosovo is 
very limited.  There is no evidence that Kosovo nationals engage in 
sex tourism, and Kosovo passports are only valid in a limited number 
of countries. 
 
Question 28: HEROES:  The introduction to the past four TIP Reports 
has included a section honoring Anti-Trafficking "Heroes" These 
individuals or representatives of organizations demonstrate an 
exceptional commitment to fighting TIP above and beyond the scope of 
their assigned work.  The Department encourages post to nominate one 
or more such individuals for inclusion in a similar section of the 
2009 Report.  Please submit, under a subheading of "TIP Hero(es)," a 
brief description of the individual or organization's work, and note 
that the appropriate individual(s) has been vetted through databases 
available to post (e.g. CLASS and any law enforcement systems) to 
ensure they have no visa ineligibilities or other 
 
PRISTINA 00000066  008 OF 008 
 
 
derogatory information. 
 
¶105. (SBU) Embassy Pristina nominates the new National 
Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Fatmir Xhelili, as Kosovo's 
anti-trafficking Hero.  During his tenure, Xhelili has refocused the 
energies of the GOK.  Thanks to his efforts, the GOK published, and 
began implementing, its first National Strategy and its second 
Action Plan Against Trafficking in Human Beings.  Xhelili 
regularized the TIP Inter-Ministerial Working Group meetings on a 
monthly basis and ensured that the anti-trafficking helpline was 
properly staffed and trained.  He supported the efforts of four 
working groups to tackle prevention, protection, prosecution, and 
trafficking in children, and he participated in an International 
Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) conference 
discussing Transnational Referral Mechanisms (TRM) and promoting 
regional cooperation in Southeastern Europe in Vienna, Austria in 
November 2008.  In December Xhelili organized an anti-TIP conference 
to review the implementation of the Kosovo Action Plan and to 
publicize the issue for Kosovo's population.  Media attended and 
reported on the event, and a follow-on progress report noted the 
goals achieved and identified remaining challenges.  Xhelili's 
commitment and concrete actions have made a significant impact on 
the GOK's efforts to combat TIP and will bear lasting results. 
 
¶106. (SBU) Fatmir Xhelili was vetted through databases available to 
post and State Department on September 4, 2008 to ensure he has no 
visa ineligibilities or other derogatory information. 
 
Question 29: BEST PRACTICES.  For the past five years the Report has 
carried a section on "Best Practices" in addressing TIP.  This 
section highlights particular practices used by governments or NGOs 
in addressing the various challenges of TIP and serves as a useful 
guide to foreign governments and posts as they design anti-TIP 
projects and strategies.  The Department encourages post to nominate 
"best practices" from their host countries for showcasing in the 
2009 Report.  Please submit, under a "Best Practice" subheading, a 
brief summary of the activity or practice, along with the positive 
effect it has had in addressing TIP. 
 
¶107. (SBU) Embassy Pristina considers the GOK's Inter-Ministerial 
Working Group on trafficking issues to be one of the GOK's best 
practices.  During the reporting period, the Group has been an 
effective body in coordinating anti-TIP efforts between the various 
agencies of the GOK.  Meeting once a month, the NATC chairs the 
Group, and representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social 
Welfare (MLSW), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Economics and 
Finance, Ministry of Justice, CSW, VAAD, International Criminal 
Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), IOM, HAH, and PVPT attend 
meetings and coordinate their anti-TIP activities.  Since becoming 
the NATC, Fatmir Xhelili has used the Inter-Ministerial Working 
Group as his primary instrument for developing and implementing 
anti-trafficking policy.  With its help, he published the National 
Strategy and Kosovo Action Plan, held the December anti-TIP 
conference to review the implementation of the Kosovo Action Plan 
and to identify remaining challenges, and coordinated effective 
anti-TIP action by all parts of the GOK. 
 
¶108. (U) Embassy POC is Liam O'Flanagan.  Telephone: 
00(381)-38-5959-3110.  Email: O'FlanaganLJ@state.gov . 
 
¶108. (SBU) Hours spent per officer on TIP report: 
     DCM: 1 hour. 
     Pol/Econ Section Head: 5 hours 
     Political Officer: 45 hours 
     FSN: 5 hours. 
Kosovo 2009 TIP Report Submission Final - Part 3 of 3. 
 
KAIDANOW