C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003043

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARPI AND NEA/PI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV ECON KPAO PREL XF KMPI TC MEPI
SUBJECT: UAE DEMOCRATIC REFORM STRATEGY: QUARTERLY
PROGRESS REPORT

REF: A) ABU DHABI 2173 B) ABU DHABI 2945 C) ABU DHABI
2946 D) ABU DHABI 2947

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Since the May 16 submission of the UAE
democratic reform strategy (ref A), visiting DOS and embassy
officials have highlighted the need for greater public
participation with President Khalifa, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Zayed, MinState Foreign Affairs Hamdan bin
Zayed, Al Ain's Sheikh Tahnoon as well as with civil society
interlocutors. In addition, we are working through MEPI to
support drafting of a new media law. We have also raised
transparency issues with senior UAEG officials and noted
greater UAEG emphasis on information outreach with regard to
the census and FTA. We have made inroads in discussing
training opportunities for public prosecutors and other legal
professionals. Nonetheless, the pace of political reform in
UAE remains modest. End summary.


2. (C) Representative Government:

The visit of NEA PDAS Liz Cheney to the UAE June 25-27
presented an opportunity for the embassy to engage the senior
UAE leadership in discussions of political reform. Cheney
discussed reform with the President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Minister of
Education Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and Minister
of Labor Dr. Al Kaabi. Cheney also met Abu Dhabi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Minister of Information Sheikh
Abdullah bin Zayed during a July 1 meeting in Paris and
raised reform themes. During the meetings, Cheney emphasized
that to fully empower its citizens, the UAE Government needed
to guarantee political freedom and democracy, and also boost
economic development. She encouraged the Emiratis to pursue

political, educational and social reform. Sheikh Hamdan told
Cheney that the UAE leadership was committed to political
reform, but would need time to increase public awareness
about the coming changes. Cheney said the U.S. understood
that each country would move at its own pace, but stressed
the importance of moving. Ambassador also met July 9 with
the Ruler's Representative to the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi
Emirate, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, to discuss
political reform in the UAE, among other topics. Sheikh
Tahnoon assured Ambassador that representative government and
elections "were coming" to the UAE, but declined to set a
timeline.


3. (SBU) Civil Society Development: During the visit of
PDAS Cheney, Ambassador hosted a dinner for 12 prominent
Emirati civil society leaders, including NGO activists,
women's group activists, academics, business reps, and media.
Discussion ranged from benefits of the FTA to women's
development. Some interlocutors said Emiratis needed to be
educated about their civic responsibilities before trying to
push for a democratically elected government. Addressing USG
efforts to encourage political reform in the UAE, President
of the UAE Businesswomen's Association Raja Al Gurg and
others expressed concerns about "trying to run before they
could walk." They said citizens need to understand the
responsibilities that go with democracy before participating
in elections, or else a corrupt or pandering government would
be elected. Cheney responded that the USG considered
elections a necessary but not sufficient condition for
democracy, and she fully supported efforts at building civil
society and institutions associated with public participation
in government. Noting that the President had admitted the
USG's error in supporting "stability over democracy" in its
relations with the Arab world for the past 60 years, Cheney
told the guests that this was no longer the case.


4. (U) In addition, human rights activists Dr. Khalifa
Bakhit Al Falasi and Dr. Ebtisam Al Kitbi have recently
informed us of their hopes that the UAEG will authorize the
country's first-ever human rights association before the end
of the year. Al Falasi and Al Kitbi are part of a group of
about 30 activists who would form the backbone of the new
association. Both said the UAE needs a domestic human rights
monitoring organization that can complement the work of the
State Department. The UAEG is also studying whether to
authorize a second human rights association that has a
moderate Islamic leadership. Al Falasi and Al Kitbi note
that the UAE's Associations Law stipulates that the Ministry
of Labor and Social Affairs has a month from the date of
application to recognize and clear an application, but a
decision is months overdue. We will continue to raise this
issue with UAEG interlocutors.


5. (SBU) Media Reform:

At embassy's request, MEPI has offered to fund a U.S.
media-related legal expert to provide the UAE Journalists
Association with assistance in drafting recommendations to
the UAEG for the draft of a new media law. PA staff met with
the head of the Journalists Association to explain how this
proposal can help the Association to compare media-related
laws from other countries and to draft or review language for
submission to Ministry of Information. The Journalists
Association will accept offer and MEPI is moving forward to
identify appropriate media-related law expert. In addition,
the May workshop for Arab Female Journalists brought together
22 journalists and educators for a three-day training
program. The workshop introduced participants to strategies
for effective use of the internet and how to use technology
such as blogging to break the social and cultural barriers
which have impeded the progress of women.


6. (SBU) Transparency:

Ambassador raised the issue of government transparency with
Hafsa Al Ulama, the UAE's lead on its national census and
Assistant U/S at the Ministry of Economy on July 5. Al Ulama
noted that the Ministry has created an independent website
that will post information about the census and results, once
the data are available. She also said that the Ministry has
established a hotline for people to call to find out
information about the census. Recognizing that many
expatriate workers do not speak English or Arabic, the
hotline messages are in Hindi, Malayalam, Arabic, and
English. Ambassador noted the value of such transparency and
public outreach in the UAEG decision-making and policymaking
process.


7. (SBU) The UAEG has also been actively engaging in
high-level outreach to the press and UAE business community
on the benefits of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the
United States in an effort to ensure that the public is more
informed about both the benefits of an FTA and progress on
the negotiations. Minister of Economy and Planning Sheikha
Lubna Al Qasimi and Minister of State for Finance and
Industry Dr. Mohammed Khalfan bin Khirbash (the co-chairs of
the UAE FTA negotiating team) have both issued prominent
press releases in May and June lauding the expected economic
benefits the UAE would experience from an U.S./UAE FTA, and
they have held meetings with key private-sector stakeholders
to garner their support for an FTA with the United States.
Sheikha Lubna and Dr. Khirbash also held a Digital Video
Conference on June 27 with USTR to review progress of the
negotiating subgroups since the conclusion of the second
round of negotiations in early May. The teams discussed the
Market Access, IPR, Telecom, Services, Financial Services,
and Investment chapters, and both sides agreed that the DVC
served as a catalyst to further move the negotiations closer
to closure. It concluded with the commitment to hold a third
in-person round either end of September or early October.


8. (SBU) Long Term Effort -- Justice Reform:

Resident Legal Advisor has met with the Abu Dhabi Attorney
General, representatives from the Dubai Public Prosecutor's
Office, officials in the Ministry of Interior, and Central
Bank to discuss training opportunities.
SISON