QATAR RATIFIES UN ANTI-TIP PROTOCOL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000280

SIPDIS

G/TIP FOR ANDRE MCGLASHAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KTIP QA
SUBJECT: QATAR RATIFIES UN ANTI-TIP PROTOCOL

REF: A. DOHA 236

B. DOHA 255

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

--------------
(SBU)KEY POINTS
--------------

-- On April 23, Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed
the
instrument ratifying the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress,
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
Children.

-- The ratification was made with reservations concerning
the employment and training of TIP victims, allowing
victims to remain in the country, and the submission of
disputes arising under the Protocol to international
arbitration.

-- The ratification came months after Qatar passed a new
sponsorship law governing the entry and exit of workers,
and a media campaign aimed at educating citizens and
non-citizens of their rights and obligations under the law
and the evils of TIP in general (see Ref A).

--------------
(C) COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS
--------------

-- The ratification of the UN Anti-TIP Protocol is a
major step for Qatar, in that the country is now obligated
under Article 5 of the Protocol to pass a law criminalizing
all forms of TIP. Furthermore, the definition of TIP
contained in the Protocol is now a part of Qatari law by
virtue of the ratification (See Ref B).

-- By binding itself internationally to passing an
anti-TIP criminal law, Qatar has demonstrated that it is
serious about fighting TIP. It remains to be seen, however,
whether whether Qatar is committed to doing what,s necessary
to actually improve the TIP situation here as opposed to
taking steps that may be more form than substance.

-- The reservations made by Qatar come as no surprise.
The country is loathe to invest any money in the training
of TIP victims, and given its policies on citizenship and
permanent residence, is certainly not ready to pass any
provision allowing non-citizens to remain in the country
over the long term. This is especially true for the
non-citizen populations most at risk to become victims of
TIP: poor, uneducated laborers and domestic servants.

End Key Points and Comments and Analysis.


1. (SBU) On April 23, Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani, acting in his capacity as Deputy Amir, signed the
instrument ratifying the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress,
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and
Children. The Protocol supplements the UN Convention
Against Transnational Organized Crime.


2. (SBU) Without comment, Qatar expressed a reservation to
Article 6,
Section 3 (d) of the Protocol, which states: "3. Each Party
shall consider implementing measures to provide for the
physical, psychological, and social recovery of victims of
trafficking in persons, including, in appropriate cases, in
cooperation with non-governmental organizations and other
elements of civil society, the provision of...(d)
Employment, educational, and training opportunities."


3. (SBU) The instrument of ratification also expressed a
reservation to Article 7, paragraph 1, which states: "In
addition to taking measures under Article 6 of this
Protocol, each State Party shall consider adopting
legislative or other appropriate measures that permit
victims of trafficking in persons to remain in its
territory, temporarily or permanently, in appropriate
cases."


4. (SBU) Qatar's third reservation related to Article 15,
Section 2 of the Protocol, dealing with the referral of
disputes arising under the Protocol to the International
Court of Justice.
LeBaron