ELATED BY TIER 1 RANKING, UAEG PROMISES TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 002943

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, G/TIP, INL, DRL, AND PRM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD PREF ELAB ASEC
TC
SUBJECT: ELATED BY TIER 1 RANKING, UAEG PROMISES TO
REDOUBLE ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS


1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for
Reasons 1.5(B) and (D).


2. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: On 11 June, the
Ambassador congratulated MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid
Al-Nahyan on the UAE's Tier 1 ranking in the 2003 TIP
Report, noting that the UAE is the only country to
jump two tiers in this year's Report. An extremely
grateful Hamdan characterized the news as a welcome
responsibility and reiterated his commitment to
continue pushing forward on this issue. We are using
the Tier 1 "good news" to reemphasize the importance
of this issue and encourage continued and increased
UAEG action -- starting with the Ambassador's
presentation to Hamdan of a "Next Steps Strategy."
The Department's recognition of the UAEG's efforts in
this area has motivated the UAEG to do even more and
will make our job easier in this regard. We
appreciate G/TIP's past assistance and look forward to
continuing to work together as we move forward with
the UAEG on TIP over the coming year. END SUMMARY AND
COMMENT.

Tier 1 -- A Welcome Responsibility
--------------


3. (U) The Ambassador began a June 11 meeting with
MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid (other topics covered
septel) by congratulating MFA Minstate and
Presidential son Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayid Al-Nahyan on
the UAE's Tier 1 ranking in the 2003 Trafficking in
Persons Report. She commended his personal commitment
and that of the UAEG as a whole to ending this
deplorable trade. Noting that the UAE was the only
country to jump from Tier 3 to Tier 1 in this year's
Report, the Ambassador informed Hamdan that Secretary
Powell would be highlighting the UAE's efforts, among
others, when he formally unveiled the report later
that day in Washington.


4. (U) The Ambassador remarked that the UAE's Tier 1
ranking will likely increase focus on the UAE's
efforts to fight trafficking in persons and advised
that we should redouble our efforts to ensure that the
UAE maintains its Tier 1 status in the 2004 Report.
In that spirit, she presented Hamdan with an embargoed
copy of the Report and an Embassy-crafted "Next Steps
Strategy," which lays out recommended UAEG actions in
the areas of prevention, prosecution and victim
protection. The Ambassador hoped that Hamdan would
give careful consideration to the Next Steps Strategy
and looked forward to working together over the next
year. She advised him that she would be presenting
the Report to the Crown Prince of Dubai and to the
Dubai Deputy Ruler, Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, as
well as the Ministers of Information, Justice and
Interior.


5. (U) Hamdan thanked the Ambassador and the U.S.
Mission for its assistance in making the Tier One jump
possible. In line with the adage that it's easier to
get to the top than stay there, he agreed that the
UAEG would need to work even harder now to maintain
its good record, noting that this achievement was "a
big responsibility." He looked forward to working
together and welcomed the mission's input of
recommended next steps.


6. (SBU) Later that day, Hamdan's Office Director,
Sultan Al-Romaithi, advised Poloff that Hamdan is
determined to increase UAEG efforts to monitor and
combat TIP. He stated that this week Hamdan will send
letters to the other six emirates' rulers, formally
notifying them of the UAE's Tier 1 placement and the
necessity to continue UAEG efforts against TIP.

Mission's Engagement Plan for 2003-2004
--------------


7. (U) UAEG reaction to our ongoing engagement on TIP
has been very positive, as evidenced by Hamdan's
personal commitment to this issue and its placement on
the U.S.-UAE Strategic Dialogue agenda in November

2002. The news of the UAE's Tier 1 ranking gives us
an excellent opportunity to redouble our efforts with
various ministries and emirates to ensure that we
continue to move forward in combating this
transnational crime.

8. (U) In rolling out the 2003 Report, we are
emphasizing the importance of this issue in our
bilateral relationship by forwarding copies of the
Report and Next Steps Strategy under cover of letter
signed by the Ambassador to the Ministers of
Information, Interior, Justice, Labor and Health. We
are also forwarding similar packages to the Dubai
Crown Prince, Dubai Deputy Ruler, Dubai Police
Commander, Dubai Prosecutor General, Abu Dhabi General
Health Authority Chairman, and the Interior Ministry
Undersecretary (who also serves as Head of the Abu
Dhabi Police Directorate). We will follow-up the
delivery of the Report and Next Steps Strategy with
working-level meetings to maintain the momentum
created by the release of the 2003 Report and
encourage the UAEG to sustain and, where possible,
increase its efforts on TIP.

Next Steps Strategy for the UAEG
--------------


9. (SBU) In the Next Steps Strategy, we included an
exhaustive list of recommended UAEG actions in the
areas of prevention, prosecution and victim protection
that will follow-up and build on the UAEG's already
existing accomplishments:

Prevention

--Sign and enforce legislation codifying the child
camel jockey ban. (MFA, Justice, Interior, Camel
Racing Federation)

--Sign and ratify relevant international instruments,
including (1) The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
Children, Supplementing the UN Convention Against
Transnational Organized Crime; (2) The Optional
Protocol on the Sale of Children, Supplementing the
Convention on the Rights of the Child; and (3) The
Optional Protocol on Use of Children in Armed
Conflict, Supplementing the Convention on the Rights
of the Child. (MFA, Justice)

--Review Model Law to Combat Trafficking in Persons
and consider drafting comprehensive legislation on
trafficking in persons or supplementing currently
existing law on trafficking in persons. (MFA,
Justice)

--Establish working-level group/committee to follow-up
and monitor success of government actions and
initiatives to fight trafficking in persons. (MFA)

--Conduct research to determine parameters of
trafficking in persons problem in the UAE. (Interior,
Labor)

--Initiate discussions with the International
Organization for Migration regarding benefits of
membership and the opening of an IOM field office in
the UAE. (MFA, Interior, Labor)

--Conduct public awareness campaigns to educate the
community on trafficking in persons and its causes and
the need for prevention, enforcement and the
protection of victims. (Information, Health)

--Publicize the laws against trafficking, the
penalties for trafficking, and cases in which
traffickers are prosecuted. (Information, Justice,
Interior)

--Provide training to the media on reporting the
causes, prevention and prosecution of trafficking in
persons. (Information)

--Review guidelines for granting visas to citizens and
residents of countries known to be source countries
for trafficking victims. Review procedures at
airports that receive a high number of visitors from
countries known to be source countries. (Interior,
Labor, Civil Aviation)

--Continue to provide to source countries humanitarian
and reconstruction assistance designed to protect
women and children from becoming trafficking victims.
(MFA, Red Crescent Authority, Abu Dhabi Fund for
Development)

--Require standard labor contracts for those not
covered by UAE labor laws (including domestic and
agricultural workers) and create an office to receive
complaints for contract violations so that a formal
mechanism exists outside of the court system to
address grievances. (Interior, Labor)

--Provide training to UAE diplomats on trafficking in
persons, the scope of the problem in the UAE, and what
the UAEG is doing to fight it. (MFA)

--Ask UAE embassies in source countries to engage with
those governments on trafficking in persons and
offer/request cooperation on law enforcement efforts.
(MFA)

Prosecution of Traffickers

--Create Anti-Trafficking in Persons Units in police
departments and public prosecution offices. Assign
specially trained female police officers to Anti-
Trafficking in Persons Units and hot lines.
(Interior, Justice)

--Provide training to police, immigration and border
officials, judges and prosecutors, health officials
and professionals, social workers, and labor
inspectors on: (1) detecting traffickers and patterns
of trafficking in persons; (2) detecting trafficking
victims; (3) interview and prosecution techniques; (4)
proper treatment of victims; (5) document fraud
detection; and (6) visa sponsorship abuse. (MFA,
Interior, Justice, Health, Labor, Civil Aviation)

--Add training classes specifically addressing
trafficking in persons to police academies and
judicial/prosecutor institutes. (Interior, Justice)

--Review procedures for questioning women arrested for
prostitution and related offenses to determine whether
the women are possible trafficking victims.
(Interior)

--Identify points of contact in the UAEG for receiving
information on suspected trafficking cases and victims
and communicate that contact information to foreign
embassies and consulates in the UAE, law enforcement
officials in source countries, and NGOs in source
countries. (MFA, Interior)

--Meet with officials from foreign embassies and
consulates in the UAE for source countries to create a
Standard Operating Procedure for embassy and consulate
officials to report suspected cases of trafficking in
persons to specified UAEG points of contact. (MFA,
Interior)

--Maintain statistics on the UAEG's efforts to enforce
trafficking in persons, including (1) number and
outcome of arrests and prosecutions; (2) number and
outcome of labor inspections; (3) number of victims
repatriated to their home countries; (4) number and
outcome of DNA tests conducted in connection with
registration of camel jockeys; (5) number of camel
jockey registration cards applied for and issued.
(Interior, Labor, Health, Camel Racing Federation)

Protection of Victims

--Establish a Victims' Assistance Program in all
police departments, ensuring that safe shelter,
medical assistance and counseling are provided to
victims. (Interior, Health)

--Provide adequate safety and privacy to trafficking
victims who serve as witnesses. (Interior)

--Publicize hotline for trafficking victims.
(Interior)

--Train health professionals to look for signs of
sexual abuse during annual medical exams conducted to
receive and renew health cards. Ensure that women
receive gynecological services, including testing for
sexually transmitted diseases, during these annual
medical exams. (Interior, Labor, Health)

--Distribute information on trafficking in persons at
airports, police stations and hospitals, with details
on who to call and where to go for help. (Civil
Aviation, Interior, Health, Labor)

WAHBA