For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 27, 2006
Memorandum for the Secretary of State
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination with Respect to Foreign
Governments' Efforts Regarding Trafficking in Persons
Consistent with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 (Division A of Public Law 106-386), as amended, (the "Act"), I hereby:
- Make the determination provided in section
110(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, with respect to Burma, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe,
not to provide certain funding for those countries' governments for fiscal
year 2007, until such government complies with the minimum standards or
makes significant efforts to bring itself into compliance, as may be
determined by the Secretary of State in a report to the Congress pursuant
to section 110(b) of the Act;
- Make the determination provided in section
110(d)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, with respect to Cuba, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Iran, and Syria, not to provide certain funding for
those countries' governments for fiscal year 2007, until such government
complies with the minimum standards or makes significant efforts to bring
itself into compliance, as may be determined by the Secretary of State in a
report to the Congress pursuant to section 110(b) of the Act;
- Make the determination provided in section 110(d)(3) of
the Act, concerning the determinations of the Secretary of State with
respect to Belize and Laos;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Iran, that funding for educational and cultural
exchange programs described in section 110(d)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act that
include educators, municipal leaders, religious leaders, journalists,
economists, or sports or cultural figures would promote the purposes of the
Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Saudi Arabia, that provision to Saudi Arabia of all
programs, projects, or activities of assistance described in sections
110(d)(1)(A)(i) and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act would promote the purposes of
the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Sudan, that provision to Sudan of all programs,
projects, or activities of assistance described in sections 110(d)(1)(A)(i)
and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act would promote the purposes of the Act or is
otherwise in the national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Syria, that funding for educational and cultural
exchange programs described in section 110(d)(1) (A)(ii) of the Act that
include educators, municipal leaders, religious leaders, journalists,
economists, or sports or cultural figures would promote the purposes of the
Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Uzbekistan, that provision to Uzbekistan of all
programs, projects, or activities of assistance described in sections
110(d)(1)(A)(i) and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act would promote the purposes of
the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Venezuela, for all programs, projects, or activities
of assistance for victims of trafficking in persons or to combat such
trafficking, or for strengthening the democratic process, including
strengthening political parties and supporting electoral observation and
monitoring and related programs, or for public diplomacy, that provision to
Venezuela of the assistance described in sections 110(d)
(1)(A)(i) and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act for such programs, projects, or
activities would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the
national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, with respect to Zimbabwe, for all programs, projects, or activities of
assistance for victims of trafficking in persons or to combat such
trafficking, for the promotion of health or good governance, or which would
have a significant adverse effect on vulnerable populations if suspended,
that provision to Zimbabwe of the assistance described in sections
110(d)(1)(A)(i) and 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act for such programs, projects, or
activities would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the
national interest of the United States;
- Determine, consistent with section 110(d)(4) of the
Act, that assistance to Venezuela or Zimbabwe described in section
110(d)(1)(B) of the Act that:
(1) is a regional program, project, or activity under which the total
benefit to Venezuela or Zimbabwe does not exceed 10 percent of the total
value of such program, project, or activity; or
(2) has as its primary objective the addressing of basic human needs, as
defined by the Department of the Treasury with respect to other, existing
legislative mandates concerning U.S. participation in the multilateral
development banks; or
(3) is complementary to or has similar policy objectives to programs being
implemented bilaterally by the United States Government; or
(4) has as its primary objective the improvement of the country's legal
system, including in areas that impact the country's ability to investigate
and prosecute trafficking cases or otherwise improve implementation of a
country's anti-trafficking policy, regulations, or legislation; or
(5) in engaging a government, international organization, or civil society
organization, and that seeks as its primary objective(s) to: (a) increase
efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking in persons crimes; (b)
increase protection for victims of trafficking through better screening,
identification, rescue/removal, aftercare (shelter, counseling) training
and reintegration; or (c) expand prevention efforts through education and
awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of trafficking or training and
economic empowerment of populations clearly at risk of falling victim to
trafficking
would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national
interest of the United States.
The certification required by section 110(e) of the Act is provided
herewith.
You are hereby authorized and directed to submit this determination to the
Congress and to publish it in the Federal Register.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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