Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08FREETOWN261
2008-06-03 11:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:
SIERRA LEONE: MANDATORY REPORT ON FORCED LABOR AND
how-toVZCZCXRO9833 RR RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHFN #0261 1551140 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 031140Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1948 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS FREETOWN 000261
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/ILCSR (MITTELHAUSER),G/TIP (STEINER)
PLEASE PASS TO DOL/ILAB (RIGBY)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE: MANDATORY REPORT ON FORCED LABOR AND
CHILD LABOR IN THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS
REF: A. STATE 43120
B. GARMS E-MAIL 05/01/08
C. GARMS/LEMAR CALL 05/07/08
UNCLAS FREETOWN 000261
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/ILCSR (MITTELHAUSER),G/TIP (STEINER)
PLEASE PASS TO DOL/ILAB (RIGBY)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE: MANDATORY REPORT ON FORCED LABOR AND
CHILD LABOR IN THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS
REF: A. STATE 43120
B. GARMS E-MAIL 05/01/08
C. GARMS/LEMAR CALL 05/07/08
1. Forced and child labor are known to be problems in Sierra
Leone, primarily for the provision of services and in diamond
mining. Exploitation is also suspected in quarries, and the
rubber, timber, and fishing industries. These particular
industries are the subject of in-country research by an
independent consultant contracted by DOL/ILAB through Macro
International. While post intended to consider any gaps
remaining from that particular research initiative, the
researcher has yet to share her findings. Thus, pursuant to
discussions with DOL/ILAB, poloff focused
information-gathering efforts on forced labor in the
gold/coltan mining sectors in Sierra Leone.
2. Meetings with government officials, international
organizations, and non-governmental organizations, as well as
a literature review, revealed no substantive information to
suggest that exploitative child labor or forced adult labor
is present in either. Gold mining is a very small part of the
extractive industries, and, while not regarded as
well-regulated, interlocutors were unaware of exploitative
labor involved in that activity. Coltan is not currently
mined in Sierra Leone. Embassy sources confirmed that there
are no rumors or concerns that the one company holding a
coltan prospecting license is exploiting its workers.
PERRY
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/ILCSR (MITTELHAUSER),G/TIP (STEINER)
PLEASE PASS TO DOL/ILAB (RIGBY)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE: MANDATORY REPORT ON FORCED LABOR AND
CHILD LABOR IN THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS
REF: A. STATE 43120
B. GARMS E-MAIL 05/01/08
C. GARMS/LEMAR CALL 05/07/08
1. Forced and child labor are known to be problems in Sierra
Leone, primarily for the provision of services and in diamond
mining. Exploitation is also suspected in quarries, and the
rubber, timber, and fishing industries. These particular
industries are the subject of in-country research by an
independent consultant contracted by DOL/ILAB through Macro
International. While post intended to consider any gaps
remaining from that particular research initiative, the
researcher has yet to share her findings. Thus, pursuant to
discussions with DOL/ILAB, poloff focused
information-gathering efforts on forced labor in the
gold/coltan mining sectors in Sierra Leone.
2. Meetings with government officials, international
organizations, and non-governmental organizations, as well as
a literature review, revealed no substantive information to
suggest that exploitative child labor or forced adult labor
is present in either. Gold mining is a very small part of the
extractive industries, and, while not regarded as
well-regulated, interlocutors were unaware of exploitative
labor involved in that activity. Coltan is not currently
mined in Sierra Leone. Embassy sources confirmed that there
are no rumors or concerns that the one company holding a
coltan prospecting license is exploiting its workers.
PERRY