PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE AT 2007 UNGA:

UNCLAS MAPUTO 001113 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR G, DRL/SEA, AND NSC/DEMOC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MZ SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE AT 2007 UNGA: MOZAMBIQUE INPUT REF: SECSTATE 125456 ¶1. Per a request for a brief overview of U.S. programs to promote and protect human rights in Mozambique, we provide the following input keyed to the queries in reftel: ¶2. The Embassy currently oversees four human rights and democracy fund projects totaling $75,000. The projects aim to improve citizens' understanding of women's rights, encourage awareness of the new Family Law as a means to combat domestic violence, use radio as a means to communicate the importance of human rights ) in Portuguese and in local languages, and equip a mobile trailer to take human rights messages to rural areas in the northern parts of the country. ¶3. The Embassy continues to actively advocate for the passage of the country,s first anti-trafficking in persons law. Specifically, we work with an NGO to provide technical assistance to government officials drafting the legislation and have lobbied the government and parliament to pass the legislation as quickly as possible. In addition, post has provided $55,000 in assistance to two NGOs working to identify trafficking victims, provide them with temporary shelter, and reunite them with their families. ¶4. We continue to fund a five-year project to help the municipalities of Nacala, Monapo, Gurue, Vilankulos, and Chimoio to strengthen the quality and level of broad-based citizen participation and engagement in municipal governance, increase the accountability of and quality of services provided by municipal governments, and strengthen systems to combat corruption and increase accountability at the local level. Chapman