UZBEK PARLIAMENT RATIFIES UNITED NATIONS TIP

UNCLAS TASHKENT 000769 SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/TIP MEGAN HALL; INL FOR ANDREW BUHLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM UNCRIME KWMN KCRM UZ SUBJECT: UZBEK PARLIAMENT RATIFIES UNITED NATIONS TIP PROTOCOL REF: TASHKENT 462 ¶1. (U) On June 23 the lower house of the Uzbek Parliament (Oliy Majlis) adopted a draft law on ratification of the November 2000 United Nations Protocol on Trafficking in Persons (TIP). The Senate followed suit just four days later, on June 27, thereby completing the Parliamentary steps and paving the way for President Karimov to sign the ratification into law. ¶2. (U) While Uzbekistan signed the UN Protocol in June 2001, it had not made an effort to ratify it until now. This suggests the Government of Uzbekistan is comfortable with its recent counter-TIP progress (which was recognized with an improved rating to the Tier 2 Watchlist this year) and is ready to accept international obligations. Our recently published 2008 TIP Report specifically noted Uzbekistan had not adopted this UN Protocol, and it is an especially positive development that the Uzbek Government exercised initiative without waiting to be prodded to take further action. ¶3. (U) Nodira Karimova, Director of the main anti-trafficking NGO "Istiqbolli Avlod," believes the GOU was encouraged by its improved ranking this year and is seeking to build on it. The GOU is confident that its recently adopted comprehensive anti-TIP law (reftel) addresses many of the requirements of the UN Protocol, while forthcoming steps include a National Action Plan (which is reportedly complete and ready to be adopted shortly) and long-sought criminal code amendments which are expected to strengthen punishments against traffickers (presently under discussion in the lower house of the Parliament). Comment: -------------- ¶4. (U) As we hoped, the improved rating for Uzbekistan in the 2008 TIP Report seems to have generated goodwill on an important human rights issue. Ratification of this UN Protocol was a welcome surprise; nonetheless, we will continue to closely monitor the Government of Uzbekistan's implementation of its new law. We believe the Government of Uzbekistan would not have committed itself to these new international obligations by ratifying the UN Protocol unless it was serious about following through, so we expect more good news in the coming months. NORLAND