UZBEKISTAN ADOPTS TIP NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000900 SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/TIP MEGAN HALL SCA FOR JESSICA MAZZONE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN PHUM UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN ADOPTS TIP NATIONAL ACTION PLAN REF: TASHKENT 769 TASHKENT 00000900 001.3 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: On July 8 President Karimov issued a resolution adopting an anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) National Action Plan, thereby fulfilling a key requirement of the comprehensive anti-TIP law passed in March. The National Action Plan officially establishes a National Inter-agency Commission on TIP, which was one of the recommended actions specified in the 2008 TIP Report. In another positive development, President Islam Karimov signed a law ratifying the 2000 United Nations Protocol on Human Trafficking. These actions further demonstrate Uzbekistan's political will to make substantive progress on the anti-trafficking in persons issue. End summary. National Action Plan -------------- ¶2. (U) President Karimov issued a resolution on July 8 approving the anti-TIP National Action Plan, which is seen by government officials and NGO activists as an important framework for effective implementation of the recently passed comprehensive anti-TIP legislation. The National Action Plan, which was mandated in the recent legislation, calls for the parliament to draft long-sought amendments to the criminal code in the third quarter of 2008. In the same timeframe the Cabinet of Ministers is tasked with establishing programs to protect and assist victims. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will be required to "create a separate statistics database on human trafficking," which should improve the quality of available data about the scope of the problem in Uzbekistan. The plan also calls for greater cooperation with foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, and international bodies. (Note: Post will forward a translated copy of the National Action Plan to G/TIP. End note.) ¶3. (U) The resolution also establishes a national inter-agency commission comprised of high-ranking officials to coordinate activities, organize events, propose further enhancements to laws, and inform the public about the problem. The new entity's charter was included as an addendum to the resolution, and the commission must meet at least once per quarter. Subsequent press reports indicated that the Republican Inter-agency Commission already convened its first session on July 23 with Prosecutor-General Kadyrov as the chair. Also per the resolution, provincial governments must establish commissions to coordinate local anti-TIP activities. The Cabinet of Ministers was given one month to adopt a resolution on establishing victim assistance and protection programs. UN Protocol Ratified, Signed -------------- ¶4. (U) In a related positive development, on July 8 President Karimov signed a law "on ratifying the Protocol on preventing and suppressing trafficking in persons, in particular, of women and children, and punishment for this, which supplements the United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime." The UN Protocol was adopted by both houses of the Uzbek parliament on June 23 and June 27, respectively (reftel),reflecting Uzbekistan's growing confidence that its anti-trafficking measures increasingly meet international standards. ¶5. (U) In accepting the UN obligations, Uzbekistan excluded Article 15, paragraph 2, which calls for States Parties to refer disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Protocol to arbitration first, and if the matter is not settled to subsequently refer the issue to the International Court of Justice. An attorney at the local anti-TIP NGO Istiqbolli Avlod said the organization was not TASHKENT 00000900 002.3 OF 002 concerned by this omission and noted that it does not lessen Uzbekistan's obligations to observe the UN Protocol's provisions. She added that this provision could be added at a later date once the Government of Uzbekistan was ready. Comment: -------------- ¶6. (U) These efforts further demonstrate Uzbekistan's political will to implement its new anti-TIP law conscientiously. Our initial assessment of the National Action Plan, including its addenda, is positive, as it clearly spells out responsibility for implementing the central components of the new legislation. In Uzbekistan this counts for a lot, as it signals to timid bureaucrats that the central government has authorized them to carry out specific duties. Significantly, the Government of Uzbekistan appears to be serious about following through on its promise to amend the criminal code and enhance support to victims. We will closely monitor the activities of the new inter-agency commission to ensure that it actively oversees the implementation of the tasks in the National Action Plan. BUTCHER