VZCZCXYZ0021
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0501/01 1202120
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302120Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3628
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000501 
 
SIPDIS 
 
G/TIP FOR PAULA GOODE, CARLA MENARES-BURY, JANE 
SIGMON, BARBARA FLECK, MARISA FERRI, AND MARK 
FORSTROM 
WHA/PPC FOR SCOTT MILLER 
WHA/OAS FOR DAN CENTO 
G/IWI FOR IRENE MARR 
DOJ FOR HILARY AXAM 
DHS/ICE FOR GABRIEL GONZALEZ AND KATERINA KAROUSOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN KTIP PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG AR
 
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA HOSTS OAS TIP CONFERENCE; 
CONDEMNS DEMAND 
 
Ref: 07 Buenos Aires 300 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  The Argentine government recently 
hosted the Organization of American States (OAS) 
Second Meeting of National Authorities on 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP), which included 
representatives from governments, international 
organizations and civil society organizations.  As 
head of the U.S. delegation, Ambassador Wayne 
delivered the USG national statement, stressing our 
commitment to working with regional partners to 
fight TIP.  Argentina was heavily focused on 
addressing demand for commercial sexual exploitation 
and advocating for a new OAS regional action plan on 
TIP.  During the conference, President Cristina 
Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) addressed the OAS 
delegates stressing the need for governments and 
civil society to work together to fight TIP and 
calling on OAS governments to address the demand for 
commercial sex by punishing clients.  CFK also gave 
an award to Argentine TIP activist Susana Trimarco 
for her efforts to fight TIP.  To raise public 
awareness of this important conference, post 
succeeded in placing an op-ed in the pro-government, 
generally anti-U.S. paper "Pagina 12" praising the 
region's leadership in combating TIP while noting 
there is much work to be done to dismantle TIP 
networks.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The Organization of American States (OAS) 
held its Second Meeting of National Authorities on 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Buenos Aires, 
Argentina on March 25-27.  The conference, a follow- 
up to the 2006 OAS TIP meeting in Venezuela, was co- 
hosted by the governments of Argentina and Uruguay 
and included representatives from governments, 
international organizations and civil society 
organizations.  Ambassador Wayne led the U.S. 
delegation, which included Department officials 
G/TIP Carla Menares-Bury and USOAS Dan Cento, 
Department of Justice official Hilary Axam, ICE 
Attache Stephen Kleppe, and post's TIP coordinator 
Heidi Gomez.  The Ambassador delivered the USG 
national statement which discussed U.S. anti-TIP 
efforts and challenges and stressed USG commitment 
to working with regional partners to fight TIP. 
 
GOA Outlines Anti-TIP Efforts 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U)  Throughout the conference, the GOA gave 
several presentations outlining steps taken to 
combat TIP since passing anti-TIP legislation in 
¶2008.  Argentina's 45-minute national statement 
noted the GOA's creation of a First Responder Unit 
to coordinate TIP investigations, raids and victim's 
assistance; the formation of specialized anti-TIP 
units in each of its four law enforcement agencies; 
the establishment of a special TIP unit in the 
Prosecutor General's office; and the development of 
an inter-agency working group to improve 
coordination of anti-TIP efforts.  The GOA noted the 
importance of regional cooperation in fighting 
transnational trafficking, and advocated the use of 
Ibero-American Prosecutors Network for information 
exchange on regional TIP activity.  The GOA also 
gave a presentation on recent police raids of 
brothels that resulted in the arrest of TIP 
perpetrators and the rescue of several TIP victims. 
 
CFK: Anti-TIP efforts Must Also Fight Demand 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, 
presented a plaque to TIP activist Susana Trimarco 
(2007 TIP Hero and International Woman of Courage 
Award Winner - reftel), an Argentine mother of a 
trafficked victim who launched an NGO and a campaign 
to push for stronger legislation and law enforcement 
efforts to fight TIP.  CFK subsequently addressed 
conference participants on the need for governments 
and civil society to work together to combat TIP. 
 
She stressed that fighting TIP is not just a matter 
of law enforcement, but a matter of human rights. 
She stated that she did not come to address the OAS 
conference "out of courtesy," but to raise public 
awareness of a problem that has been invisible for a 
long time.  CFK spoke exclusively on sex 
trafficking, and noted that anti-TIP policies should 
address the demand side as well by punishing 
clients.  She urged participants to focus on 
developing policies to fight the crime, saying that 
"otherwise, it's an academic discussion."  She 
acknowledged that it will be difficult to "eradicate 
human trafficking, but we must continue the fight." 
She said each woman and child that is rescued from 
traffickers is a victory in the permanent struggle 
for human rights.  Supporting CFK's message were 
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana and Justice Minister 
Anibal Fernandez, present for nearly the entire 
meeting. 
 
¶5.  (U) Throughout the negotiations in Washington of 
the conference's outcome document, the Argentine 
delegation was very supportive of every U.S. 
proposal, even helping us to counter efforts by 
other delegations to weaken the document.  Among the 
outcome document's most significant conclusions were 
the call for an OAS work plan on TIP and the 
establishment of country indicators to measure the 
effectiveness of national anti-TIP efforts. 
 
Ambassador Op-ed Praises OAS Leadership, Notes 
Challenges 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6.  (U) To draw public attention to this important 
conference, post placed an op-ed in the GOA- 
friendly, leftist paper "Pagina 12," an Embassy 
first.  The paper is the most ideologically anti- 
U.S. paper in the country.  The op-ed praised the 
region's leadership in fighting TIP and noted where 
challenges remain, such as fighting official 
corruption and increasing convictions.  The op-ed 
helped send a very clear signal to the GOA and the 
Argentine public on the importance that the USG 
places on fighting this scourge. 
 
¶7.  This message was cleared by G/TIP Carla Menares- 
Bury and WHA/OAS Dan Cento. 
 
WAYNE