Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07GUADALAJARA329
2007-07-03 17:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Guadalajara
Cable title:
CHILD LABOR IN JALISCO: CRISIS BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION
how-toVZCZCXRO2692 RR RUEHCD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM DE RUEHGD #0329 1841739 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 031739Z JUL 07 FM AMCONSUL GUADALAJARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0267 INFO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1504 RUEHXC/ALL USCONS MEXICO RUEHGD/AMCONSUL GUADALAJARA 4294
UNCLAS GUADALAJARA 000329
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM MX
SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR IN JALISCO: CRISIS BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION
UNCLAS GUADALAJARA 000329
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM MX
SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR IN JALISCO: CRISIS BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION
1. SUMMARY: Jalisco suffers from high rates of child labor
including the sexual exploitation of children. A recent
symposium and UN visit has highlighted the problem, but has so
far not resulted in any policy changes or new government
initiatives. A local union is working to promote action on this
issue. END SUMMARY.
--------------
Grim Statistics:
--------------
2. Child labor is a serious problem in the western Mexican
state of Jalisco. Although the exact number of workers is
unknown, according to a study by the Federal Secretariat of
Labor (STPS) and the National Institute for Statistics,
Geography, and Information Technology (INEGI),Jalisco is one of
the five states within Mexico with the highest rates of child
labor. The majority of these children work in the agricultural
sector, grocery stores (as baggers for tips),family/small
businesses and factories, and on the streets cleaning
windshields and selling items. There is also a considerable
number of children involved in commercial sexual exploitation,
especially in the beach resort town of Puerto Vallarta. The
head of the Jalisco state office of the child welfare agency
(DIF) indicated that one study found that as many as 600
children are sexually exploited laborers.
--------------
Lack of Action:
--------------
3. In commemoration of the June 12, World Day Against Child
Labor, the Jalisco state government held the third annual
symposium on child labor. The event brought together interested
parties, but did not result in a single concrete proposal to
combat the problem. The recent visit of Juan Miguel Petit, UN
Special Representative for the Fight Against the Sale and
Prostitution of Children and Child Pornography also highlighted
the problem of the sexual forms of child labor. Although this
high profile visit resulted in a report to be presented to the
UN and GOM, there has been no new state policy developed to deal
with child labor.
4. Currently, Jalisco DIF assists 3,465 child laborers. The
agency uses a singular approach to combat child labor and offers
educational scholarships and food grants to convince children
and their families to end the child's work. In 2004, there was
a pilot program through the cooperation of the International
Labor Organization, STPS , and Jalisco DIF that worked
specifically on the problem of sexually exploited children.
This program has ended and even though the ILO wants to restart
the program, the federal government has yet to act. Thus, there
is no date for the re-start of the program.
--------------
The CROC Steps Forward:
--------------
5. Outside of the government, the Revolutionary Confederation
of Workers and Peasants (CROC) in Jalisco, the state level
organization of one of the major national unions, has recently
created a committee that hopes to work with private and public
organizations to combat the sexual exploitation of children.
This new committee includes a councilman from the Guadalajara
municipal government. This effort by the CROC in Jalisco is a
local example of what the union is attempting to do nationally
in its efforts to deal with this serious problem. children.
-------------- --------------
COMMENT: Positive Change Will be Slow
-------------- --------------
6. There is little prospect in the short term for meaningful
action by the state government on child labor and/or the sexual
exploitation of children. Recent events have highlighted the
problem, but the lack of a tangible response is disturbing. The
principal social service agency, DIF, is weak, underfunded, and
decentralized. The state government runs its own DIF offices
while several medium and large cities manage their own DIF
agencies at the municipal level. There is no indication of a
coordinated effort between the different offices. At least on
the local level, the most promising hope for change appears to
be the CROC's initiative, which might be able to bring together
both the private and public sectors to jump-start an effective
program against child labor.
RAMOTOWSKI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM MX
SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR IN JALISCO: CRISIS BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION
1. SUMMARY: Jalisco suffers from high rates of child labor
including the sexual exploitation of children. A recent
symposium and UN visit has highlighted the problem, but has so
far not resulted in any policy changes or new government
initiatives. A local union is working to promote action on this
issue. END SUMMARY.
--------------
Grim Statistics:
--------------
2. Child labor is a serious problem in the western Mexican
state of Jalisco. Although the exact number of workers is
unknown, according to a study by the Federal Secretariat of
Labor (STPS) and the National Institute for Statistics,
Geography, and Information Technology (INEGI),Jalisco is one of
the five states within Mexico with the highest rates of child
labor. The majority of these children work in the agricultural
sector, grocery stores (as baggers for tips),family/small
businesses and factories, and on the streets cleaning
windshields and selling items. There is also a considerable
number of children involved in commercial sexual exploitation,
especially in the beach resort town of Puerto Vallarta. The
head of the Jalisco state office of the child welfare agency
(DIF) indicated that one study found that as many as 600
children are sexually exploited laborers.
--------------
Lack of Action:
--------------
3. In commemoration of the June 12, World Day Against Child
Labor, the Jalisco state government held the third annual
symposium on child labor. The event brought together interested
parties, but did not result in a single concrete proposal to
combat the problem. The recent visit of Juan Miguel Petit, UN
Special Representative for the Fight Against the Sale and
Prostitution of Children and Child Pornography also highlighted
the problem of the sexual forms of child labor. Although this
high profile visit resulted in a report to be presented to the
UN and GOM, there has been no new state policy developed to deal
with child labor.
4. Currently, Jalisco DIF assists 3,465 child laborers. The
agency uses a singular approach to combat child labor and offers
educational scholarships and food grants to convince children
and their families to end the child's work. In 2004, there was
a pilot program through the cooperation of the International
Labor Organization, STPS , and Jalisco DIF that worked
specifically on the problem of sexually exploited children.
This program has ended and even though the ILO wants to restart
the program, the federal government has yet to act. Thus, there
is no date for the re-start of the program.
--------------
The CROC Steps Forward:
--------------
5. Outside of the government, the Revolutionary Confederation
of Workers and Peasants (CROC) in Jalisco, the state level
organization of one of the major national unions, has recently
created a committee that hopes to work with private and public
organizations to combat the sexual exploitation of children.
This new committee includes a councilman from the Guadalajara
municipal government. This effort by the CROC in Jalisco is a
local example of what the union is attempting to do nationally
in its efforts to deal with this serious problem. children.
-------------- --------------
COMMENT: Positive Change Will be Slow
-------------- --------------
6. There is little prospect in the short term for meaningful
action by the state government on child labor and/or the sexual
exploitation of children. Recent events have highlighted the
problem, but the lack of a tangible response is disturbing. The
principal social service agency, DIF, is weak, underfunded, and
decentralized. The state government runs its own DIF offices
while several medium and large cities manage their own DIF
agencies at the municipal level. There is no indication of a
coordinated effort between the different offices. At least on
the local level, the most promising hope for change appears to
be the CROC's initiative, which might be able to bring together
both the private and public sectors to jump-start an effective
program against child labor.
RAMOTOWSKI