KUWAIT REQUESTS U.S. PARTICIPATION IN EXPATRIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001096 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP, INL/HSTC, G/TIP, AND DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM ELAB KU TIP SUBJECT: KUWAIT REQUESTS U.S. PARTICIPATION IN EXPATRIATE LABOR CONFERENCE, NOVEMBER 2006 REF: KUWAIT 1084 Sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 6. ¶2. (SBU) Amina Jowhar Ghazi (aka Amina Jowhar),Director of the International Relations Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MOSAL),faxed Post a copy of a letter from the Undersecretary's office announcing MOSAL's intention to hold an international conference on expatriate labor in late 2006. MOSAL has asked for U.S. participation in the conference and assistance in developing discussion and workshop themes. International Organizations to Participate in Conference -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The letter states that the conference will be divided into two parts. The first will be headed by the UN (Note: Post knows from other conversations that ILO, IOM, and perhaps other organizations will also be involved. End Note.) and will "seek to open a dialogue between sending and receiving countries and to share experiences...with the goal of reaching an agreement between the two sides on eliminating the pending issues relating to the target group of workers, i.e. those with low incomes, who are the most subject to exploitation." The overriding conference goal is the issuance of a "an announcement of principles in the name of the State of Kuwait." U.S.-led Workshops on Eliminating Expat Labor Problems -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The second part of the conference will consist of "training workshops organized in cooperation with the relevant agencies of the United States... in view of what has appeared in the human rights reports of the U.S. State Department, which always casts a light on labor in Kuwait." According to Ghazi, the expansion of the conference to two days is a result of recent Post meetings and pressure on TIP issues. Influencing the Direction of the Conference -------------- ¶5. (SBU) UNDP representative in Kuwait, Moez Doraid, told PolOff that the UN will be working on the concept paper to begin defining the conference outlines in the next two weeks. He promised to allow the United States to participate in the process. This is an extremely important opportunity to shape the conference so it is in line with U.S. interests on expatriate labor issues, including TIP. Doraid was especially keen on the conference producing a final statement or principles to which the GOK and other participating governments can be held. Therefore MOSAL's language to that extent is particularly significant. At the same time, the letter from MOSAL notes that it has decided to hold the conference "in the framework of Kuwait's efforts to show its positive, pioneering role in the field of protecting expatriate laborers." It is important that the conference not be used as an opportunity to whitewash the labor problems in Kuwait and other GCC countries. Request for Input for Conference Preparation -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Action request: Post seeks Department input on what the U.S. can provide in terms of experts from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector who can address participants and/or run workshops. Post will try to be as involved as possible in the planning of the conference, but requires specific guidance about which agencies can participate, what topics should or should not be included, what kinds of workshops can be organized, how sending and receiving countries can become better integrated, and any other pertinent information. Doraid has said he KUWAIT 00001096 002 OF 002 wants to meet o/a April 10 to discuss the UNDP's concept paper, so Post requests Department input NLT April 7. Post also welcomes recommendations from info addressees for discussion topics and workshops. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * TUELLER