UAE PROGRESS ON TIP ACTION PLAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 003194

SIPDIS

STATE FOR G, G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI
STATE ALSO PASS TO USTR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2010
TAGS: PHUM ELAB ETRD TC
SUBJECT: UAE PROGRESS ON TIP ACTION PLAN

REF: A. ABU DHABI 3074


B. ABU DHABI 2833

C. STATE 99833

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


1. (C) Summary: With two weeks to go before the end of the
60-day TIP action plan, the UAE continues to make progress in
addressing the suggested steps in the action plan (ref C).
The following is a review of progress made to date on the
mini-action plan, keyed to the six points provided by G/TIP.
We are continuing to encourage additional progress from our
UAEG interlocutors on a daily basis. End Summary.

NATIONAL COORDINATOR
--------------

Action Plan Recommendation: Appoint a national coordinator
with sufficient authority to oversee the implementation of
this mini-action plan.


UAEG Response:

-- On July 13, Yousef Al Otaiba, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's
International Affairs Director, was appointed as the UAE's
national coordinator to oversee the implementation of the
action plan.

IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION FOR CAMEL JOCKEYS
-------------- --

Action Plan Recommendation: Identify and provide protection,
within the U.A.E., for at least 700 foreign child camel
jockeys that are trapped in exploitation and begin providing
them with appropriate rehabilitation, repatriation, and
reintegration services. The number of victims identified and
protected at
government-provided shelters or elsewhere will be verified by
the International Organization for Migration or UNICEF.

UAEG Response:

(Note: On May 8, 2005, the UAE Ministry of Interior and
UNICEF signed a project agreement for identifying, rescuing,
rehabilitating and reintegrating up to 3,000 children
estimated to be in the UAE working in the camel jockey
industry.)

-- Since June 2, the UAE has established three shelters in
Abu Dhabi for housing and rehabilitating children rescued
from camel farms. Since June 2, 111 have been repatriated in
cooperation with UNICEF, and 188 are currently in shelters.
We have requested additional data, including the
nationalities of the children. In Dubai, the number of camel
jockeys rescued totaled 39 as of July 18, according to the
head of Dubai Immigration; the rescued jockeys are being
transferred to shelters in Abu Dhabi.

-- The Ministry of Interior has assigned police patrols to
the racetracks to enforce the ban and monitor the tracks and
farms.

-- The Ministry of Interior's Social Support Center has
public hotline numbers for persons to call who have
information about kidnapped children brought to the UAE.

-- The first robot camel jockey race was held July 18 to
demonstrate that the UAE is serious about ) and capable of -
replacing child camel jockeys with lightweight robots.

INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION
--------------

Action Plan Recommendation: Investigate and begin prosecuting
at least 10 persons responsible for the trafficking, abuse,
and exploitation of trafficked children in the camel racing
industry. Investigate and commence prosecution of at least 5
cases involving the trafficking of women for sexual
exploitation. Investigate and commence prosecuting at least
5 cases of abuse of foreign domestic workers and laborers.
Persons convicted should receive sufficient penalties
reflecting the heinous nature of trafficking crimes. All
investigations and prosecutions should be conducted with due
regard to individual human rights.

UAEG Response:

-- On July 5, President Khalifa issued a federal law that
prohibits persons below age 18 from either sex from
participating in camel races, and subjects traffickers to
jail sentences not exceeding three years, and/or fines of not
less than 50,000 Dirhams ($13,500). In the case of repeat
offenders, the penalties will be doubled. The law took
effect upon signature.

-- We are awaiting statistics on investigations and
prosecutions of trafficking cases, abuse, and exploitation of
child camel jockeys, of trafficking of women for sexual
exploitation, and of trafficking of persons for the true
purpose of labor exploitation.

MECHANISM FOR IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF VICTIMS
-------------- --------------

Action Plan Recommendation: Develop and implement a formal
mechanism for the systematic identification and protection of
trafficking victims, including women in sexual servitude and
women and men trafficked as domestic workers and laborers.
Expand the availability of hotlines for foreign workers to
report instances of abuse and to seek assistance.

UAEG Response:

-- The UAE Government is developing several systems for the
identification and protection of trafficking victims. The
UAE's Judicial Training Institute is developing an
anti-trafficking course that includes such a mechanism and
that will be introduced in the police training curriculum.
The course would be offered at Abu Dhabi's Judicial Training
Institute as well as at Abu Dhabi and Dubai police academies.

-- The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has established a
website for workers to report abuse and seek assistance.

-- The Dubai government has set up a Dubai-wide labor
complaints website and hotline, which enables domestic
workers, laborers, and other foreign workers to lodge
complaints. This service includes free government-provided
legal representation for complainants. A new Dubai labor
committee is preparing to launch a public awareness campaign,
including through the distribution of pamphlets, T-shirts,
and caps, to let workers know about these new measures,
including the website and hotline. The labor committee has
also begun to complete inspections of labor camps and sending
its report directly to Dubai's Crown Prince and his Executive
Council.

ESTABLISHING SHELTERS; FORMAL PROTECTION
--------------

Action Plan Recommendation: Establish shelters in Abu Dhabi
and Dubai for trafficking victims, particularly for abused
domestic workers, women forced into sexual servitude, and
male laborers, where such victims can receive protection,
including counseling, medical, physiological, and other
appropriate rehabilitation assistance regardless of their
immigration status. Articulate how the U.A.E. government
will extend formal protection to domestic workers and other
laborers, currently without any protection outside of their
employment contracts.

UAEG Response:

Since July 2, the UAE Government has taken the following
actions to establish formal protection for domestic workers
and other laborers:

-- Dubai Immigration has finalized a plan to construct a
shelter for trafficked victims in Dubai within one year's
time. Construction will begin as soon as a building permit
is issued by the municipality, hopefully within weeks. In
the meantime, Dubai police are referring victims to a private
shelter. The Government has promised to grant this shelter a
license.

-- The UAE Government is collaborating with source countries
by allowing the operation of shelters for potential victims.
Currently, there are 7 such shelters for trafficking victims
being operated by private parties or by source country
embassies with the consent of the UAE Government. Embassy
and Consulate General staff have visited some of these
shelters and spoken to both the operators and shelter
residents. These facilities shelter approximately 100
victims per day based on Embassy and Consulate General
contacts with each shelter. Shelter victims are provided
counseling, medical, psychological, and other appropriate
rehabilitation assistance.

-- The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs issued a ruling
June 28 requiring employers to grant a break to workers
engaged in outdoor work between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in
July and August (the hottest months of the year). Those who
violate the rule will face a jail sentence of up to six
months or a fine ranging from 3,000 Dirhams ($810) to 10,000
Dirhams ($2,700) ) repeat offenders could get their license
suspended.

-- The Minister of Labor has told us that the Ministry of
Labor and Ministry of Interior plan to include minimum wages
of domestic workers on their visas to prevent employers from
changing their wages upon the workers' arrival in the UAE.
-- The Minister of Labor has told us that the Ministry of
Labor plans to require that employers open a bank account and
directly deposit monthly wages. Non-compliance by employers
to these requirements would carry penalties.

PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
--------------

Action Plan Recommendation: Conduct broad public awareness
campaigns highlighting the rights and obligations of domestic
workers and laborers, and the consequence of abusing such
workers.

UAEG Response:

There has been a steady media outreach by the UAEG, with
frequent articles in the major daily papers intended to raise
public awareness about working conditions and workers' rights:

-- "Gulf News" June 6: The Ministry of Labor formed a
committee to try to resolve the case of 200 Asian workers who
protested the non-payment of wages.

-- "Khaleej Times" June 16: The Ministry of Labor will
inspect and penalize companies that violate occupational
safety rules in a move to protect laborers from health
hazards, such as working outdoors for long hours during the
summer.

-- "Khaleej Times" June 19: The Ministry of Labor intervened
in the case of 20 Asian laborers who stopped working to
protest their poor living conditions and non-payment of wages.

-- "Gulf News" June 29: The Ministry of Labor began requiring
companies which employ more than 150 workers to have a
certified safety officer approved by the Ministry.

-- "Gulf News" June 29: The Minister of Labor issued a ruling
requiring employers to give outdoor laborers a rest period
from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the hottest summer months
of July and August. The ruling subjects violators to fines
or up to six months in prison. "Gulf News" July 10: The
Ministry of Labor announced that 15 local companies would be
fined for violating the new rule. "Khaleej Times" July 13:
Seventeen companies had been fined to date for failing to
observe the midday break rule. "Khaleej Times" July 15: The
Ministry has temporarily suspended visa issuance for
companies that have defied the rule until it can find a means
to collect the fines.

-- "Khaleej Times" July 14: The Minister of Labor has accused
some labor recruitment offices from labor source countries of
using deception tactics to recruit workers.

-- "Gulf News" July 16: Abu Dhabi police will soon produce
booklets listing frequently asked labor questions and answers
in Arabic and other languages in an effort to educate the
public about their rights under the UAE Labor Law.

-- "Gulf News" July 17: The Ministry of Labor intervened in
the case of 150 Bangladeshi workers who had not been paid for
five months. The employer has promised to settle the dispute
within a week.

-- "Gulf News" July 18, 19: The Government is planning to
amend the Labor Law to allow sponsorship transfers to all
categories of expatriate workers. A worker would need to
obtain approval from the original sponsor before a
sponsorship could be transferred. The new employer would pay
new visa/sponsorship fees.
-- "Gulf News" July 19: The Ministry of Labor launched an
Arabic-language "electronic majlis" (Arabic open forum) on
the Internet for the public. The website is available to any
user who would like to comment on Ministry policies. An
English site will be available by the end of the year.

COMMENT:
--------------


2. (C) The UAEG has made progress in addressing each of the
suggestions in the mini-action plan. We have requested, and
are still waiting for, information about investigations and
prosecutions, updated camel jockey data, and additional
public outreach activities, including public statements about
workers' rights and responsibilities. We will forward this
information as soon as it is available.
SISON