Santa Marta Group Global Partnership: Taking the Lead on Human Trafficking

santa marta group global partnership: taking the lead on human trafficking

Santa Marta Group Conference Lancaster House, London

5 - 6 December 2014

The Santa Marta Group, endorsed and supported by The Holy Father Pope Francis, is an alliance of International Police Chiefs and Bishops from around the world working together with civil society to eradicate human trafficking and modern day slavery.

The December conference builds on the international meeting held in the Vatican in April at which those present signed the ‘Declaration of commitment’ on combating human trafficking. This event, headed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols in association with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, will bring together representatives from over 25 countries.

An initiative of the Catholic Trust for England and Wales, 39 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1BX A company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales. Company No. 4734592 Registered Charity No. 1097482 santa marta group global partnership: taking the lead on human trafficking

Background

The Santa Marta Group is an alliance of International Police Chiefs and Bishops from around the world working together with civil society to counter human trafficking.

Human slavery is serious organised criminality on a vast scale targeting the most vulnerable in society. Such is his concern at the suffering and exploitation inflicted by traffickers that Pope Francis has committed the Church to tackling this scourge. Pope Francis described trafficking as “an open wound on the body of contemporary society.”

The purpose of this group is to bring together strategies that will utilise resources regionally, nationally and internationally to improve the care and support provided to victims and promote better relationships between law enforcement and the NGO sector. One of the main objectives of increased partnerships will be the sharing of intelligence resulting in the identification of more victims and a significant increase in prosecutions.

Globally there are 1000s of groups working in this area but often in isolation of each other, let alone with statutory agencies.

In London, the Metropolitan Police has developed some excellent opportunities to work with organisations resulting in extremely positive outcomes. These examples have been the blueprint for the purpose of the Santa Marta Group. However, the Santa Marta Group aims to engage a response on an international level with the most senior of participants taking responsibility for driving activities. This will bring a common objective, with a clear focus on the needs of the victim, the sharing of best practice and the development of national or regional actions and activity to address and eliminate human slavery.

Value of membership

Membership of the Santa Marta Group is by invitation only, and by virtue of their presence members agree to join the common objective to develop responses to support victims and persue those responsible for these crimes.

It will be for the participants to develop their own response to this crime through discussions with peers and partners allowing an informed decision making process.

The Catholic and Anglican Church have millions of followers in the UK and over 18,500 places of worship, this shows how many people these organisations can reach in the UK, not to mention globally. However, the Santa Marta Group is not just about faith-based organisations, it is about developing a response.

The unique opportunity the Santa Marta Group provides is face-to-face conversations and negotiations taking place between senior representatives from sending, transit and receiving countries to develop bespoke responses in collaboration with senior members of the Church and civil society. One of the significant advantages this allows is an increase in public confidence by having external involvement outside of law enforcement and the engagement and use of the varied resources that civil society can provide.

Objectives of December event in London

This event, headed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols in association with the Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, will bring together representatives from over 25 countries. There is no similar gathering of this kind. Although there may be operational meetings through Europol and Interpol, the nature of the Santa Marta Group is fundamentally different.

In December, subjects of discussion will include activity achieved or developed as an outcome of the April event at the Vatican.

This includes:

• North Atlantic Programme

• Caritas Bakhita House

• Nigerian Partnership

• Spain 2015

• St Mary’s University International Project

• Argentina’s response

• The Adoratrices commitment

This covers current activities, but the real opportunity for the Santa Marta Group is to develop further partnerships that bring civil society and law enforcement together to support victims and focus on the prosecution of perpetrators.

It is evident that trust between the NGO and statutory agencies is limited and a great deal of suspicion still exists. The Santa Marta Group is a vehicle for building trust regionally and internationally in a structured way, but removed from the limitations imposed by legislative frameworks that often impede support for victims.

It is in no way intended to ‘cut corners’ but aims to improve the relationships already encouraged within the legislative frameworks that actually support the idea of informal partnerships within law enforcement.

Within the United Kingdom, the most valuable sources of information comes from communities who rightly operate outside of any policies or other limitations; the confidence of these communities is at the forefront of the British Policing Model.

Santa Marta Group 2015

The Santa Marta Group will meet in the last week of October 2015 in El Escorial just outside Madrid. Director General Gutierrez of the Spanish National Police and Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra have agreed to provide the local management in collaboration with the London based Santa Marta Group leadership.

Conclusion

The overriding aim of the Santa Marta Group is to play a major role in the eradication of the serious organised crime of human slavery. This is a new and unique approach bringing together international partners to develop a common commitment and objective.

The current members agree that to remain effective and achieve the most from the Group, the meetings should be open to discuss issues in an environment that is not clouded by bureaucracy or a lack of innovation by limiting activity to restrictions often imposed upon governmental agencies or protocols.

Everything should be about victim support and the pursuit of offenders.

This ethos will continue throughout the life of the Santa Marta Group. During 2015, Pope Francis will be provided with an update on successes and effectiveness, as the process enters its second year.

Programme

DAY 1 - FRIDAY 5th DECEMBER 2014

12.15 Santa Marta Group members transported from Radisson Blu Hotel to Lancaster House

12.45 Delegates not staying at the hotel or attending the Met exhibition to arrive at Lancaster House for accreditation

13.00 Conference Begins with Buffet Lunch, Grand Hallway

13.45 Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer to call to order (2 mins)

Opening Prayer by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (3 mins)

14.00 Opening Plenary

With Ms Julie Etchingham the conference moderator (Long Gallery) (5 mins)

14.05 Message from Pope Francis

Read by Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (5 mins)

14.10 HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols

The Santa Marta Declaration: Why We Are Here: The Values and Purpose of the Santa Marta Group (5 mins)

14.15 Karen Bradley MP, Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime (5 mins)

14.20 Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

What do we want to achieve? Practical Steps to Greater Collaboration through Identifying and Supporting Victims and Prosecuting Offenders (5 mins)

14.25 Mr Illias Chatzis, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Global Policy Overview: Identifying International Trafficking Patterns and the Response of the International Community (10 mins)

14.35 Diane Martin

What’s needed for victims (5mins)

14.40 Bishop Patrick Lynch SS.CC (CBCEW) and Francis Campbell Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Twickenham

The Response: The launch of Caritas Bakhita House and Bakhita International Institute. Video (10 mins)

14.50 Updates by Chiefs on Work Undertaken Since Rome

These will involve sharing of best practice and current work (8 mins each)

Commissioner Roman Di Santo, Argentine Federal Police

General Felizardo Serapio, Jr, Philippine Centre on Transnational Crime

Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Commander Hans-Dieter Schiffles, German Federal Criminal Police

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, UK Police Trafficking Lead

15.35 Working Sessions (1 Hour)

Long Gallery, State Dining Room, Green Room, Rooms 108-10

The Commissioner and Cardinal to move between groups to get an overall picture

This is an opportunity to deepen working relationships and share information with three questions:

1. How do we identify victims? 2. How do we care for victims? 3. How can we build co-operation and partnerships amongst ourselves?

AFRICA Chair: Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria Moderator: Cecilia Taylor-Camara, Senior Policy Advisor, CBCEW

ASIA Chair: Major-General Apichat Suriboonya, Royal Thai Police Moderator: Archbishop John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington, NZ

EUROPE Chair: Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, Police Scotland Moderator: Gillian Rivers, Chair, Family Law Committee, International Bar Association

AMERICAS Chair: Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale, US Immigration & Customs Enforcement Moderator: Msgr Edmond Putrimas, Canadian and Lithuanian Bishops’ Conferences

AMBASSADORS Chair: His Excellency Dr Ion Jinga, Ambassador of Romania Moderator: Fiona Cunningham, Associate Director, Centre for Social Justice

16.35 Break

16.45 Informal Groups (1 hour)

Chaired by HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe These will allow for informal and confidential discussions. Those not involved will take part in the support working group

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe with Chiefs only with own support if necessary State Drawing Room – boardroom style

HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols with Bishops only Green Room – boardroom style

Robbie Kent, Director, Modern Slavery Unit and Fr Peter-John Pearson (South Africa) to host a Staff Working Group

17.45 Conclusion to Day One – Grand Hall

Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to give reflections

18.00 Drinks reception in Grand Hall

18.45 Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP, to address delegates

19.00 Dinner in the Long Gallery of Lancaster House

Grace before dinner: The Lord Bishop of Derby, Rt. Rev Alastair Redfern

Guest Speaker: Kevin Hyland, Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner

Grace after Dinner: Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher

21.30 Transportation to Hotel

DAY 2 - SATURDAY 6th DECEMBER 2014

07.20 Coach to take delegates who wish to attend Mass

07.45 Mass in Westminster Cathedral (optional)

08.15 Transport leaves hotel for Lancaster House

08.25 Coach leaves Westminster Cathedral for Lancaster House

08.45 Registration and coffee

09.00 Welcome by HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Long Gallery)

Opening prayer by Archbishop Stephen Brislin

Julie Etchingham to open and recap Day One

09.15 Plenary Session (1 Hour)

Feedback from working session groups by Chair/moderators (12 mins each) in the form of a presentation (8 minutes) and Q&As (4 minutes)

10.15 Coffee

10.45 Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

Reflections on the Working Groups (15 mins)

11.00 Rob Wainwright, Director of EUROPOL, European Law Enforcement Agency

How to better share intelligence amongst the Santa Marta Group to create trusted networks for prevention and reintegration (15 minutes)

11.15 Santa Marta Group Activities for 2015

North Atlantic Maritime Project

AC Derek Byrne of An Garda Siochana and Paul Broadbent from The Gangmasters Licensing Authority to present on the North Atlantic Maritime Project and conference in early 2015 (25 minutes).

11.35 National Spanish Plan and the 2015 International Conference

Director General Dr Ignacio Cosido Gutierrez & Chief Commissioner Jose Maria Moreno of the Spanish National Police with Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra to present the National Spanish Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Exploitation and the Santa Marta Group’s 2015 Annual Conference (25 mins)

12.00 Conclusion:

HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe and Karen Bradley MP

12.30 Victims’ Presentation (TBC) (15 mins)

12.45 Closing and Prayer from HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols

13.00 Buffet Lunch, Grand Hallway

13.20 Press Conference chaired by HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols with Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Music Room