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RR RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHNEH
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FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9462
INFO RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 5576
RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 1350
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 4788
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4599

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000264 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC CMGT ASEC KFRD IN
 
SUBJECT:  New Synergy in India American Citizen Services 
 
REF:  2009 New Delhi 2504 
 
¶1. Summary:  American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit Chiefs and Senior 
Locally Engaged Staff (LES) from all India posts convened in New 
Delhi January 20-22, 2010 for a Mission-wide ACS conference - the 
first of its type in institutional memory.   The goals of this 
conference were to promote consistency between posts, share 
resources, expand outreach, coordinate crisis management efforts, 
and  discuss how to tackle growing challenges in India.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. ACS work is now demanding greater attention:  The overall number 
of Americans traveling to India has doubled since 2003, and with 
this, there is a substantial rise in child abduction cases, 
surrogacy cases, arrests and extradition cases.  At the India ACS 
Conference, participants laid the groundwork for a Mission-wide ACS 
strategic plan, and discussed how best to capitalize on existing 
resources at each post.  The ACS units are studying the resources 
required to address successfully this increasing need, and to 
maintain and improve the Mission's crisis preparedness and warden 
system in these vast consular districts, where a prison visit can 
easily require three days out of the office. 
 
¶3. The greatest outcome of this conference was linking colleagues, 
including ACS LES with 10+ years of experience who had never met 
their counterparts from other posts.  Different posts volunteered to 
act as the lead on outreach efforts, the warden program, 
standardizing crisis management materials, assistance to victims of 
crime, and compilation of resources needed to meet the mission-wide 
goals. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Challenges Facing India's ACS Units 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. During this conference, participants discussed challenges facing 
the ACS sections in India, including crisis management, surrogacy, 
International Parental Child Abductions (IPCA), assistance to 
victims of crime, and working with the mentally ill.   A 
representative from Consular Affairs and local specialists 
participated in many of the sessions and offered guidance in their 
areas of expertise. 
 
¶5. Crisis Management discussions included lessons learned during the 
Mumbai attacks from both the Mumbai and Department perspectives. 
Participants also tested out the "fly-away kit" equipment which 
would be used in a natural disaster or situation when standard 
communication systems fail or are unavailable.   Information 
Management staff anticipate all India posts will have complete 
fly-away kits this year, to include satellite phones, B-GAN 
satellite modem, and portable scanners and printers. 
 
¶6. The great potential for fraud in CRBA cases involving surrogacy 
is a continuing concern.   Mission India would like to implement a 
DNA testing requirement for all CRBA applications involving 
surrogacy, and is awaiting Consular Affairs guidance on this matter. 
 (See REFTEL.)  ACS Units also discussed apprehension about local 
notaries, many of whom do not require a person to be present when 
notarizing documents.  This is of particular concern regarding 
signatures of consent to issue passports to minors. 
 
------------------- 
Coordinated Efforts 
------------------- 
 
¶7. The ACS Chiefs now have weekly conference calls, and new 
Mission-wide ACS email groups facilitate coordination of programs as 
well as assistance to travelers moving between consular districts. 
All posts have started using a customized call tracking system to 
determine the types of calls and emails being received, to measure 
better the need for and allocation of resources. 
 
¶8. Appointments:  To reduce wait times and help ensure that American 
citizens receive prompt, efficient service, all posts in Mission 
India will implement an online appointment system by March 1, 2010 
for routine citizen services.   Posts are coordinating their 
implementations and changes to their websites.  Mission India will 
provide a unified message for the press release and websites to 
announce the new appointment system.  In a longer-term goal, the 
messages portrayed throughout the ACS websites will be coordinated 
and standardized. 
 
¶9. Outreach:  Mission India is determined to promote registration of 
Americans living in and traveling to India.  Newly-designed 
bookmarks with registration details and contact information for the 
posts in India will soon be available to American travelers to 
India.  One of the two U.S. airlines with direct flights to India 
has already agreed to distribute these bookmarks at check-in, and if 
the program shows an increase in registrations, it will be carried 
 
NEW DELHI 00000264  002 OF 002 
 
 
over to other airlines as well. 
 
¶10. India's ACS units look forward to greater collaboration with 
each other and others in the region and are committed to 
strengthening the communication with the rest of Mission India and 
the Department.  Mission India thanks CA/Overseas Citizens Services 
for its support of and involvement in this conference. 
 
ROEMER