, Principal Deputy Director of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Kari Johnstone, and Deputy Minister of Interior for Public Security Victor Raul Rucoba met for high-level discussions during the first annual U.S.-Peru Child Protection Compact Partnership (CPC) Bilateral Dialogue in continuance of the CPC Partnership signed in 2017.
The CPC Partnership is jointly developed and builds on existing efforts in Peru 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. It is the first partnership of its kind in the region.
The Government of Peru pledged to provide at least S/8 million (about US$2.36 million) and to increase personnel of the relevant member entities of the Multisectoral Commission in support of the CPC Partnership over its originally planned, four-year term.
In further recognition of the importance of this collaboration, the U.S. and Peru agreed to extend the four-year partnership by one year, until June 2022. To facilitate this extension, the U.S. is providing an additional US$1.7 million to the CPC Partnership, awarded to the ILO.
In his remarks during the dialogue, Ambassador Urs noted that "I am pleased to announce today the expansion of our Alliance with Peru for one additional year and our commitment to provide US$1.7 million in additional funds to continue this work through 2022 and to expand activities to Madre de Dios and Puno (regions)."
"Along with our appreciation for our government partners, I want to offer special congratulations to our implementing partners, the International Labor Organization, Centro Yanapanakusun, Capital Humano y Social Alternativo, and the Instituto de Defensa Legal. Your commitment is firm and transformational for the victims you assist. The United States is committed to ending the crime of trafficking in children and adolescents, and we stand with Peru to do so," Ambassador Urs concluded.
Principal Deputy Director Johnstone also acknowledged the significance of the additional funding and lengthened duration of the CPC partnership stating "I am pleased that both of our governments agreed to a one-year extension of the Partnership and that our office committed an additional investment of $1.7 million to support this extension and expand select program activities to include officials in Madre de Dios and Puno."
Discussions during the dialogue reiterated the importance of the CPC Partnership as a reflection of shared concern that child trafficking poses a harmful and lasting impact on child victims, undermines security and the rule of law, is sometimes linked to organized crime, facilitates corruption, and fuels other illicit economies.
Both governments committed to working collaboratively in Peru throughout the duration of the partnership, to achieve improved and sustainable policies and practices to meet the CPC Partnership's objectives.