Child Protection Compact Partnerships – Peru

On June 15, 2017, the United States and Peru signed a Child Protection Compact Partnership, a five-year jointly developed and implemented plan between the two governments to build on Peru’s existing efforts to prosecute and punish perpetrators of child trafficking; identify child trafficking victims and coordinate the provision of comprehensive protective services; and prevent child trafficking from occurring.  The Partnership currently facilitates a TIP Office investment of $7.1 million in U.S. foreign assistance and is the first of its kind in the Americas.

Foreign Assistance Awards to Support the U.S.-Peru CPC Partnership

In October 2017, the TIP Office announced the award of funds totaling $5 million (with additional future funds, the current U.S. investment totals $7.1 million) to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Centro Yanapanakusun for activities in support of the U.S.-Peru CPC Partnership.  These implementing partners are working collaboratively with Peruvian government entities and other civil society organizations to combat child trafficking in metropolitan Lima, Cusco, and Loreto, Madre de Dios, and Puno.

International Labor Organization

Summary: The ILO and its sub-recipients aim to improve the capacity of the Peruvian government to reduce child trafficking by contributing to stronger coordination among a wide array of stakeholders, harmonizing current initiatives and bringing an innovative approach to combat child trafficking efficiently, while also ensuring victims’ needs are met through the provision of specialized services.

Key Accomplishments to Date:

• Provided technical assistance towards the Peruvian government’s establishment of five new specialized shelters for child trafficking victims.  The ILO also contributed resources to the new shelters to help ensure comprehensive services were available and provided to child trafficking victims
• Supported the development of Peru’s first Operational Guidelines for Police and Prosecutors to investigate human trafficking cases. The ILO also conducted trainings on the application of this guideline
• Provided training and technical assistance, supporting the government’s efforts to improve trauma-informed protection services, policies, and procedures related to specialized care for LGBTI child victims of trafficking
• Through the ILO’s promotion of victim-centered approaches, this perspective (mostly unknown before the CPC Partnership) became more common to see in regional commission work plans across Peru
• Facilitated a mentor training program designed and implemented for specialized law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges with international counterparts to share investigative and prosecutorial techniques and how to achieve successful convictions on child trafficking
• In coordination with the Peruvian government, the ILO developed and implemented trainings for justice sector stakeholders about investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating cases of child trafficking
• Provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) in the development/updating of the National Policy against TIP (slated to be approved by July 2021)

Centro Yanapankusun

Summary: Centro Yanapanakusun organized and mobilized resources from civil society and municipal governments to strengthen child trafficking prevention efforts for high-risk populations in Cusco.  During the program’s period of performance (which concluded in September 2020), Centro Yanapanakusun worked directly with communities most affected by child trafficking in Cusco, establishing alliances with key local actors — such as traditional authorities, local governments, and schools — to increase awareness of anti-trafficking policies and protocols and to develop strategies and tools for prevention that could be used and replicated across communities.

Key Accomplishments to Date:

• Development of five Community Support Groups, many of which were presented to their respective Citizen Security District Committees and incorporated as members to assist in the prevention of human trafficking in the community, reflecting a recognition of prioritizing these efforts
• Through Centro Yanapanakusun’s engagement with the local community, more opportunities were provided to community members to broaden their understanding of what is human trafficking and recognize the harmful effects the experience leaves on children
• Cusco’s Regional Network for the Fight Against Human Trafficking now recognizes the importance of preventative actions, so much so that in 2020, the president of the Network requested that the Director of the Regional Directorate of Education and Centro Yanapanakusun draft the trafficking prevention section of the action plan
• Children, in particular adolescents, were given an outlet through art and radio programs to share their thoughts on human trafficking, especially as many started to recognize that what their grandparents, parents, and even themselves, had experienced was a form of trafficking
• The development of a route for teachers at the Center for Basic and Alternative Education allowed teachers to clearly recognize the role they play in prevention and how to better identify possible cases of human trafficking among their students