UN PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST GOK IN IMPROVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002515 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI, G/TIP, G/PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV ELAB PREF KU UN SUBJECT: UN PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST GOK IN IMPROVING TRAFFICKING SITUATION REF: A. STATE 98114 ¶B. ABU DHABI 1873 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff met June 6 with UN Resident Coordinator Moez Doraid and IOM Chief of Mission Mohammed Al-Nassery to discuss reaction to the 2005 Trafficking in Persons report, which downgraded Kuwait to Tier 3, and possible next steps to ameliorate the country's problems with the exploitation of domestic workers and camel jockeys. Al-Nassery opened the meeting by saying he was "very glad" that the report ranked Kuwait as Tier 3, which he hoped would spur Kuwait to participate further in IOM's anti-trafficking and repatriation programs. He outlined the available three programming options: regional migrant resource center, laborer reintegration program and camel jockey repatriation. Regional Migrant Resource Center -------------- ¶2. (C) According to Al-Nassery, IOM and the Ministry of Social and Labor Affairs are anticipated to sign a memorandum of understanding on June 15 in Geneva to establish a regional migrant resource center in Kuwait, which will offer information to expatriate workers and labor attaches of source country embassies. In addition, the center will establish a legal assistance referral system for labor migrants in need. The GOK is expected to designate a building for the center while also covering costs for staff. Source countries, such as Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, together will contribute 25% of the center's operating costs while the United Kingdom has pledged to finance the balance. Al-Nassery predicted the center would open by September. Reintegration Program -------------- ¶3. (C) Al-Nassery also hopes to enlist Kuwait as the newest participant in IOM Jakarta's reintegration program designed to assist Indonesians returning from working abroad. The program, launched in cooperation with G/PRM, first assesses the socio-economic conditions of the repatriated migrant and his/her family in Indonesia before providing counseling to victims, if needed; offering vocational education and medical assistance; and extending microenterprise financing to interested returnees. Destination countries pay for program costs generated by returning laborers. Kuwait, for example, would reimburse costs associated with migrants returning only from Kuwait. Caring for Camel Jockeys -------------- ¶4. (C) The UN officials also expressed interest in extending a UNICEF child camel jockey repatriation program, initially targeted for the UAE (ref B),to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Rescued underage jockeys would be returned to their home countries, principally Bangladesh, Mauritania, Pakistan and Sudan. Were it determined that the children could not return to their families, they would be placed into shelters or safe houses in their home countries and provided with similar services as in the aforementioned reintegration program with a focus on education, specifically instruction in their native language whose fluency they may have lost after speaking only Arabic while working in the Gulf. ¶5. (U) Khartoum minimize considered. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON