UAE LEADERS COMMITTED TO TIP PLAN FOLLOW THROUGH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002495 SIPDIS STATE FOR G, G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI STATE ALSO PASS TO USTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2010 TAGS: PHUM ELAB TC SUBJECT: UAE LEADERS COMMITTED TO TIP PLAN FOLLOW THROUGH REF: A. ABU DHABI 2437 ¶B. STATE 99833 ¶C. STATE 98157 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary. The UAE leadership has reacted calmly to the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Tier 3 designation and action plan. UAE leaders designated Presidential Affairs Minister Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed to oversee the plan's implementation and have asked two specific questions about the action plan. Interior Minister Saif bin Zayed told the press June 6 that he was confident that the steps the UAE was taking to combat trafficking would lead to a "positive outcome." UNICEF officials, meanwhile, want to ensure that the UAEG not rush the repatriation of child camel jockeys before verifying the identities and parentage of the children and caring for their psychological needs. In contrast to the leadership, lower level police officials, particularly in Dubai, criticized the TIP report as unfair. This message contains an action request, paragraph 6. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ) asked his brother, Presidential Affairs Minister Sheikh Mansour, to be the enforcer who will ensure follow up on all six points in the Trafficking in Persons action plan for the UAE. Four of the Al Nahyan brothers ) Mohammed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hamdan, Mansour, and Information Minister Abdullah ) met June 1 on the margins of Sheikh Hamdan's son's wedding to review the action plan. They also reviewed the report and action plan with Interior Minister Sheikh Saif and Labor Minister Al Kaabi over the weekend. "Khaleej Times" reported June 6 that Sheikh Saif viewed the TIP report as "a good occasion to look at the issues from another perspective, as if you're having an auditor look at what you've done. We,re confident that all the steps we're taking are leading to a positive outcome." On June 4, the Embassy delivered to MbZ's Foreign Policy Advisor the Secretary's letter urging the UAEG to take steps to combat the trafficking problem. ¶3. (C) The Embassy has received two specific questions from the UAEG since we delivered embargoed copies of the report and action plan (refs B and C) to select UAEG officials on July 1 and 2. A) The UAEG wanted to know at what age is a person no longer considered a "child" in the context of "child trafficking." B) The UAEG also wanted assurances that the USG would raise the UAE from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List if the UAE accomplished all six steps suggested in the action plan. ¶4. (C) Meanwhile, UNICEF officials have expressed concern to us that the UAEG may rush the repatriation of young camel jockeys to demonstrate UAEG action in response to USG TIP concerns. From UNICEF's perspective, it is important that the UAEG undertake DNA testing to verify the identities and parentage of the boys and provide psychological counseling for the boys while the boys are in the UAE. Once they are repatriated, it would be much harder for UNICEF to verify identities and provide care. We have urged UNICEF to raise their concerns directly with the UAEG and will explore these issues with our UAEG interlocutors as well. ¶5. (SBU) While the Abu Dhabi leadership has reacted to the UAE's Tier 3 ranking by focusing on action plan follow-up, lower level Dubai police officials have criticized the report. "Gulf News" reported June 5 that a spokesman for the Human Rights Department of Dubai Police called the report unfair and said that U.S. sanction threats were toothless and would not help solve the problem. Major Arif Baqer, Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Human Rights Department, told "Gulf News" he was "shocked" by the TIP report, adding that he had addressed all contentious issues with G/TIP Reports Officer Feleke Assefa during his May 7-10 mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. "Gulf News" cited a senior official from the Dubai Police Human Rights Department who said, "We do our best to eliminate trafficking (of women for sexual exploitation). We push for these women to be treated as victims, not criminals in the courts and at immigration." The same official said most women working in the sex industry in Dubai were not being forced. "There are very few genuine victims of human trafficking. Many of them came to work as prostitutes and have saved enough money to go home." ¶6. (U) Action Request: We would appreciate receiving by Washington COB Tuesday, June 7 cleared language from G/TIP and DRL in response to the para 3 points. SISON