EGYPT: DETAILS ON GOE FIGHT AGAINST TRAFFICKING

UNCLAS CAIRO 006935 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC STAFF FOR WATERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCRM KWMN SMIG EG SUBJECT: EGYPT: DETAILS ON GOE FIGHT AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REF: A. CAIRO 6871 ¶B. CAIRO 6868 ¶C. CAIRO 6377 ¶D. CAIRO 2972 ¶E. STATE 185321 ¶F. STATE 175900 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: THE GOE IS TACKLING TIP WITH UNPRECEDENTED VIGOR AND COHERENCE. THE FOREMOST DEVELOPMENT IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO COORDINATE THE FIGHT AGAINST TIP THAT EXPAND AND COORDINATE ANTI-TIP OPERATIONS ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS. PER REF E, POST HAS ADVISED THE GOE THAT GRADUATION FROM THE TIER 2 WATCHLIST WILL REQUIRE PROMPT, MEASURABLE ACTIONS IN THE NEAR TERM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) AS REPORTED IN REF C, THE GOES DECISION TO CREATE AN INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO COORDINATE AND EXPAND THE FIGHT AGAINST TIP IS A MAJOR POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. ACCORDING TO AN INTERNAL GOE MEMORANDUM DRAFTED BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THE GOE WILL LIKELY FOCUS ITS EFFORTS IN THREE KEY AREAS: --DRAFTING OF "UNIFIED INTEGRATED LEGISLATION"; --ESTABLISHING A "NATIONAL COORDINATING MECHANISM" ON TIP, COMPOSED OF KEY MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES, AND BACKSTOPPED BY A TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT; AND --TRAINING FOR ALL ENFORCEMENT, JUDICIAL, AND SOCIAL SERVICE STAFF. GOE CONTACTS CONCERNED WITH TIP HAVE ASSURED US THAT THE FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TIP COMMITTEE IS IMMINENT, AND WE HAVE REPEATEDLY FLAGGED FOR THE GOE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMPT ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. THE AMBASSADOR PRESSED PM NAZIF TO FORMALIZE THE COMMITTEE VIA DECREE WHEN THEY MET ON NOVEMBER 13 (REF A). ¶3. (SBU) THE AMBASSADOR, DCM, AND EMBOFFS HAVE ALSO CONTINUED TO PRESS OTHER SENIOR GOE OFFICIALS ON THE NEED TO MAKE QUICK PROGRESS ON COMBATING TIP. IN RECENT MEETINGS WITH EGIS CHIEF OMAN SOLIMAN AND THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR (REF B),THE AMBASSADOR HAS ADVISED THE GOE OF THE NEED FOR PROMPT, MEASURABLE ACTION ON TIP. IN A NOVEMBER 15 MEETING WITH NAELA GABR, THE MFA'S ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS (WHO HAS THE GOE LEAD ON TIP ISSUES), DCM CONVEYED THE USG'S SUGGESTED ACTION PLAN ON TIP (REF E). GABR SAID THAT THE GOE IS FACING A RANGE OF REGIONAL AND DOMESTIC ISSUES WHICH IT IDENTIFIES AS HAVING A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN TIP (E.G., ARAB-ISRAELI PEACE, COUNTER-TERRORISM, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM),BUT NEVERTHELESS IS MOVING FORWARD TO TACKLE TIP. ¶4. (SBU) IN RESPONSE TO REF F REQUESTING INPUT FOR THE INTERIM ASSESSMENT OF EGYPT'S TIER 2 WATCHLIST STATUS, WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING INPUT KEYED TO THE ITEMS IN REF F: (A) PROGRESS IN DRAFTING OF ANTI-TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION: AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING THE NEW INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE, THE GOE HAS BEGUN TO EVALUATE EXISTING LEGISLATION TO IDENTIFY GAPS WHERE NEW TRAFFICKING-SPECIFIC LEGISLATION MIGHT BE NEEDED. THE FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE WILL PERMIT THE COMMITTEE TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS THE GAPS. THE CURRENT PARLIAMENT WILL ALSO REPORTEDLY CONSIDER IN EARLY 2007 A NEW LAW--ALREADY DRAFTED--ON CHILDREN'S RIGHTS WHICH INCLUDES SPECIFIC ANTI-TRAFFICKING COMPONENTS. (NOTE: THE NEW DRAFT LEGISLATION ON CHILDREN'S RIGHTS IS NOT YET PUBLIC; POST IS SEEKING TO OBTAIN A COPY. END NOTE.) (B) PROGRESS IN FORMULATING A NATIONAL PLAN: WITH THE IMMINENT FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW COMMITTEE, POST ANTICIPATES THAT THE GOE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A NATIONAL PLAN TO COMBAT TIP. POST'S PRESENTATION ON 11/15 TO MFA OF RECOMMENDED ACTION ITEMS (AS DETAILED IN REF E) TO SUPPORT EGYPT'S GRADUATION FROM THE TIER 2 WATCHLIST SHOULD HELP THE GOE TO SET ITS PRIORITIES. (C) PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF VICTIMS: ACCORDING TO THE MFAS AMBASSADOR GABR, THE GOE, WORKING WITH UNDPS HUMAN RIGHTS CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM, WILL BEGIN IN JANUARY 2007 TO PROVIDE TIP-SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR GOE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, PROSECUTORS, AND JUDGES. CAIRO LEGAT IS ALSO DESIGNING TRAINING FOR GOE LAW ENFORCEMENT ON TRAFFICKING AND HUMAN SMUGGLING, WITH THE GOAL OF OFFERING THIS COURSE TO THE GOE FOR MARCH/APRIL 2007. (D) PROGRESS IN PROVIDING PROTECTION SERVICES FOR VICTIMS: BASED ON ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, THE GOE CONTINUES ITS IN PERSONS (TIP) LONG-STANDING POLICY OF RELEASING ANY ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, WHO HAVE BEEN DETAINED BY THE GOE DURING AN EFFORT TO TRAVEL TO ISRAEL, TO THE RECOGNIZANCE OF THE MIGRANTS' RESPECTIVE EMBASSIES IN CAIRO, WHICH IN TURN HAVE ASSISTED THE MIGRANTS IN RETURNING TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. POST WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS THE GOE TO ADDRESS TIP VICTIM ISSUES ON A COHERENT AND COMPASSIONATE BASIS. (E) PROGRESS IN INCREASING INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS: THE GOE HAS THUS FAR NOT PROVIDED DATA THAT INDICATES AN INCREASE IN TIP-SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS, BUT--AS DOCUMENTED IN BOTH MEDIA AND SENSITIVE REPORTING--THE SECURITY SITUATION IN SINAI, INCLUDING COUNTER-SMUGGLING EFFORTS, CONTINUES TO RECEIVE SIGNIFICANT GOE ATTENTION. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: FOLLOWING ON THE REGIONAL LEADERSHIP OF FIRST LADY SUZANNE MUBARAK (REF D AND PREVIOUS),THE GOE IS MAKING AN NOTABLE PUSH ON COMBATTING TIP. POST WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE RELEVANT ELEMENTS OF THE GOE ON THE NEED FOR URGENT AND MEASURABLE ACTION ON TIP. RICCIARDONE