Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COTONOU163
2009-04-22 14:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:  

BENIN: TRANSLATION OF GOB REPORT ON ITS EFFORTS TO COMBAT

Tags:  PHUM SMIG ASEC PREF ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN KTIP BN 
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VZCZCXRO6374
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0163/01 1121414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221414Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0889
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0341
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1434
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0436
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


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