VZCZCXRO9407
OO RUEHGR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHGE #0636/01 3511709
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171708Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0084
INFO RUEHC/USAID WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0002
EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC
RUMIESS/SOUTHCOM IESS MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GEORGETOWN 000636 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
WHA/CAR - SEAN WHALEN/WILLARD SMITH 
G/TIP - MARISSA FERRI/AMY ROFMAN 
G 
INL 
DRL 
PRM 
WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN GY
SUBJECT: 2009 Trafficking in Persons Project Assessment - CRS Guyana 
 
REF: 09 STATE 112732 
 
¶1.  (U) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of 
information requested in reftel for the Guyana Trafficking in 
Persons Mitigation Project. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Project Assessment: 
 
 
 
¶A.  PolChief met with Director of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 
Cheryl Morgan December 16 to monitor CRS performance in 
implementing the Guyana Trafficking in Persons Mitigation Project. 
 
 
 
 
¶B.  CRS activities since May, 2009 include hiring a Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Project Manager in October and signing sub-agreements 
with the Guyana Partnership for Human Rights and Jesuits of Guyana 
in November.  CRS Director Morgan also met with the Permanent 
Secretary of Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security 
Trevor Thomas on October 6 to discuss project implementation. 
Permanent Secretary Thomas is aware of CRS project goals and 
offered his support in the areas of vocational training, victim 
assistance and prevention.  CRS Director said that once project 
implementation begins, she plans to have regularly scheduled 
meetings with the Permanent Secretary to monitor progress.  In 
addition, she said CRS is discussing with the Ministry of Human 
Services and Social Security a plan to hold a TIP training session 
early 2010. 
 
 
 
¶C.  CRS faced a five-month delay in hiring a TIP project manager 
and six-month delay in obtaining signed sub-agreements with the 
Guyana Partnership for Human Rights and Jesuits of Guyana.  In 
addition, one of the original partner organizations, the Guyana Red 
Cross, has not committed to participate.  Director Morgan said she 
believes the Red Cross is shifting its position with regards to 
working on the project to avoid any backlash from the Government of 
Guyana (GoG).  She plans to hold another meeting with the Director 
of the Guyana Red Cross to discuss the matter. 
 
 
 
¶D.  CRS is operating in an environment in which there are very few 
TIP cases identified.  GoG negative reactions to the 2009 G/TIP 
Report and its Tier 2 Watch list ranking also impacts CRS's ability 
to work with partner organizations.  Director Morgan said that 
potential partners such as victim's assistance NGO Help and 
Shelter, for example, which has close ties to the GoG, avoids 
participation in the CRS project to maintain positive political 
relations with the GoG. 
 
 
 
¶E.  With a staff of only two people working on TIP issues, CRS does 
not have the resources to devote full-time for project 
implementation.  Director Morgan said CRS spends most of its 
resources on HIV/AIDS programs and roughly five to ten percent of 
its time on TIP.  Gaining the support of both partner organizations 
and the GoG to assist is therefore crucial for effective project 
implementation.  CRS has adequately addressed these human resource 
challenges by hiring staff, signing sub-agreements with partner 
organizations and eliciting support from the GoG.  CRS is also 
prepared to begin project implementation by February 2010 even if a 
sub-agreement is not signed with the Guyana Red Cross.  Post 
believes funding and personnel management systems in place are 
adequate and CRS headquarters does exercise adequate oversight. 
CRS does not have any field offices. 
 
GEORGETOWN 00000636  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶F.  Post has no recommendations for appropriate G/TIP follow-up 
action at this time. 
 
 
 
¶G.  CRS and MOHSS understand that G/TIP places a premium on 
identifying TIP cases and punishing traffickers.  Project 
implementation aims to address these key deficiencies cited in the 
country narrative of the TIP Report through increased training and 
public awareness campaigns. 
 
 
 
¶H.  Post believes additional funding for the CRS project should 
wait until project implementation occurs.  Gaining the necessary 
resources including full-time TIP staff took time.  Now that CRS 
has more staff and signed partner agreements, prospects for project 
implementation improve.  Post will continue to engage with CRS to 
monitor progress. 
WILLIAMS