UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001491 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/S FOR S. HILL NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN USAID FOR M. COPSON AND E. LOKEN ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2011 TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID ZI SUBJECT: UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR REF: SECSTATE 184972 Classified By: Charge Eric Schultz under Section 1.5 b/d ¶1. (C) Summary. Recent developments in the GOZ's efforts to combat trafficking are encouraging, but we remain guarded that they have the political will and resources to follow through on stated plans. Since April, the government has established an inter-ministerial taskforce, a woman was sentenced to 43 months in jail for a trafficking-related offense, senior officials attended an IOM trafficking seminar, and the government announced plans to ratify trafficking protocols and enact domestic legislation. NGOs and international organizations report a good working relationship with the government, and they are holding meetings amongst themselves to coordinate their efforts and keep pressure on the GOZ. For our part, the Charge met with the MFA to express our support for the government's efforts and to offer our assistance, where appropriate. End Summary. -------------- Encouraging Signs from GOZ -------------- ¶2. (U) The Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) has taken several encouraging steps against trafficking in recent months. In April the government established an inter-ministerial taskforce made up of senior officials from relevant ministries as well as the federal police and the Attorney General's office. In June a local magistrate sentenced a woman to 43 months in jail under the Sexual Offenses Act for transporting a minor girl to the border with South Africa and forcing her in to prostitution. This is the first trafficking-related conviction we know of in Zimbabwe. ¶3. (U) On November 16 numerous senior GOZ officials, including members of the inter-ministerial taskforce, attended a trafficking seminar hosted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). During his remarks at the seminar, Tedeous Chifamba, head of multilateral affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the GOZ was preparing to ratify the UN and SADC protocols on trafficking and that the Attorney General's Office was drafting trafficking legislation that would be ready for consideration by parliament in early 2007. ¶4. (U) During the seminar, the GOZ also expressed interest in partnering with IOM on several anti-trafficking projects. The GOZ asked IOM for assistance in conducting a joint assessment of the trafficking problem in Zimbabwe, in developing a trafficking curriculum for schools, and in creating advocacy programs to raise awareness. IOM told us that they were interested in providing the requested assistance, but lack funding to do so at this point. ¶5. (U) UNICEF and Save the Children Foundation Norway (SCFN) told us that they have been receiving good cooperation in their work at the IOM-managed immigrant center in the town of Beitbridge on the border with South Africa. -------------- What the NGOs & IOs Are Doing -------------- ¶6. (U) In early 2007, IOM plans to kick-off a one-year five country (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana) HARARE 00001491 002 OF 002 study to examine cross-border trafficking for the sex industry. The study is funded through IOM's Southern African Counter-Trafficking Assistance Programme (SACTAP) managed in Pretoria, South Africa. Our IOM contact also told us that SACTAP has some funding to establish a shelter (or add capacity to an existing one) in Zimbabwe the will provide victim's services (including shelter, food, medical treatment, counseling, and reintegration) to women and children trafficked for the sex industry. IOM also received funding from the British High Commission to do a three-month child trafficking study in Zimbabwe. UNICEF is sponsoring a child migration study to be conducted by SCFN and Save the Children Foundation UK (SCFUK) that will include a look at child trafficking as well. -------------- Our Role & Next Steps -------------- ¶7. (C) On December 6 the Charge and poloff met with Vova Chikanda, Director of the America's Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to express our support for the government's recent efforts and to offer our assistance, where appropriate. Chikanda noted the importance of collaboration and said he would pass on our message to the inter-ministerial taskforce with the suggestion that they meet with us in the near future. ¶8. (C) Poloff subsequently organized a December 14 meeting with representatives from IOM, UNICEF, British High Commission, British Department for International Development (DFID),SCFN and SCFUK to discuss coordination and pressure on the GOZ to continue anti-trafficking efforts. We agreed it would be constructive to focus attention and resources on one or two specific areas, such as Beitbridge and Harare, in order to help keep the GOZ focused on manageable and realistic goals. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Despite the positive signs of progress, we remain skeptical that the GOZ has the resources and capacity to follow through on combating trafficking. Nevertheless, it does appear motivated to be removed from Tier 3 and appears to see this effort as a way to develop some common ground in their bilateral relationship with us. We plan to continue to meet with the GOZ and to press them on this issue. At the same time, now would be an opportune time to ensure that NGOs and IOs have the necessary resources to provide training and build capacity in the areas of victim,s services and law enforcement. In that regard, we await the G/TIP RFP. SCHULTZ