G/TIP AMBASSADOR LAGON VISIT TO COTE D'IVOIRE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABIDJAN 000090

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SMIG UN IV
SUBJECT: G/TIP AMBASSADOR LAGON VISIT TO COTE D'IVOIRE

REF: A. ABIDJAN 56

B. ABIDJAN 51

C. ABIDJAN 40

Classified By: Political/Economic Section Chief Silvia Eiriz for Reason
s 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (U) Summary: G/TIP Ambassador Mark Lagon met with
government officials, NGO leaders, and UN officials during
his January 23-24 visit to Abidjan. Ambassador Lagon told
his interlocutors that the USG comes in partnership to
address trafficking in persons and stands ready to consult on
legal and social structures to protect both child and adult
victims of trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation. In
separate meetings with the Ministers of Justice and Human
Rights; Family and Social Affairs; and Labor and Public
Administration, the government briefed Ambassador Lagon on
the national plan to eliminate child labor and trafficking
and discussed the challenges to passing a bill outlawing
child trafficking and the worst forms of child labor.
Ambassador Lagon visited three NGOs carrying out
antitrafficking projects in Abidjan and met with the National
Antitrafficking Committee, a body consisting of
representatives from various government ministries as well as
international and nongovernmental organizations. NGOs
expressed concern to Ambassador Lagon regarding inconsistent
coordination between the government and NGOs and
international organizations as all struggle to finance and
increase antitrafficking efforts. End Summary.

Government Discusses Efforts to Fight Trafficking
********************************************* *****


2. (SBU) In a January 23 meeting with Minister of Justice and
Human Rights (MOJ) Mamadou Kone, Ambassador Lagon urged the
Government of Cote d'Ivoire (GOCI) to create a comprehensive
antitrafficking law that would protect adult victims as well
as children. Kone said that the MOJ is responsible only for
prosecution of traffickers and that other ministries take the
lead on questions of prevention, protection and care of
victims and vulnerable populations and the legal framework to
punish trafficking. Kone said that he supports a national
law on trafficking, but explained to Ambassador Lagon that
the current National Assembly lacks a mandate and its
authority is not accepted by all political actors. Kone
noted that the President could issue a decree, but said he
believes a law of such importance should be adopted by the
National Assembly that will be formed after elections are
held rather than relegated to the status of an ordinance.
Kone acknowledged that it would be advantageous for Cote
d'Ivoire to have a comprehensive antitrafficking law and
explained that under current laws, traffickers are prosecuted
using penal code kidnapping and pimping statutes. Kone said
the penal code in effect was adopted in 1981 and that social
conditions have evolved since then and the law needs to
reflect today's challenges. Kone said that a new
comprehensive antitrafficking law would take into account the
evolution of Ivoirian social conditions.


3. (SBU) Kone also discussed the link between the trafficking
problem and the country's current political crisis. Kone
explained that the audiences foraines process (mobile courts
issuing birth certification to unregistered persons over age
13),led by MOJ, will help diminish the prevalence of
trafficking because unregistered youth are more vulnerable to
labor and sex trafficking since they cannot enroll in
government schools. Kone noted that the political crisis
destroyed much of the public administration system,
particularly in the north, and prevented the passing of the
national law outlawing child trafficking. Kone, who belongs
to the former rebel New Forces movement led by the Prime
Minister, said that fair elections would put in place
"legitimate leaders" and allow the country to begin
reconstruction.


4. (SBU) In a January 24 meeting with Minister of Labor and
Public Administration Hubert Oulaye, Ambassador Lagon
reiterated the importance of passing a comprehensive
antitrafficking law and discussed the feasibility of seeing
real progress in the certification of the cocoa sector.
Oulaye, who appeared engaged in the issue of child labor and
trafficking, welcomed the visits by Ambassador Lagon and a
congressional delegation led by Congressman Engel. Oulaye
gave Ambassador Lagon the government's national plan to
eliminate child labor and the draft bill to ban child
trafficking and the worst forms of child labor. Oulaye
explained that Cote d'Ivoire is only now drafting a bill that
specifically addresses child trafficking and labor because
child trafficking is a recent phenomenon in the country. He
noted that current laws only deal with child kidnapping and
the exploitation of child labor. Oulaye said that
trafficking should be punished as an offense rather than a

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crime in order to more easily convict traffickers. (Note:
In the Ivoirian legal system, an offense requires a lower
burden of proof than a crime. Therefore, offense cases are
settled more quickly in court; but, sentences are heavier for
crimes, which is problematic for TIP given the mandate for
serious punishments in the UN TIP Protocol, which Cote
d'Ivoire has signed though not ratified. End Note). Oulaye
emphasized that the government has made progress in advancing
efforts to prevent child labor through studies and surveys of
the problem. Oulaye explained that the Government wants to
remove children from farms and place them in school or
vocational training programs. Oulaye noted that work still
needs to be done to raise awareness among parents and provide
them with additional skills that will help boost family
income.


5. (C) Oulaye outlined the government's 7 million USD
national strategy to address child labor and trafficking,
which he said will allow the government to address 50% of the
problem in three years. Oulaye said the national strategy
addresses four areas of concern: 1) strengthening legal
frameworks (including the draft bill outlawing child
trafficking and the worst forms of child labor); 2)
understanding the extent of the problem and monitoring
progress through surveys; 3) programs to address the problem
(i.e. removal of child laborers, reinsertion programs,
repatriation, and vocational training); 4) training NGOs and
public administrators. Oulaye said the government has
budgeted 4.3 million USD but GOCI requires assistance from
partner organizations and friendly countries for the
remaining 2.7 million USD. Ambassador Lagon stated that the
cocoa industry should be tapped for these additional
financial resources. Oulaye countered that the government
will need other partners for the other sectors where child
labor and trafficking are prevalent. Oulaye noted that with
this national plan, GOCI envisions certifying that 50% of all
sectors, not just cocoa, are free of the worst forms of child
labor. Lagon noted that the deadline of June 2008 must be
met to survey 50 percent of cocoa farmers, and that tangible
signed that Ivoirian cocoa production is less tainted by the
worst forms of child labor would be necessary to avert
consumer reaction in the long run.


6. (SBU) As a follow-up to the discussion with Oulaye, Lagon
hosted a luncheon with Ministry of Labor Director General
Desire Bollou Bi Djehiffe and Special Advisor to the Cocoa
Certification Committee Youssouf N'Dore. N'Dore was
forthcoming in noting that the government was slow to
organize the cocoa sector in the beginning and that it will
be difficult to meet the June 2008 deadline without more
industry support. Ambassador Lagon stated that the June
deadline must be met in order to avoid negative fallout
amongst American consumers.


7. (SBU) As the lead GOCI ministry addressing trafficking,
the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs (MFSA) presented
Ambassador Lagon on January 24 with an overview of GOCI
efforts to prevent and prosecute trafficking and to protect
victims and vulnerable populations. Although Minister Jeanne
Pneuhmond was present for the meeting, she left the
discussion mainly to her staff. Nathalie Adom-Coulibaly, the
director of the social protection division at MFSA and the
coordinator of the National Antitrafficking Committee,
explained that GOCI has trained police, NGOs, and security
forces; helped repatriate trafficked children who have been
intercepted at the border by security forces; established 13
village-level antitrafficking task forces and is working to
create another 25 in 2008. Coulibaly stated that in 2007
MFSA provided 280 school kits (i.e., books, material) to
children who did not want to be repatriated and MFSA began
offering literacy classes and assisted some children with
vocational training. Coulibaly noted that other GOCI actions
are planned, but passage of the bill outlawing child
trafficking and the worst forms of child labor will be
essential to government efforts to effectively address child
trafficking. Ambassador Lagon raised the problems of
protecting victims, punishing traffickers, caring for and
rehabilitating repatriated victims, and screening migrants to
be repatriated for those who would come back to Cote d'Ivoire
if returned to their country of origin. The Director General
of the Minister's Cabinet Abdou Toure said that the
government has helped repatriate children with the assistance
of UNICEF but once victims have been repatriated, GOCI cannot
follow up and interfere in the affairs of another country.


8. (SBU) MFSA officials acknowledged the problem of adult
trafficking particularly for sexual exploitation and noted
that MFSA has an office in charge of fighting against
violence against women. Director General of Cabinet Toure
noted that that office follows cases of sexual exploitation
by security forces and United Nations peacekeepers. Toure
noted that MFSA was closely involved in the investigation

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into allegations against the Moroccan peacekeeping battalion
in Bouake in 2007. He said the Moroccan government wanted
DNA testing of pregnant victims to be conducted in Morocco
rather than in Cote d'Ivoire, but MFSA successfully advocated
for the testing to be completed in Cote d'Ivoire and ensured
that the tests were completed and the results accepted.
Having noted a conflict of interest if Morocco had conducted
the DNA testing, Toure heartily agreed with Lagon's proposal
that a standing arrangement with Interpol be established to
conduct such tests for any UN peacekeeping mission so as to
avert that problem.


Views from Anti-TIP NGOs and IOs
*****************************************


9. (SBU) Ambassador Lagon met with the National
Antitrafficking Committee, made up of representatives of
several government ministries as well as international and
local nongovernmental organizations. Lagon also visited
three NGOs carrying out antitrafficking projects in Abidjan
-- Cote d'Ivoire Prosperite, the International Catholic Child
Bureau (Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance - BICE),
and International Assistance to Children - Heart and Action
(Assistance Internationale a l'Enfance - Coeur et Action -
AIECA). In a January 24 meeting with the National
Antitrafficking Committee, NGO leaders stated that the
government needs to better coordinate with NGOs for
information gathering on the trafficking problem and for
efforts to care for victims. A representative of the
International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) said coordination is not
regular. NGO leaders also cited difficulties in securing
funding for antitrafficking projects and said that
international partners like the USG prefer to work with
well-known or international NGOs. They noted that since each
donor has different requirements for proposals and project
management, it is confusing for local partners who may not
have staff with the necessary training or language skills to
be able to work effectively with international partners.
Acknowledging this concern, Lagon noted G/TIP's dedicated
efforts to make its grant-making and monitoring process
transparent, including posting information on the G/TIP
website, www.staet.gov/g/tip. The ICI representative said
many NGOs lack the management and financial skills needed to
work with international organizations and suggested that
local NGOs be more willing to accept audits.

TIP Monitoring and Sexual Exploitation Concerns at UN
Peacekeeping Mission
*****************************************


10. (C) In a highly frank January 24 meeting with United
Nations Peacekeeping Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI),
Ambassador Lagon raised the issue of sexual exploitation and
abuse (SEA) among peacekeepers and trafficking in persons in
general. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary
General (D/SRSG) Abou Moussa said that UNOCI has a mandate to
monitor and prevent SEA but does not have one for trafficking
in persons. Lagon noted that peacekeepers using women and
girls in prostitution helped fuel sex trafficking. Moussa
said that since March, UNOCI's mandate changed from taking an
active role in the peace process to merely supporting it. A
representative from UNOCI's Human Rights Division said UNOCI
takes a active role in advocacy and monitoring trafficking in
persons and works to build a network of partners like the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) to address
trafficking concerns. Moussa said that culturally Africans
think of children as a source of income rather than a burden.
He said GOCI should increase public awareness efforts of the
worst forms of child labor and child trafficking in order to
discourage parents from sending their children to work on
coffee and cocoa plantations.


11. (C) Moussa said UNOCI first heard rumors of SEA committed
by the Moroccan battalion in Bouake in 2005-2006. Deputy
Force Commander General Kandji said that at the time, UNOCI
did not receive any direct complaints about the Moroccan
battalion. Moussa explained that UNICEF received an email
from an NGO and based on it, UNICEF and UNOCI investigated
the allegations. General Kandji noted that locals assumed
that the Moroccan peacekeepers were the fathers of mixed race
children in Bouake even though some of these children were
too old to have been conceived during the peacekeepers'
tenure in Bouake. Moussa explained that UNOCI moved the
Moroccan battalion to Duekoue, in the west of the country,
and the battalion now has limited contact with the local
population. Moussa noted that girls followed the
peacekeepers when the battalion moved within Bouake and even
all the way to Duekoue. Moussa said that GOCI needs to
address the fact that poverty leads many young women to
exchange sex for food and basic necessities with
peacekeepers. Moussa said that once UNOCI went public with

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the SEA allegations against the Moroccan battalion, many
accusations without any basis surfaced.


12. (C) D/SRSG Moussa and General Kandji both emphasized that
SEA is not a problem with all UNOCI peacekeeping troops and
that, there are troops stationed in Abidjan who are exposed
to all of the temptations of an urban setting, but have not
had any reported SEA allegations lodged against them.
General Kandji said that while the UN trains peacekeepers on
SEA, it is the responsibility of the troop contributing
country to properly screen peacekeepers. General Kandji
noted that the Moroccan peacekeepers are good soldiers and
are francophone so operationally they were a good fit for
Bouake. Kandji and Moussa said that although UNOCI lost
operational efficiency by having to move the Moroccan
battalion, if the decision had been solely up to UNOCI rather
than New York, UNOCI would have removed the Moroccan
battalion sooner or even expelled them. Moussa said that, if
resources were available it would be better to have the UN's
Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) embedded in the
mission rather than posted regionally. Moussa and Kandji
agreed with Lagon that imminent plans to relocate the OIOS
unit from UNOCI to a regional hub for reasons of scarce
resources was unfortunate. Moussa explained that a regional
OIOS may have to set priorities and be unable to adequately
focus on a particular UN mission.


13. (SBU) Comment: The visit of Ambassador Lagon to Cote
d'Ivoire provided the government with the first high level
USG visitor focusing on trafficking in persons and gave the
government an opportunity to showcase its efforts and respond
to the shortfalls cited in the 2007 Trafficking in Persons
Report. In presenting its case, government officials
acknowledged the inadequacy of the current legal framework in
protecting victims of trafficking and prosecuting
traffickers. Government officials seemed pleased that
Ambassador Lagon emphasized a collaborative approach between
the USG and GOCI to address child and adult trafficking for
labor and sexual exploitation. Embassy Abidjan stands ready
to facilitate continued dialogue on these issues. End
Comment.


14. (U) Ambassador Lagon cleared this cable.
NESBITT