GOJ PUBLICLY RESPONDS TO 2007 TIP REPORT; PLANS TO

UNCLAS AMMAN 002757 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM KCRM KWMN ELAB PREL PGOV SMIG KPAO JO SUBJECT: GOJ PUBLICLY RESPONDS TO 2007 TIP REPORT; PLANS TO BUILD A SHELTER FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING REF: A. AMMAN 2537 ¶B. SECSTATE 79567 ¶C. AMMAN 1963 ¶1. (U) Jordanian Minister of Labor Basim Al-Salim downplayed the recently released Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report in an interview with Jordanian daily Al-Ghad published June 21. He did not deny the report's contents, but said the ministry "previously addressed" many issues raised in the report. Salim added that the TIP report "did not come up with anything new about Jordan." ¶2. (U) The accompanying article covered the contents of the report in detail, widely circulating the facts outlined in the TIP report, its conclusions, and proposed steps. ¶3. (SBU) During a previously scheduled meeting on June 21, MoL Secretary General Majed Habashneh elaborated to EconCouns on earlier GOJ responses to the report, and how the GOJ plans to address trafficking issues (ref a). He said the MoL is creating an interagency committee that would include representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Social Affairs, Interior, and the General Intelligence Department to deal with trafficking issues. Habashneh further reported that the Ministers of Justice and Labor met June 21 to discuss the possibility of drafting an anti-trafficking law, explaining that the only existing law addressed slavery and was out of date. He asked for training that would instruct employees from Labor, Interior, and Immigration on how to identify signs of trafficking and devise measures to stop it. ESTABLISHING A SHELTER -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Habashneh reported that representatives from the MOL recently met with the Ministries of Planning and Interior to establish a shelter - an action that the MoL would like completed by the end of 2007. He envisions the shelter accommodating approximately 100 women, at first primarily domestic workers and in the future, perhaps female QIZ workers. Habashneh believes that a shelter for female Jordanian workers should be handled by the Ministry for Social Development. ¶5. (SBU) Separately, UNIFEM Executive Director told Poloff that UNIFEM is partnering with the Ministry of Labor to build a shelter for abused women migrant workers in Jordan. UNIFEM drafted a proposal and met with the MoL, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Interior, and Public Security Directorate's Family Protection Unit to discuss their proposal, which they expect the Ministry of Labor will formally present to the Ministry of Planning in July. They intend to seek approximately $3 million in funding from international donors, and expect the shelter to be operational within two to three years after funding is secured. COMMENT: The Jordan Evangelical Ministry submitted a proposal for G/TIP funding consideration for a shelter for foreign domestic workers that would require GOJ support (ref c). UNIFEM's plans are more refined, and the GOJ will likely support only one shelter proposal initially. END COMMENT. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale