Request for Information for the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, 11982-11985 [2010-5498]
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Collaboration with partner country and
school will determine travel itinerary.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements
You must provide ECA with a hard
copy original of the following reports
plus two copies of the following reports:
(1) A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award;
(2) A concise, one-page final program
report summarizing program outcomes
no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award. This one-page
report will be transmitted to OMB, and
be made available to the public via
OMB’s USAspending.gov Web site—as
part of ECA’s Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act
(FFATA) reporting requirements.
(3) A SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress
Report’’ Cover Sheet with all program
reports.
(4) One interim report, midway into
the program, describing activities and
progress.
Award recipients will be required to
provide reports analyzing their
evaluation findings to the Bureau in
their regular program reports. (Please
refer to IV. Application and Submission
Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program
Monitoring and Evaluation information.
All data collected, including survey
responses and contact information, must
be maintained for a minimum of three
years and provided to the Bureau upon
request.
All reports must be sent to the ECA
Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer
listed in the final assistance award
document.
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www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
https://fa.statebuy.state.gov.
VII. Agency Contacts
VI.4. Program Data Requirements
Award recipients will be required to
maintain specific data on program
participants and activities in an
electronically accessible database format
that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. As a minimum, the data must
include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact
information of all persons who travel
internationally on funds provided by
the agreement.
(2) Itineraries of international and
domestic travel, providing dates of
travel and cities in which any exchange
experiences take place. Final schedules
for in-country and U.S. activities must
be received by the ECA Program Officer
at least three work days prior to the
official opening of the activity.
(3) Information about schools
including, but not limited to, location,
demography, participating teachers and
students.
Note: All travelers must have been selected
to participate in theme-based projects.
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For questions about this
announcement, contact: Anna
Mussman, Office of Citizen Exchanges,
ECA–PE–C–PY, Room 3–H17, ECA–PE–
C–PY–10–05, U.S. Department of State,
SA–5, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington,
DC 20037, telephone: 202–632–6427,
fax number: 202–632–9355, E-mail:
MussmanAP@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number: ECA–PE–C–
PY–10–05.
Please read the complete
announcement before sending inquiries
or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may
not discuss this competition with
applicants until the proposal review
process has been completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice: The terms and conditions
published in this RFGP are binding and
may not be modified by any Bureau
representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts
published language will not be binding.
Issuance of the RFGP does not
constitute an award commitment on the
part of the Government. The Bureau
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or
increase proposal budgets in accordance
with the needs of the program and the
availability of funds. Awards made will
be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: March 5, 2010.
Maura M. Pally,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational
and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of
State.
[FR Doc. 2010–5489 Filed 3–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6921]
Request for Information for the 2010
Trafficking in Persons Report
SUMMARY: The Department of State (‘‘the
Department’’) requests written
information to assist in reporting on the
degree to which the United States and
foreign governments comply with the
minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking in persons (‘‘minimum
standards’’) that are prescribed by the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(‘‘TVPA’’) of 2000, Div. A of Public Law
106–386, section 108, as amended. This
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information will assist in the
preparation of the Trafficking in Persons
Report (‘‘TIP Report’’) that is submitted
annually by the Department to the U.S.
Congress. The TVPA mandates a report
on countries’ level of compliance with
the minimum standards and expresses
the United States’ policy not to provide
nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related
foreign assistance to any government
that does not comply with the minimum
standards and is not making significant
efforts to do so. For the 2010 TIP Report,
the United States will voluntarily report
on its compliance with the minimum
standards. Submissions must be made
in writing to the Office to Monitor and
Combat Trafficking in Persons at the
Department of State by March 26, 2010.
Please refer to the Addresses, Scope of
Interest and Information Sought sections
of this Notice for additional instructions
on submission requirements.
DATES: Submissions must be received by
the Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons by 5 p.m. on
March 26, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Written submissions and
supporting documentation may be
submitted to the Office to Monitor and
Combat Trafficking in Persons by the
following methods:
• Facsimile (fax): 202–312–9637.
• Mail, Express Delivery, Hand
Delivery and Messenger Service: U.S.
Department of State, Office to Monitor
and Combat Trafficking in Persons, 1800
G Street, NW., Suite 2148, Washington,
DC 20520. Please note that materials
submitted by mail may be delayed due
to security screenings and processing.
• E-mail (preferred):
tipreport@state.gov for submissions
related to foreign governments and
tipreportUS@state.gov for submissions
related to the United States.
Scope of Interest: The Department
requests information relevant to
assessing compliance with the
minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking in persons in the year
2009. The minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking in persons are
listed in the Background section.
Submissions must include information
relevant and probative of the minimum
standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons and should
include, but need not be limited to,
answering the questions in the
Information Sought section. These
questions are designed to elicit
information relevant to the minimum
standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons. Only those
questions for which the submitter has
direct professional experience should be
answered and that experience should be
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noted. For any critique or deficiency
described, please provide a
recommendation to remedy it. Note the
country or countries that are the focus
of the submission.
Submissions may include written
narratives that answer the questions
presented in this Notice, research,
studies, statistics, fieldwork, training
materials, evaluations, assessments and
other relevant evidence of local, state
and federal government efforts. To the
extent possible, precise dates should be
included.
Where applicable, written narratives
providing factual information should
provide citations to sources and copies
of the source material should be
provided. If possible, send electronic
copies of the entire submission,
including source material. If primary
sources are utilized, such as research
studies, interviews, direct observations,
or other sources of quantitative or
qualitative data, details on the research
or data-gathering methodology should
be provided. The Department does not
include in the report, and is therefore
not seeking, information on prostitution,
human smuggling, visa fraud, or child
abuse, unless such conduct occurs in
the context of human trafficking.
Confidentiality: Please provide the
name, phone number and e-mail
address of a single point of contact for
any submission. It is Department
practice not to identify in the TIP Report
information concerning sources in order
to safeguard those sources. Please note,
however, that any information
submitted to the Department may be
releasable pursuant to the provisions of
the Freedom of Information Act or other
applicable law. When applicable,
portions of submissions relevant to
efforts by other U.S. government
agencies may be shared with those
agencies.
Response: This is a request for
information only; there will be no
response to submissions.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The TIP Report: The TIP Report is the
most comprehensive worldwide report
on foreign governments’ efforts to
combat trafficking in persons. It
represents an updated, global look at the
nature and scope of trafficking in
persons and the broad range of
government actions to confront and
eliminate it. The U.S. Government uses
the TIP Report to engage in public
diplomacy to encourage partnership in
creating and implementing laws and
policies to combat trafficking and to
target resources on prevention,
protection and prosecution programs.
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Worldwide, the report is used by
international organizations, foreign
governments, and nongovernmental
organizations alike as a tool to examine
where resources are most needed.
Freeing victims, preventing trafficking,
and bringing traffickers to justice are the
ultimate goals of the report and of the
U.S government’s anti-human
trafficking policy.
The Department prepares the TIP
Report using information from across
the U.S. Government, U.S. Embassies,
foreign government officials,
nongovernmental and international
organizations, published reports, and
research trips to every region. The TIP
Report focuses on concrete actions that
governments take to fight trafficking in
persons, including prosecutions,
convictions, and prison sentences for
traffickers as well as victim protection
measures and prevention efforts. Each
TIP Report narrative also includes a
section on recommendations. These
recommendations are then used to
measure progress and determine
whether there is a serious and sustained
effort from one year to the next.
The TVPA creates a three tier ranking
system. This placement is based more
on the extent of government action to
combat trafficking than on the size of
the problem, although that is also an
important factor. The Department first
evaluates whether the government fully
complies with the TVPA’s minimum
standards for the elimination of
trafficking. Governments that fully
comply are placed on Tier 1. For other
governments, the Department considers
the extent of efforts to reach
compliance. Governments that are
making significant efforts to meet the
minimum standards are placed on Tier
2. Governments that do not fully comply
with the minimum standards and are
not making significant efforts to do so
are placed on Tier 3. Finally, the
Department considers Special Watch
List criteria and, when applicable,
moves Tier 2 countries to Tier 2 Watch
List. For more information, the 2009 TIP
Report can be found at https://
www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009.
Since the inception of the TIP Report
in 2001, the number of countries
included and ranked has more than
doubled to include 175 countries in the
2009 TIP Report. The number of
countries on Tier 1 has grown from 12
to 28 and the number of countries on
Tier 3 has decreased from 23 to 17.
Around the world, the TIP Report and
the best practices reflected therein have
inspired legislation, national action
plans, implementation of policies and
funded programs, protection
mechanisms that complement
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prosecution efforts, and a
comprehensive understanding of the
issue.
Since 2003, the primary reporting on
the United States’ anti-trafficking
activities has been through the Attorney
General’s Report to Congress and
Assessment of U.S. Government
Activities to Combat Human Trafficking
(‘‘AG Report’’), mandated by the
Trafficking TVPA, 22 U.S.C. 7103(d)(7).
The TIP Report has also historically
included a brief narrative on the United
States. This year, for the first time, the
United States will voluntarily, through
a collaborative interagency process,
include in the TIP Report an analysis of
U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts
in light of the minimum standards to
eliminate trafficking in persons set forth
by the TVPA. This analysis in the TIP
report will be done in addition to the
AG Report, resulting in a multi-faceted
self-assessment process of expanded
scope.
II. Minimum Standards for the
Elimination of Trafficking in Persons
The TVPA sets forth the minimum
standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons as follows:
(1) The government of the country
should prohibit severe forms of
trafficking in persons and punish acts of
such trafficking.
(2) For the knowing commission of
any act of sex trafficking involving
force, fraud, coercion, or in which the
victim of sex trafficking is a child
incapable of giving meaningful consent,
or of trafficking which includes rape or
kidnapping or which causes a death, the
government of the country should
prescribe punishment commensurate
with that for grave crimes, such as
forcible sexual assault.
(3) For the knowing commission of
any act of a severe form of trafficking in
persons, the government of the country
should prescribe punishment that is
sufficiently stringent to deter and that
adequately reflects the heinous nature of
the offense.
(4) The government of the country
should make serious and sustained
efforts to eliminate severe forms of
trafficking in persons.
The following factors should be
considered as indicia of serious and
sustained efforts to eliminate severe
forms of trafficking in persons:
(1) Whether the government of the
country vigorously investigates and
prosecutes acts of severe forms of
trafficking in persons, and convicts and
sentences persons responsible for such
acts, that take place wholly or partly
within the territory of the country,
including, as appropriate, requiring
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incarceration of individuals convicted
of such acts. For purposes of the
preceding sentence, suspended or
significantly reduced sentences for
convictions of principal actors in cases
of severe forms of trafficking in persons
shall be considered, on a case-by-case
basis, whether to be considered as an
indicator of serious and sustained
efforts to eliminate severe forms of
trafficking in persons. After reasonable
requests from the Department of State
for data regarding investigations,
prosecutions, convictions, and
sentences, a government which does not
provide such data, consistent with the
capacity of such government to obtain
such data, shall be presumed not to
have vigorously investigated,
prosecuted, convicted or sentenced such
acts. During the periods prior to the
annual report submitted on June 1,
2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the
periods afterwards until September 30
of each such year, the Secretary of State
may disregard the presumption
contained in the preceding sentence if
the government has provided some data
to the Department of State regarding
such acts and the Secretary has
determined that the government is
making a good faith effort to collect
such data.
(2) Whether the government of the
country protects victims of severe forms
of trafficking in persons and encourages
their assistance in the investigation and
prosecution of such trafficking,
including provisions for legal
alternatives to their removal to countries
in which they would face retribution or
hardship, and ensures that victims are
not inappropriately incarcerated, fined,
or otherwise penalized solely for
unlawful acts as a direct result of being
trafficked, including by providing
training to law enforcement and
immigration officials regarding the
identification and treatment of
trafficking victims using approaches
that focus on the needs of the victims.
(3) Whether the government of the
country has adopted measures to
prevent severe forms of trafficking in
persons, such as measures to inform and
educate the public, including potential
victims, about the causes and
consequences of severe forms of
trafficking in persons, measures to
establish the identity of local
populations, including birth
registration, citizenship, and
nationality, measures to ensure that its
nationals who are deployed abroad as
part of a peacekeeping or other similar
mission do not engage in or facilitate
severe forms of trafficking in persons or
exploit victims of such trafficking, and
measures to prevent the use of forced
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labor or child labor in violation of
international standards.
(4) Whether the government of the
country cooperates with other
governments in the investigation and
prosecution of severe forms of
trafficking in persons.
(5) Whether the government of the
country extradites persons charged with
acts of severe forms of trafficking in
persons on substantially the same terms
and to substantially the same extent as
persons charged with other serious
crimes (or, to the extent such extradition
would be inconsistent with the laws of
such country or with international
agreements to which the country is a
party, whether the government is taking
all appropriate measures to modify or
replace such laws and treaties so as to
permit such extradition).
(6) Whether the government of the
country monitors immigration and
emigration patterns for evidence of
severe forms of trafficking in persons
and whether law enforcement agencies
of the country respond to any such
evidence in a manner that is consistent
with the vigorous investigation and
prosecution of acts of such trafficking,
as well as with the protection of human
rights of victims and the internationally
recognized human right to leave any
country, including one’s own, and to
return to one’s own country.
(7) Whether the government of the
country vigorously investigates,
prosecutes, convicts, and sentences
public officials who participate in or
facilitate severe forms of trafficking in
persons, including nationals of the
country who are deployed abroad as
part of a peacekeeping or other similar
mission who engage in or facilitate
severe forms of trafficking in persons or
exploit victims of such trafficking, and
takes all appropriate measures against
officials who condone such trafficking.
After reasonable requests from the
Department of State for data regarding
such investigations, prosecutions,
convictions, and sentences, a
government which does not provide
such data consistent with its resources
shall be presumed not to have
vigorously investigated, prosecuted,
convicted, or sentenced such acts.
During the periods prior to the annual
report submitted on June 1, 2004, and
on June 1, 2005, and the periods
afterwards until September 30 of each
such year, the Secretary of State may
disregard the presumption contained in
the preceding sentence if the
government has provided some data to
the Department of State regarding such
acts and the Secretary has determined
that the government is making a good
faith effort to collect such data.
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(8) Whether the percentage of victims
of severe forms of trafficking in the
country that are non-citizens of such
countries is insignificant.
(9) Whether the government of the
country, consistent with the capacity of
such government, systematically
monitors its efforts to satisfy the criteria
described in paragraphs (1) through (8)
and makes available publicly a periodic
assessment of such efforts.
(10) Whether the government of the
country achieves appreciable progress
in eliminating severe forms of
trafficking when compared to the
assessment in the previous year.
(11) Whether the government of the
country has made serious and sustained
efforts to reduce the demand for (A)
commercial sex acts; and (B)
participation in international sex
tourism by nationals of the country.
III. Information Sought Relevant to the
Minimum Standards
Submissions should include, but need
not be limited to, answers to relevant
questions below for which the submitter
has direct professional experience and
that experience should be noted.
Citations to source material must also be
provided. Note the country or countries
that are the focus of the submission.
Please see the Scope of Interest section
for detailed information regarding
submission requirements.
1. How have trafficking methods
changed in the past 12 months? e.g. Are
there victims from new countries of
origin? Is internal trafficking or child
trafficking increasing? Has sex
trafficking changed from brothels to
private apartments? Is labor trafficking
now occurring in additional types of
industries or agricultural operations? Is
forced begging a problem?
2. In what ways has the government’s
efforts to combat trafficking in persons
changed in the past year? What new
laws, regulations, policies and
implementation strategies exist? e.g.
substantive criminal laws and
procedures, mechanisms for civil
remedies, victim-witness security
generally and in relation to court
proceedings.
3. Please provide observations
regarding the implementation of
existing laws and procedures.
4. Is the government equally vigorous
in pursuing labor trafficking and sex
trafficking?
5. Are the anti-trafficking laws and
sentences strict enough to reflect the
nature of the crime? Are sex trafficking
sentences commensurate with rape
sentences?
6. Do government officials understand
the nature of trafficking? If not, please
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provide examples of misconceptions or
misunderstandings.
7. Do judges appear appropriately
knowledgeable and sensitized to
trafficking cases? What sentences have
courts imposed upon traffickers? How
common are suspended sentences and
prison time of less than one year for
convicted traffickers?
8. Please provide observations
regarding the efforts of police and
prosecutors to pursue trafficking cases.
9. Are government officials (including
law enforcement) complicit in human
trafficking by, for example, profiting
from, taking bribes or receiving sex for
allowing it to continue? Are government
officials operating trafficking rings or
activities? If so, have these government
officials been subject to an investigation
and/or prosecution? What punishments
have been imposed?
10. Has the government vigorously
investigated, prosecuted, convicted and
sentenced nationals of the country
deployed abroad as part of a
peacekeeping or other similar mission
who engage in or facilitate trafficking?
11. Has the government investigated,
prosecuted, convicted and sentenced
organized crime groups that are
involved in trafficking?
12. Is the country a source of sex
tourists and, if so, what are their
destination countries? Is the country a
destination for sex tourists and, if so,
what are their source countries?
13. Please provide observations
regarding government efforts to address
the issue of child soldiers.
14. Does the government make a
coordinated, proactive effort to identify
victims? Is there any screening
conducted before deportation to
determine whether individuals were
trafficked?
15. What victim services are provided
(legal, medical, food, shelter,
interpretation, mental health care,
health care, repatriation)? Who provides
these services? If nongovernment
organizations provide the services, does
the government support their work
either financially or otherwise?
16. How could victim services be
improved?
17. Are services provided equally and
adequately to victims of labor and sex
trafficking? Men, women and children?
Citizen and noncitizen?
18. Do service organizations and law
enforcement work together
cooperatively, for instance, to share
information about trafficking trends or
to plan for services after a raid? What is
the level of cooperation, communication
and trust between service organizations
and law enforcement?
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19. May victims file civil suits or seek
legal action against their trafficker? Do
victims avail themselves of those
remedies?
20. Does the government repatriate
victims? Does the government assist
with third country resettlement? Does
the government determine whether
victims face retaliation, retrafficking,
punishment or adverse conditions in
their country of origin? Are victims
awaiting repatriation or third country
resettlement offered services? Are
victims indeed repatriated or are they
deported?
21. Does the government detain or
imprison identified trafficking victims?
22. Does the government punish
trafficking victims for forgery of
documents, illegal immigration,
unauthorized employment, or
participation in illegal activities
directed by the trafficker?
23. What efforts has the government
made to prevent human trafficking?
24. Are there efforts to address root
causes of trafficking such as poverty;
lack of access to education and
economic opportunity; and
discrimination against women, children
and minorities?
25. Does the government undertake
activities that could prevent or reduce
vulnerability to trafficking, such as
registering births of indigenous
populations?
26. Does the government provide
financial support to NGOs working to
promote public awareness or does the
government implement such campaigns
itself? Have public awareness
campaigns proven to be effective?
27. Please provide additional
recommendations to improve the
government’s anti-trafficking efforts.
28. Please highlight effective
strategies and practices that other
governments could consider adopting.
Dated: March 8, 2010.
Luis CdeBaca,
Ambassador-at-Large, Office to Monitor and
Combat Trafficking in Persons, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. 2010–5498 Filed 3–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–02–P
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN
COMMISSION
Notice of Actions Taken at December
17, 2009, Meeting
AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of commission actions.
SUMMARY: At its regular business
meeting on December 17, 2009, in
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11985
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the
Commission held a public hearing as
part of its regular business meeting. At
the public hearing, the Commission: (1)
Approved and tabled certain water
resources projects; (2) rescinded
approval for a water resources project;
(3) approved settlement involving a
water resources project; (4) tabled a
request for extension from Sunnyside
Ethanol, LLC until its March 2010
meeting; (5) adopted a revised
Regulatory Program Fee Schedule to
take effect on January 1, 2010; and (6)
amended its comprehensive plan.
Details concerning these and other
matters addressed at the public hearing
and business meeting are contained in
the Supplementary Information section
of this notice.
DATES: December 17, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Susquehanna River Basin
Commission, 1721 N. Front Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17102–2391.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard A. Cairo, General Counsel,
telephone: (717) 238–0423, ext. 306; fax:
(717) 238–2436; e-mail: rcairo@srbc.net;
or Stephanie L. Richardson, Secretary to
the Commission, telephone: (717) 238–
0423, ext. 304; fax: (717) 238–2436; email: srichardson@srbc.net. Regular
mail inquiries may be sent to the above
address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
addition to the public hearing and its
related action items identified below,
the following items were also presented
or acted on at the business meeting: (1)
A report on Pennsylvania’s current
involvement in Marcellus Gas Drilling
regulation and Chesapeake Bay clean-up
by Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection Secretary
John Hanger; (2) information on
hydrologic conditions in the basin
indicating a mostly normal status; (3)
adoption of a resolution urging the U.S.
Congress to provide adequate funding to
the Susquehanna Flood Forecast &
Warning System (SFFWS) for FY 2011;
(4) adoption of a Water Resources
Program for FY 2010/2011 along with a
presentation by the Executive Director
focusing on the Priority Management
Area (PMA) of Coordination,
Cooperation and Public Information; (5)
adoption of a Low Flow Monitoring
Plan designed to help the Commission
follow low flow events occurring
throughout the basin; (6) approval/
ratification of several grants and
contracts related to water resources
management, approval of a contract for
compensation and benefits review, and
approval for deployment of the Remote
Water Quality Monitoring Network
project; and (7) acceptance of the Fiscal
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 48 (Friday, March 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11982-11985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5498]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 6921]
Request for Information for the 2010 Trafficking in Persons
Report
SUMMARY: The Department of State (``the Department'') requests written
information to assist in reporting on the degree to which the United
States and foreign governments comply with the minimum standards for
the elimination of trafficking in persons (``minimum standards'') that
are prescribed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (``TVPA'') of
2000, Div. A of Public Law 106-386, section 108, as amended. This
information will assist in the preparation of the Trafficking in
Persons Report (``TIP Report'') that is submitted annually by the
Department to the U.S. Congress. The TVPA mandates a report on
countries' level of compliance with the minimum standards and expresses
the United States' policy not to provide nonhumanitarian, nontrade-
related foreign assistance to any government that does not comply with
the minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to do so.
For the 2010 TIP Report, the United States will voluntarily report on
its compliance with the minimum standards. Submissions must be made in
writing to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at
the Department of State by March 26, 2010. Please refer to the
Addresses, Scope of Interest and Information Sought sections of this
Notice for additional instructions on submission requirements.
DATES: Submissions must be received by the Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons by 5 p.m. on March 26, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Written submissions and supporting documentation may be
submitted to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons by
the following methods:
Facsimile (fax): 202-312-9637.
Mail, Express Delivery, Hand Delivery and Messenger
Service: U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking in Persons, 1800 G Street, NW., Suite 2148, Washington, DC
20520. Please note that materials submitted by mail may be delayed due
to security screenings and processing.
E-mail (preferred): tipreport@state.gov for submissions
related to foreign governments and tipreportUS@state.gov for
submissions related to the United States.
Scope of Interest: The Department requests information relevant to
assessing compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons in the year 2009. The minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking in persons are listed in the Background
section. Submissions must include information relevant and probative of
the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons and
should include, but need not be limited to, answering the questions in
the Information Sought section. These questions are designed to elicit
information relevant to the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons. Only those questions for which the submitter
has direct professional experience should be answered and that
experience should be
[[Page 11983]]
noted. For any critique or deficiency described, please provide a
recommendation to remedy it. Note the country or countries that are the
focus of the submission.
Submissions may include written narratives that answer the
questions presented in this Notice, research, studies, statistics,
fieldwork, training materials, evaluations, assessments and other
relevant evidence of local, state and federal government efforts. To
the extent possible, precise dates should be included.
Where applicable, written narratives providing factual information
should provide citations to sources and copies of the source material
should be provided. If possible, send electronic copies of the entire
submission, including source material. If primary sources are utilized,
such as research studies, interviews, direct observations, or other
sources of quantitative or qualitative data, details on the research or
data-gathering methodology should be provided. The Department does not
include in the report, and is therefore not seeking, information on
prostitution, human smuggling, visa fraud, or child abuse, unless such
conduct occurs in the context of human trafficking.
Confidentiality: Please provide the name, phone number and e-mail
address of a single point of contact for any submission. It is
Department practice not to identify in the TIP Report information
concerning sources in order to safeguard those sources. Please note,
however, that any information submitted to the Department may be
releasable pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act
or other applicable law. When applicable, portions of submissions
relevant to efforts by other U.S. government agencies may be shared
with those agencies.
Response: This is a request for information only; there will be no
response to submissions.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The TIP Report: The TIP Report is the most comprehensive worldwide
report on foreign governments' efforts to combat trafficking in
persons. It represents an updated, global look at the nature and scope
of trafficking in persons and the broad range of government actions to
confront and eliminate it. The U.S. Government uses the TIP Report to
engage in public diplomacy to encourage partnership in creating and
implementing laws and policies to combat trafficking and to target
resources on prevention, protection and prosecution programs.
Worldwide, the report is used by international organizations, foreign
governments, and nongovernmental organizations alike as a tool to
examine where resources are most needed. Freeing victims, preventing
trafficking, and bringing traffickers to justice are the ultimate goals
of the report and of the U.S government's anti-human trafficking
policy.
The Department prepares the TIP Report using information from
across the U.S. Government, U.S. Embassies, foreign government
officials, nongovernmental and international organizations, published
reports, and research trips to every region. The TIP Report focuses on
concrete actions that governments take to fight trafficking in persons,
including prosecutions, convictions, and prison sentences for
traffickers as well as victim protection measures and prevention
efforts. Each TIP Report narrative also includes a section on
recommendations. These recommendations are then used to measure
progress and determine whether there is a serious and sustained effort
from one year to the next.
The TVPA creates a three tier ranking system. This placement is
based more on the extent of government action to combat trafficking
than on the size of the problem, although that is also an important
factor. The Department first evaluates whether the government fully
complies with the TVPA's minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking. Governments that fully comply are placed on Tier 1. For
other governments, the Department considers the extent of efforts to
reach compliance. Governments that are making significant efforts to
meet the minimum standards are placed on Tier 2. Governments that do
not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making
significant efforts to do so are placed on Tier 3. Finally, the
Department considers Special Watch List criteria and, when applicable,
moves Tier 2 countries to Tier 2 Watch List. For more information, the
2009 TIP Report can be found at https://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009.
Since the inception of the TIP Report in 2001, the number of
countries included and ranked has more than doubled to include 175
countries in the 2009 TIP Report. The number of countries on Tier 1 has
grown from 12 to 28 and the number of countries on Tier 3 has decreased
from 23 to 17. Around the world, the TIP Report and the best practices
reflected therein have inspired legislation, national action plans,
implementation of policies and funded programs, protection mechanisms
that complement prosecution efforts, and a comprehensive understanding
of the issue.
Since 2003, the primary reporting on the United States' anti-
trafficking activities has been through the Attorney General's Report
to Congress and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat
Human Trafficking (``AG Report''), mandated by the Trafficking TVPA, 22
U.S.C. 7103(d)(7). The TIP Report has also historically included a
brief narrative on the United States. This year, for the first time,
the United States will voluntarily, through a collaborative interagency
process, include in the TIP Report an analysis of U.S. government anti-
trafficking efforts in light of the minimum standards to eliminate
trafficking in persons set forth by the TVPA. This analysis in the TIP
report will be done in addition to the AG Report, resulting in a multi-
faceted self-assessment process of expanded scope.
II. Minimum Standards for the Elimination of Trafficking in Persons
The TVPA sets forth the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking in persons as follows:
(1) The government of the country should prohibit severe forms of
trafficking in persons and punish acts of such trafficking.
(2) For the knowing commission of any act of sex trafficking
involving force, fraud, coercion, or in which the victim of sex
trafficking is a child incapable of giving meaningful consent, or of
trafficking which includes rape or kidnapping or which causes a death,
the government of the country should prescribe punishment commensurate
with that for grave crimes, such as forcible sexual assault.
(3) For the knowing commission of any act of a severe form of
trafficking in persons, the government of the country should prescribe
punishment that is sufficiently stringent to deter and that adequately
reflects the heinous nature of the offense.
(4) The government of the country should make serious and sustained
efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons.
The following factors should be considered as indicia of serious
and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in
persons:
(1) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates
and prosecutes acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and
convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts, that take
place wholly or partly within the territory of the country, including,
as appropriate, requiring
[[Page 11984]]
incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts. For purposes of
the preceding sentence, suspended or significantly reduced sentences
for convictions of principal actors in cases of severe forms of
trafficking in persons shall be considered, on a case-by-case basis,
whether to be considered as an indicator of serious and sustained
efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. After
reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding
investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government
which does not provide such data, consistent with the capacity of such
government to obtain such data, shall be presumed not to have
vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted or sentenced such acts.
During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1,
2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September
30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the
presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has
provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts and
the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith
effort to collect such data.
(2) Whether the government of the country protects victims of
severe forms of trafficking in persons and encourages their assistance
in the investigation and prosecution of such trafficking, including
provisions for legal alternatives to their removal to countries in
which they would face retribution or hardship, and ensures that victims
are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized
solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked,
including by providing training to law enforcement and immigration
officials regarding the identification and treatment of trafficking
victims using approaches that focus on the needs of the victims.
(3) Whether the government of the country has adopted measures to
prevent severe forms of trafficking in persons, such as measures to
inform and educate the public, including potential victims, about the
causes and consequences of severe forms of trafficking in persons,
measures to establish the identity of local populations, including
birth registration, citizenship, and nationality, measures to ensure
that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or
other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of
trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and
measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in violation
of international standards.
(4) Whether the government of the country cooperates with other
governments in the investigation and prosecution of severe forms of
trafficking in persons.
(5) Whether the government of the country extradites persons
charged with acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons on
substantially the same terms and to substantially the same extent as
persons charged with other serious crimes (or, to the extent such
extradition would be inconsistent with the laws of such country or with
international agreements to which the country is a party, whether the
government is taking all appropriate measures to modify or replace such
laws and treaties so as to permit such extradition).
(6) Whether the government of the country monitors immigration and
emigration patterns for evidence of severe forms of trafficking in
persons and whether law enforcement agencies of the country respond to
any such evidence in a manner that is consistent with the vigorous
investigation and prosecution of acts of such trafficking, as well as
with the protection of human rights of victims and the internationally
recognized human right to leave any country, including one's own, and
to return to one's own country.
(7) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates,
prosecutes, convicts, and sentences public officials who participate in
or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons, including
nationals of the country who are deployed abroad as part of a
peacekeeping or other similar mission who engage in or facilitate
severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such
trafficking, and takes all appropriate measures against officials who
condone such trafficking. After reasonable requests from the Department
of State for data regarding such investigations, prosecutions,
convictions, and sentences, a government which does not provide such
data consistent with its resources shall be presumed not to have
vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced such acts.
During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1,
2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September
30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the
presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has
provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts and
the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith
effort to collect such data.
(8) Whether the percentage of victims of severe forms of
trafficking in the country that are non-citizens of such countries is
insignificant.
(9) Whether the government of the country, consistent with the
capacity of such government, systematically monitors its efforts to
satisfy the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (8) and makes
available publicly a periodic assessment of such efforts.
(10) Whether the government of the country achieves appreciable
progress in eliminating severe forms of trafficking when compared to
the assessment in the previous year.
(11) Whether the government of the country has made serious and
sustained efforts to reduce the demand for (A) commercial sex acts; and
(B) participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the
country.
III. Information Sought Relevant to the Minimum Standards
Submissions should include, but need not be limited to, answers to
relevant questions below for which the submitter has direct
professional experience and that experience should be noted. Citations
to source material must also be provided. Note the country or countries
that are the focus of the submission. Please see the Scope of Interest
section for detailed information regarding submission requirements.
1. How have trafficking methods changed in the past 12 months? e.g.
Are there victims from new countries of origin? Is internal trafficking
or child trafficking increasing? Has sex trafficking changed from
brothels to private apartments? Is labor trafficking now occurring in
additional types of industries or agricultural operations? Is forced
begging a problem?
2. In what ways has the government's efforts to combat trafficking
in persons changed in the past year? What new laws, regulations,
policies and implementation strategies exist? e.g. substantive criminal
laws and procedures, mechanisms for civil remedies, victim-witness
security generally and in relation to court proceedings.
3. Please provide observations regarding the implementation of
existing laws and procedures.
4. Is the government equally vigorous in pursuing labor trafficking
and sex trafficking?
5. Are the anti-trafficking laws and sentences strict enough to
reflect the nature of the crime? Are sex trafficking sentences
commensurate with rape sentences?
6. Do government officials understand the nature of trafficking? If
not, please
[[Page 11985]]
provide examples of misconceptions or misunderstandings.
7. Do judges appear appropriately knowledgeable and sensitized to
trafficking cases? What sentences have courts imposed upon traffickers?
How common are suspended sentences and prison time of less than one
year for convicted traffickers?
8. Please provide observations regarding the efforts of police and
prosecutors to pursue trafficking cases.
9. Are government officials (including law enforcement) complicit
in human trafficking by, for example, profiting from, taking bribes or
receiving sex for allowing it to continue? Are government officials
operating trafficking rings or activities? If so, have these government
officials been subject to an investigation and/or prosecution? What
punishments have been imposed?
10. Has the government vigorously investigated, prosecuted,
convicted and sentenced nationals of the country deployed abroad as
part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engage in or
facilitate trafficking?
11. Has the government investigated, prosecuted, convicted and
sentenced organized crime groups that are involved in trafficking?
12. Is the country a source of sex tourists and, if so, what are
their destination countries? Is the country a destination for sex
tourists and, if so, what are their source countries?
13. Please provide observations regarding government efforts to
address the issue of child soldiers.
14. Does the government make a coordinated, proactive effort to
identify victims? Is there any screening conducted before deportation
to determine whether individuals were trafficked?
15. What victim services are provided (legal, medical, food,
shelter, interpretation, mental health care, health care,
repatriation)? Who provides these services? If nongovernment
organizations provide the services, does the government support their
work either financially or otherwise?
16. How could victim services be improved?
17. Are services provided equally and adequately to victims of
labor and sex trafficking? Men, women and children? Citizen and
noncitizen?
18. Do service organizations and law enforcement work together
cooperatively, for instance, to share information about trafficking
trends or to plan for services after a raid? What is the level of
cooperation, communication and trust between service organizations and
law enforcement?
19. May victims file civil suits or seek legal action against their
trafficker? Do victims avail themselves of those remedies?
20. Does the government repatriate victims? Does the government
assist with third country resettlement? Does the government determine
whether victims face retaliation, retrafficking, punishment or adverse
conditions in their country of origin? Are victims awaiting
repatriation or third country resettlement offered services? Are
victims indeed repatriated or are they deported?
21. Does the government detain or imprison identified trafficking
victims?
22. Does the government punish trafficking victims for forgery of
documents, illegal immigration, unauthorized employment, or
participation in illegal activities directed by the trafficker?
23. What efforts has the government made to prevent human
trafficking?
24. Are there efforts to address root causes of trafficking such as
poverty; lack of access to education and economic opportunity; and
discrimination against women, children and minorities?
25. Does the government undertake activities that could prevent or
reduce vulnerability to trafficking, such as registering births of
indigenous populations?
26. Does the government provide financial support to NGOs working
to promote public awareness or does the government implement such
campaigns itself? Have public awareness campaigns proven to be
effective?
27. Please provide additional recommendations to improve the
government's anti-trafficking efforts.
28. Please highlight effective strategies and practices that other
governments could consider adopting.
Dated: March 8, 2010.
Luis CdeBaca,
Ambassador-at-Large, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in
Persons, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-5498 Filed 3-11-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-02-P