Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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03ABUDHABI2943 | 2003-06-18 11:39:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Abu Dhabi |
null Diana T Fritz 03/21/2007 05:34:50 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS TELEGRAM June 18, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2943 - PRIORITY) TAGS: PHUM, PREF, ELAB, ASEC, KCRM, KFRD Captions: None Subject: ELATED BY TIER 1 RANKING, UAEG PROMISES TO REDOUBLE ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ UNCLAS ABU DHABI 02943 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: RSO AMB DCM P/M ECON DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB: MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL: MMMENARD CLEARED: A/DCM: TEWILLIAMS; POL: STWILLIAMS VZCZCADI951 PP RUEHC RUEHZM RUEAWJA RUEHC RUEAWJC DE RUEHAD #2943/01 1691139 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 181139Z JUN 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0511 INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC RUEAWJC/USINS WASHDC |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 002943 |
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 |