Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ACCRA566
2005-03-22 14:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

PRESIDENT'S OFFICE ON GHANA'S TRAFFICKING IN

Tags:  GH KWMN PGOV PHUM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

221405Z Mar 05

 
ACTION AF-00 

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 
 WHA-00 DS-00 EAP-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-00 TEDE-00 
 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 OIC-00 OIG-00 
 NIMA-00 PA-00 PER-00 GIWI-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 
 FMP-00 SCRS-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-00 G-00 SAS-00 
 SWCI-00 /001W
 ------------------D034B8 221645Z /38 
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8153
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ACCRA 000566 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KWMN PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S OFFICE ON GHANA'S TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS LAW

REF: A. ACCRA 504


B. ACCRA 519

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

UNCLAS ACCRA 000566

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH KWMN PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S OFFICE ON GHANA'S TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS LAW

REF: A. ACCRA 504


B. ACCRA 519

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY


1. (U) On March 17, PolChief and EconChief met with Kwadwo
Mpiani, the President's Chief of Staff, to follow up on
issues raised by the Ambassador during her March 9 meeting
with President Kufuor (reftels). PolChief reiterated the
importance of passing a trafficking in persons (TIP) bill by
the end of April to ensure that Ghana does not jeopardize its
Tier one status.


2. (SBU) Mpiani said it was clear that the GOG "abhors"
trafficking in persons, noting the politicians had been
shocked to learn of the dimension of the problem in Ghana.
The GOG has decided to give the Ministry of Manpower the lead
in TIP issues (because it is responsible for social welfare
issues),which should resolve the longstanding bureaucratic
tussle between the Ministries of Manpower and Women and
Children over leadership on this issue.


3. (SBU) Nonetheless, Mpiani asserted that the TIP bill
would not pass by the end of April because this session of
parliament will be in recess from March 29 to May 10. He
reassured us the bill would go before Cabinet in its next
meeting, expected in early April (Cabinet has not met for
several weeks.) He expected Cabinet would approve the bill
without difficulty. The GOG would then have to wait until
parliament reconvenes in early May before introducing the
bill. (His staff had researched the option of gazetting the
bill during parliament's recess but this was not legally
possible.) Once introduced on the floor, the bill will be
gazetted for two weeks for public commentary. After
gazetting, the legislation will be referred to a committee
for action. Mpiani said he would explore if parliamentary
committees could review the draft bill during the recess. He
was confident that the TIP law would be passed by mid-June.


4. (SBU) Comment: Mpiani and his staff seemed sympathetic
to the anti-TIP message and had a solid understanding of our
TIP concerns and Tier system. They appear to have done some
homework on parliamentary procedure since the Ambassador's
March 9 meeting with the President. PolChief left them a
backgrounder on our TIP legislation to add to their
knowledge. However, Mpiani's news about the likely timing
for passage of a TIP law was discouraging. On March 9, he
and the President had said a TIP law could be passed by the
end of April, at the earliest. We will watch closely to see
what happens with the TIP bill in the next Cabinet meeting.

YATES


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