DEMARCHE DELIVERED - GOA PARTICIPATION IN UAE

UNCLAS KABUL 005871 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO DAS GASTRIGHT, SCA/A STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG NSC FOR HARRIMAN OSD FOR KIMMITT CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 POLAD SENSITIVE, SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: MCAP PREL PGOV PTER PHUM AF SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED - GOA PARTICIPATION IN UAE TIP CONFERENCE REFTEL: STATE 197226 ¶1. (U) On December 11, POLOFF delivered reftel demarche seeking GOA representation at the international conference on trafficking in persons hosted by the UAE and UN Office on Drugs and Crime. According to a contact at the MFA?s Office of UN Affairs, the MFA had received an invitation to the conference but was concerned that no funding was provided for transportation costs. Poloff conveyed reftel talking points that the USG unfortunately did not have funds to support travel costs since this is not a USG-planned conference. ¶2. (U) In a separate meeting with the MFA Director for Human Rights and Women?s Affairs, Zohra Rasekh, Poloff mentioned the conference. Rasekh indicated that her office would usually take the lead in GOA participation in conferences on human trafficking and that she would be very much interested in attending. She noted, however, that the MFA Office for UN Affairs had not passed the invitation on to her. Poloff shared with her the conference details and stressed the USG?s interest in GOA participation, as Afghanistan is both a source country for human trafficking.