DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ESCALATES EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 004990

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC),ALSO DOL MARCIA EUGENIO, DOL
MIRELLISE VAZQUEZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ELAB DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ESCALATES EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD
LABOR

REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 4763

B. SANTO DOMINGO 4415

SUMMARY


1. (U) On September 9 the Dominican Republic became the
second country in Latin America to launch a US Department of
Labor-funded Time Bound Program as part of an ongoing effort
to eradicate the worst forms of child labor. The launch
comes on the heels of an aggressive national campaign,
recently announced, against commercial sexual exploitation of
minors (ref A). The 3.5 million-USD Time Bound Program will
target three high-risk sectors across eight provinces prone
to child labor: sexual tourism, hazardous agriculture and
informal urban work. By 2007, the DR plans to reduce these
prioritized forms of child labor by 25%. What is most
telling is the Dominican Ministry of Labor,s enthusiastic
energy to take on this initiative, as well as community
commitment to see it through. The Time Bound initiative
follows the recent enactment of a revised Minors, Code to
protect children,s human rights and a new Anti-Trafficking
in Persons law that penalizes commercial sex offenders (ref
B). End Summary.

USDOL BOLSTERS EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD LABOR


2. (U) US Department of Labor (USDOL) Acting Director of
International Child Labor Programs Marcia Eugenio and
International Relations Specialist Mirellise Vazquez visited
the Dominican Republic September 7-10 to help launch the Time
Bound Program. Minister of Labor Milton Ray Guevarra, a
staunch advocate of eliminating child labor, has made this a
priority in domestic policy. The Ministry of Labor organized
an emotionally charged ceremony that included a children,s
art display and a drama, &Yes to education, no to child
labor,8 performed by young girls and boys from Azua (a
province where USDOL is already funding a child labor
project).


3. (U) Ambassador Hertell in his remarks underscored USG
support for the fight against child labor and recognized GODR
efforts to date. The DCM, Ecopol Counselor, Poloffs and
USAID officers also attended. Other participants in the
September 9 ceremony included USDOL partner International
Labor Organization/International Program for the Elimination
of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC) Director Frans Roselaers, ILO/IPEC
Local Chief Technical Advisor Laetitia Dumas, President
Mejia,s sister Isabel Mejia de Grullon -- who heads local
NGO CONANI (National Council for Children) and DevTech
Systems local contractor Dr. John Helwig. USDOL recently
awarded DevTech the 3.5 million USD grant to help implement
the Time Bound program, which includes an education component
targeting children involved in commercial sexual
exploitation, hazardous agriculture and informal urban work.

EDUCATION KEY TO CHILDREN VULNERABLE TO CHILD LABOR


4. (U) USDOL Eugenio and Vazquez visited the tomato-producing
province of Azua to promote the Time Bound Program.
Approximately 20% of children in Azua who do not regularly
attend school are forced to repeat a grade. Eugenio
emphasized the importance of education in meetings with local
community leaders. A highlight of the Azua site visit was
the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by approximately 100
school children and teachers, opening a library in a
neighborhood currently receiving USDOL assistance. The
teachers appeared to be sincerely committed to keeping
children in school. They told Eugenio and Vazquez that when
their students fail to show up at the special classrooms
funded by USDOL, the teachers personally visit parents to
verify that the children are not tomato picking in the fields.


5. (SBU) In a separate meeting with a local Habitat for
Humanity affiliate, Ministry of Labor inspectors, the Azua
District Director of Education, local Ministry of Agriculture
officials and other community workers, Eugenio and Vazquez
got a bird,s eye view of how to prevent child labor
utilizing community-owned initiatives. Despite a few
defensive comments from the agriculture officials (who did
not want to be perceived as promoting use of child
tomato-pickers),the officials seemed willing to eradicate
child labor. The local District Director of Education
requested continuation of USDOL funding, without which she
says her objectives will be almost impossible to achieve.
Eugenio and Vazquez urged participants to seek local
government assistance for micro-enterprises that target poor
families. Both also emphasized the importance of changing
traditional attitudes that it is acceptable for children to
work to put food on the table.

COMMENT


6. (SBU) The Time Bound Program launch is the latest step in
the GODR,s proactive policy to address the problem of child
labor. The next challenge will be to foster teamwork between
the Ministries of Labor and Education in implementing the
program. Cooperation between the two ministries will become
increasingly difficult in the run up to the May 2004
presidential elections, since the Minister of Labor backs
President Mejia,s re-election bid and the Minister of
Education/Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch seeks the
ruling party,s nomination. Local partners, particularly
ILO/IPEC and contractor DevTech Systems, will also have to
work together as a team rather than compete. Fortunately the
GODR has already set the tone with other successful pilot
projects, for example significantly reducing child labor in
the coffee-producing province of Constanza. To sustain the
momentum, officials and NGOs will have to continue to
collaborate in local communities--in spite of the looming
election and other distractions.
HERTELL