VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0429/01 1431758
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221758Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9753
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000429 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND G/TIP MFORSTROM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG CS
SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL COSTA RICA PROPOSAL: G/TIP FY 2008 ESF 
AND INCLE FUNDS 
 
REF: A. 07 STATE 161287 
     ¶B. SAN JOSE 125 
 
¶1. Per Ref A, Post submits a second Costa Rican proposal for 
funding from G/TIP-managed FY 2008 ESF and INCLE funds on 
behalf of Rahab Foundation. We understand that the review 
committee has not yet convened, and we appreciate the 
opportunity for this additional submission. This proposal is 
in addition to the IOM proposal that Post submitted in 
February (Ref B). 
 
¶2. Background:  This project would extend for two additional 
years a Rahab Foundation project that was funded by the U.S. 
and operated from 2006-2008 in Jaco, Costa Rica. The beach 
town of Jaco is a major epicenter of the Costa Rican sex 
tourism industry and trafficking in persons. The first phase 
of the Jaco project focused on preventing trafficking through 
awareness and training among vulnerable populations, 
officials and police, government institutions, NGOs and area 
businesses. It also involved a victim's protection and 
assistance component, complete with legal, psychological, 
medical, dental and reintegration services. The Jaco project 
is the only one in Costa Rica to date providing a range of 
services specifically to victims of trafficking. The GOCR in 
fact relies on Rahab Foundation to assist victims, as there 
are no other service providers adequately prepared to do so. 
The experience developed through the first phase demonstrated 
an urgent need for more active participation of other 
community-based organizations concerned about 
trafficking-related issues. 
 
¶3. Backdrop:  One of Costa Rica's biggest challenges 
continues to be the trafficking of persons for the purposes 
of labor and/or sexual exploitation. Costa Rica is a source, 
transit and destination country for men, women, and children 
trafficked for those purposes. Given the GOCR's resources and 
many other challenges, Costa Rica's effort to combat 
trafficking in persons needs assistance. The country's 
borders are porous and the government resources continue to 
be stretched. There is ample evidence that Costa Rica serves 
as a transit and destination point for many women heading 
north as well as the destination of many women trafficked 
from other Central and South American countries, the 
Caribbean (Dominican Republic) and Eastern Europe (mainly 
Russia and Romania). 
 
¶4. The responses below are keyed to Ref A. We emailed the 
full proposal to G/TIP's Mark Forstrom. 
 
¶5. Program Description: 
 
¶A. Name of Organization: Rahab Foundation. Contact person: 
Mariliana Morales, Executive Director. Mailing address: P.O. 
Box 2161-1002, Paseo de los Estudiantes, San Jose, Costa 
Rica. Phone number 011-506-2221-4908. E-mail is 
rahabcr@ice.co.cr. 
 
¶B. Requested Funding Amount is USD 149,394. 
 
¶C. Project Title:  "Strengthening and Improving Community 
Service Networks to Fight Human Trafficking in the Central 
Pacific Region of Costa Rica: Phase 2". 
 
¶D. Project Duration:  Two years. 
 
¶E. Proposal Abstract:  Since June 2006, the Rahab Foundation, 
in coordination with IOM, has carried out the project, 
"Prevention, Protection and Services to Human Trafficking 
Victims and Potential Victims" in the Central Pacific Region 
of Costa Rica. The experience developed through this first 
phase has demonstrated the urgent need to complement the 
training and political advocacy activities carried out with 
local government counterparts to promote a more active 
participation of community-based organizations. These 
grass-roots organizations, coming together to deal with 
religious, women's, and environmental issues, among others, 
could act as a frontline of defense of victims of trafficking 
from the moment of identification and throughout the medium 
and long-term assistance. Therefore, the end objective of 
this project is to improve their capacity as local agents for 
the identification of human trafficking victims and the 
criminal rings as well as provide with practical attention 
towards victim protection. 
 
As such, the project will promote community awareness and 
support the design and implementation of coordination and 
referral mechanisms of a service network that addresses human 
trafficking at the local level, promoting ownership and 
sustainability after the end of the project. The joint 
partnership for the first phase has proven to have good 
 
synergy since Rahab Foundation's know-how focuses on 
restoration of human rights of women and teens involved in 
sexual exploitation, while IOM has cumulative experience on 
human trafficking issues and is well-positioned for political 
advocacy both nationally and internationally. The main goal 
is to strengthen community and institutional service 
networks, with the participation of government institutions, 
non-government organizations and civil society, in order to 
carry out activities for the prevention, protection and 
assistance services to human trafficking victims and 
potential victims in a coordinated and effective manner. 
 
¶6. Post recommends this initiative as truly worthwhile and 
one that fills a void in Costa Rica's efforts to combat 
trafficking in persons. Without additional funding, the Jaco 
project will remain closed. 
BRENNAN