VZCZCXRO4390
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHFR #0199/01 0501637
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191637Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8358
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000199
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (JENNIFER DONNELLY), G (LAURA PENA),
EUR/PGI (JODY BUCKNEBERG), INL, DRL, PRM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB
,KMCA, FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE: INPUT FOR THE 2010 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
REPORT (PART 3 OF 3)
REF: STATE 2094
PARIS 00000199 001.8 OF 002
PARTNERSHIPS
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7. (SBU) Responses are keyed to reporting questions
specified in paragraph 30 of reftel.
Does the government engage with other governments, civil
society, and/or multilateral organizations to focus attention
and devote resources to addressing human trafficking? If so,
please provide details.
-- A. Throughout 2009, France partnered with local
governments, foreign countries, NGOs, civil society, and
multilateral organizations to focus attention on addressing
the problem of human trafficking. In particular, the GOF
increased its bilateral cooperation with foreign governments
to combat trafficking in persons during the reporting period.
On November 1, 2009, the Ministry of Justice presented a
bill on articles 695-2 and 695-3 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, promoting the use of joint investigation teams to
increase cooperation in Europe between courts as well as
investigative services such as the police, gendarmes, and
customs. On October 19-20, 2009, Secretary of State
Jean-Marie Bockel participated at the Ministerial Conference
comprised of representatives of member states of the EU,
international organizations and NGOs, devoted to European
action against trafficking in human beings in Brussels. He
commended the Swedish Presidency of the European Union for
making the fight against the human trafficking one of its top
priorities. Bockel committed France to developing a special
action plan for cooperation with countries of origin and
transit and would be a highlight of EU joint action. Bockel
said that the "main task will be to define, coordinate, and
guide policy and action of ministries concerned with the
prevention and fight against trafficking in persons and the
protection of victims," which will be placed under the
authority of the French Prime Minister. He added that "the
measures taken by France are in line with a strong knowledge
of this criminal phenomenon and represent a powerful vehicle
for strengthening our cooperation both on a multilateral and
bilateral level."
What sort of international assistance does the government
provide to other countries to address TIP?
-- B. During the reporting period, France increased its
efforts to provide international assistance to source
countries to address TIP. For example, France and Romania
held "talks on human trafficking and the integration of
minorities" in Bucharest on February 11-12, which concluded
with the announcement of three new joint initiatives: the
appointment of a State Secretary for the Reintegration of the
Roma community, an agreement to send a contingent of Romanian
police and magistrates to France in order to help the GOF
dismantle human trafficking networks, and the establishment
of a cooperation policy funded by France and the EU for the
reintegration of the Roma in Romania, according to the French
MFA. France's State Secretary for European Affairs Pierre
Lellouche and a delegation of French parliamentarians met
with Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc to discuss the issue.
The bilateral visit followed a July 2009 trip by Lellouche to
Bucharest to set up the Franco-Romanian judicial working
group to actively investigate and prosecute human trafficking
between the two countries. According to the Ministry of
Interior, Romania is a primary source country for persons
trafficked to France for the purposes of sexual exploitation
and forced labor.
CHILD SOLDIERS
--------------
8. (SBU) Responses are keyed to reporting questions
specified in paragraph 31-33 of reftel.
This section is not applicable to France, which has not been
subject to allegations of unlawful child soldiering.
NOMINATION OF HEROES AND BEST PRACTICES
---------------------------------------
Heroes: The introductions to the past five TIP Reports have
included sections honoring Anti-Trafficking "Heroes". These
individuals or representatives of organizations or
governments 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 2010
PARIS 00000199 002.8 OF 002
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 derogatory information.
9. (SBU) Post nominates Jean-Marc Souvira for his fine work
and leadership as the chief of the Office for the Suppression
of Trafficking in Persons (OCRTEH). With the establishment
of the OCRTEH, France has a highly unique institutional
structure to combat TIP and Souvira's substantial work makes
him an expert on the issue both in France and throughout
Europe. Jean-Marc Souvira has been vetted through consular
and political databases available at post.
Commendable Initiatives: For the past six years the Report
has carried a section on "International Commendable
Initiatives" in addressing TIP. This section highlights
particular initiatives 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 local anti-TIP initiatives from their host
countries for showcasing in the 2010 Report. Please submit,
under a "Commendable Initiative" subheading, a brief summary
of the activity or practice, along with the positive effect
it has had in addressing TIP.
10. (SBU) Post will not be nominating local anti-TIP
initiatives for showcasing in the 2010 Report.
POST POINT OF CONTACT
---------------------
11. (U) The information in this reporting cable is derived
largely from post meetings with government officials, law
enforcement, the judiciary, diplomatic counterparts,
academics, NGOs, and members of civil society. The estimated
total amount of time spent by the Political Section (with
support from the DHS/ICE and DOJ offices at post) to compile
this information was about 100 hours. This includes 65 hours
by the TIP officer (FS-04), 25 hours of research by the
Political Section Locally Engaged Staff member (LES-09), and
10 by the Political Counselor (FS-01) in conducting
interviews with contacts, arranging and holding meetings, as
well as drafting and reviewing the reporting cable. The
point of contact at Embassy Paris for TIP related issues is
Anny Vu, who can be contacted via email at VuAT3@state.gov,
or telephone (33)1-4312-2614 (IVG 8-498-2614), and fax
(33)1-4312-2663.
RIVKIN