BENIN: TRANSLATION OF GOB REPORT ON ITS EFFORTS TO COMBAT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000163 SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL/IL: TU DANG, AF/W, AF/RSA, AND G/TIP: VZEITLIN AND ALEMAR-MEREDITH DOL FOR ILAB/MCCARTER ACCRA FOR USAID/WA PARIS FOR KANEDA AND LONDON FOR LORD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN KTIP BN SUBJECT: BENIN: TRANSLATION OF GOB REPORT ON ITS EFFORTS TO COMBAT WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR COTONOU 00000163 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. On April 16, the Embassy received a diplomatic note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophonie and the Beninese Diapora with a brief report on the GOB's efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in Benin and requesting Post to forward the report to the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking. ¶2. Begin unofficial translation of diplomatic note. Diplomatic Note N:232/MAEIAFB/SGM/DAJDH/SDH The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophonie and the Beninese Diaspora presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States in Cotonou, and at the request of the Embassy of Benin in Washington, has the honor to forward to it details on the Government of Benin's efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in Benin for transmission to the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking. Further details will be sent to the Embassy as soon as possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophonie and the Beninese Diaspora avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration. End unofficial translation of diplomatic note. ¶3. Begin unofficial translation of diplomatic note attachment. Information related to the GOB's efforts to eliminate the worst forms of Child Labor in Benin. Introduction Child protection being a cross-disciplinary area, the Government of Benin resolutely commits itself to fighting the scourge of child labor in general and the worst forms of child labor in particular through its sector-based ministries that work in this particular area. Technical agencies such as the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity's Office for Childhood and Adolescence, the Ministry of Interior and Public Security's Minors Protection Brigade, the Ministry of Labor and Civil Service's Labor Office and the Ministry of Justice, Legislation and Human Rights' Office for Human Rights endeavor to protect children and to combat efficiently child trafficking in conjunction with Civil Society organizations and Development Partners including UNICEF, ILO, DANIDA, USAID, EU, etc. Government of Benin's efforts As the lead agency for child protection in Benin, the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity (MFSN) has a unit called the National Monitoring and Coordination Working Group for Child Protection (CNSCPE) which was established by ministerial decree in 2006. The CNSCPE is chaired by the Ministry of Family and National Solidarity and comprises the following five (5) technical committees: Trafficking and Exploitation Committee; Juvenile Justice Committee; Committee on Violence Against Children; Orphans and Vulnerable Children Committee and Early Childhood Committee. Each committee has an action and work plan and works efficiently towards proposing activities to the CNSCPE. It is noteworthy that the CNSCPE gathers about forty (40) members from all sectors pertaining to children including sector-based ministries, NGOs networks, International Technical and Financial partners and bilateral partners. To date, the CNSCPE has achieved the following: 1- Setting up of 1529 Child Protection Local Committees (CLPE) in 33 communes. These committees aim to educate grassroots communities, to detect traffickers' networks and to help reintegrate victims of the trafficking; 2-Periodical organization of synchronized awareness campaigns on child trafficking across Benin-Nigeria border, in the communes of Seme Kpodji, Ifangni and Djreregbe on the Beninese side and in the villages of Krake, Owode and Idiroko on the Nigerian side; 3- Drafting, adoption and promulgation of Act 2006-04 of April 10 2006 related to the Transportation of Minors and the Repression of Child trafficking in the Republic of Benin. This Act defines child trafficking and labor and bans their practice. It also sets rules for transporting children (both internally and externally),and COTONOU 00000163 002.2 OF 002 penalties for child traffickers (ten to twenty years imprisonment); 4- Drafting of the Child Code's first volume. The first volume of the code is a collection of legislation related to children their rights, family education, protection, labor and health. The second volume containing a bill on child protection and an amended version of Act 69 on offences committed by minors is pending adoption at the National Assembly; 5-Drafting and validation of the Policy document and National Strategies for Child Protection in Benin, along with a five-year Action plan (2009-2013); 6- Drafting and validation of the ILO/IPEC National Action Plan to combat child trafficking and labor exploitation. This Action Plan seeks to eradicate child trafficking and labor; 7- Design of a national survey on child trafficking. The survey provides child trafficking routes in Benin and a map in order to take concrete action to address the scourge and its structural causes; 8- Implementation of the second anti-child trafficking projec (2007-2011) that aims mainly to improve childre's living conditions and respect for children's ights in Benin; 9- Signature of a Multilateral ooperation Agreement between Benin and 10 countris in the region to fight child trafficking in West Africa. As part of the Agreement follow-up, agenies responsible for protecting children in thesecountries network to exchange information on thefight against child trafficking and victims' protction. 10- Creation of a data base (ChildPro) at central and provincial levels with brances at the Communes' Social Promotion Centers to ecord data related to fourteen (14) areas pertainig to unhappy childhood. Conclusion Child tafficking, which is considered one of the worst foms of child labor, appears to be a trap for chilren who are trafficked to foreign countries (cros-border trafficking) or to other regions withina country (national trafficking). The situation in hich trafficked children live is a new form of savery that cannot be acceptable for mankind. Theministry responsible for child-related issues eficiently coordinates activities together with all he concerned actors to fight the worst forms of cild labor. /Signed/ The Director of the Chil and Adolescence Office Houngbedji Adjai End f unofficial translation of diplomatic note attachent. BROWN