Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT952
2007-06-19 13:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
UN LABOR CONFERENCE IN KUWAIT IN DOUBT, MAY MOVE
how-toVZCZCXRO9611 PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR DE RUEHKU #0952 1701357 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 191357Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9403 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000952
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ELAB AE SA QA KU TIP
SUBJECT: UN LABOR CONFERENCE IN KUWAIT IN DOUBT, MAY MOVE
TO UAE OR SAUDI
REF: KUWAIT 359
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000952
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ELAB AE SA QA KU TIP
SUBJECT: UN LABOR CONFERENCE IN KUWAIT IN DOUBT, MAY MOVE
TO UAE OR SAUDI
REF: KUWAIT 359
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) The Ambassador spoke with UN Resident Representative
Valerie Cliff by telephone on June 16. He urged the ILO
(International Labor Organization) positions on TIP and the
labor situation in the region be made clear, since local
officials are claiming that the ILO has not criticized local
labor practices.
2. (C) Cliff said that attempts by UNDP and other UN
agencies to support a joint effort by the GCC and sending
countries to get a handle on expatriate labor issues were not
going well. She described the recent Expatriate Labor Forum
in Qatar as "a show," with no participation by sending
countries. The Forum is slated to meet again in Kuwait in
December. However, because the "forum" exercise had been
"somewhat hijacked in terms of output," she decided to return
funds to the Dutch Embassy in Kuwait, which had provided
money to bring legal experts and others to the upcoming forum
to help build GCC consensus on specific principles for
treatment of expatriate labor. She opined that building such
a consensus would not be possible given the constraints the
GCC has put on the Expatriate Labor Forum. Cliff said the
GOK does not appear interested in UN agencies playing a
meaningful advisory role for the conference.
3. (C) A UNDP staffer told PolOff on June 18 that the
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has been dragging its
feet since the cabinet dissolution of early March. She said
the ministry had promised a meeting with UNDP the week of
June 24, but in further communications with PolOff, Cliff
expressed doubt as to whether the forum would take place in
Kuwait at all. UNDP Assistant Director Mohammad Al-Nassery
told PolOff on June 19 that Nada Al-Nashif, ILO's new
regional director, also is trying to move the forum to the
UAE or Saudi Arabia. According to Al-Nassery, Al-Nashif sees
the UAE as more open to airing the real problems of workers,
and she views holding such a conference in Saudi Arabia as a
political victory in and of itself.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
LeBaron
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2027
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ELAB AE SA QA KU TIP
SUBJECT: UN LABOR CONFERENCE IN KUWAIT IN DOUBT, MAY MOVE
TO UAE OR SAUDI
REF: KUWAIT 359
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) The Ambassador spoke with UN Resident Representative
Valerie Cliff by telephone on June 16. He urged the ILO
(International Labor Organization) positions on TIP and the
labor situation in the region be made clear, since local
officials are claiming that the ILO has not criticized local
labor practices.
2. (C) Cliff said that attempts by UNDP and other UN
agencies to support a joint effort by the GCC and sending
countries to get a handle on expatriate labor issues were not
going well. She described the recent Expatriate Labor Forum
in Qatar as "a show," with no participation by sending
countries. The Forum is slated to meet again in Kuwait in
December. However, because the "forum" exercise had been
"somewhat hijacked in terms of output," she decided to return
funds to the Dutch Embassy in Kuwait, which had provided
money to bring legal experts and others to the upcoming forum
to help build GCC consensus on specific principles for
treatment of expatriate labor. She opined that building such
a consensus would not be possible given the constraints the
GCC has put on the Expatriate Labor Forum. Cliff said the
GOK does not appear interested in UN agencies playing a
meaningful advisory role for the conference.
3. (C) A UNDP staffer told PolOff on June 18 that the
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has been dragging its
feet since the cabinet dissolution of early March. She said
the ministry had promised a meeting with UNDP the week of
June 24, but in further communications with PolOff, Cliff
expressed doubt as to whether the forum would take place in
Kuwait at all. UNDP Assistant Director Mohammad Al-Nassery
told PolOff on June 19 that Nada Al-Nashif, ILO's new
regional director, also is trying to move the forum to the
UAE or Saudi Arabia. According to Al-Nassery, Al-Nashif sees
the UAE as more open to airing the real problems of workers,
and she views holding such a conference in Saudi Arabia as a
political victory in and of itself.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
LeBaron