US DEPARTMENT OF STATE RELEASES 2007 TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT – ARMENIA
AZG Armenian Daily #091
14/05/2008
US Department of State
The Government of Armenia has made minimal progress in addressing
trafficking in persons since the release of the 2007 TIP Report. Most
notably, it did not take steps to combat trafficking-related
corruption.
The government continued to use its anti-trafficking law to
investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers. The Prosecutor
General´s office regularly publishes on its website crime reports
that include detailed reports and statistics on trafficking crimes.
The government continues to fail to address trafficking-related
official complicity and did not vigorously investigate or prosecute
official corruption as it relates to trafficking.
Government agencies referred an increased number of trafficking victims
to appropriate NGO care, but did not provide financial assistance to
anti-trafficking NGOs. The government has not yet drafted a national
referral mechanism, although a working group was established in
October 2007. In December 2007, the government approved the new
2007-2009 National Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons,
and elevated the inter-agency anti-TIP commission to a ministerial
council chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. The government conducted
a trafficking awareness program for orphans who are leaving the state´s
care, a highly vulnerable group. In September 2007, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs co-hosted an anti-trafficking awareness seminar with
an international organization that resulted in media appearances by
officials and NGOs.
–Boundary_(ID_2Cim52dFF1+yWZTxcw0BXw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
