US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO4990

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 004990 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (MCISAAC), ALSO DOL MARCIA EUGENIO, DOL 
MIRELLISE VAZQUEZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, ELAB, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ESCALATES EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD 
LABOR 
 
REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 4763 
     B. SANTO DOMINGO 4415 
 
SUMMARY 
 
1. (U) On September 9 the Dominican Republic became the 
second country in Latin America to launch a US Department of 
Labor-funded Time Bound Program as part of an ongoing effort 
to eradicate the worst forms of child labor.  The launch 
comes on the heels of an aggressive national campaign, 
recently announced, against commercial sexual exploitation of 
minors (ref A).  The 3.5 million-USD Time Bound Program will 
target three high-risk sectors across eight provinces prone 
to child labor: sexual tourism, hazardous agriculture and 
informal urban work.  By 2007, the DR plans to reduce these 
prioritized forms of child labor by 25%.  What is most 
telling is the Dominican Ministry of Labor,s enthusiastic 
energy to take on this initiative, as well as community 
commitment to see it through.  The Time Bound initiative 
follows the recent enactment of a revised Minors, Code to 
protect children,s human rights and a new Anti-Trafficking 
in Persons law that penalizes commercial sex offenders (ref 
B). End Summary. 
 
USDOL BOLSTERS EFFORTS AGAINST CHILD LABOR 
 
2. (U) US Department of Labor (USDOL) Acting Director of 
International Child Labor Programs Marcia Eugenio and 
International Relations Specialist Mirellise Vazquez visited 
the Dominican Republic September 7-10 to help launch the Time 
Bound Program.  Minister of Labor Milton Ray Guevarra, a 
staunch advocate of eliminating child labor, has made this a 
priority in domestic policy.  The Ministry of Labor organized 
an emotionally charged ceremony that included a children,s 
art display and a drama, &Yes to education, no to child 
labor,8 performed by young girls and boys from Azua (a 
province where USDOL is already funding a child labor 
project). 
 
3. (U) Ambassador Hertell in his remarks underscored USG 
support for the fight against child labor and recognized GODR 
efforts to date.  The DCM, Ecopol Counselor, Poloffs and 
USAID officers also attended.  Other participants in the 
September 9 ceremony included USDOL partner International 
Labor Organization/International Program for the Elimination 
of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC) Director Frans Roselaers, ILO/IPEC 
Local Chief Technical Advisor Laetitia Dumas, President 
Mejia,s sister Isabel Mejia de Grullon -- who heads local 
NGO CONANI (National Council for Children) and DevTech 
Systems local contractor Dr. John Helwig.  USDOL recently 
awarded DevTech the 3.5 million USD grant to help implement 
the Time Bound program, which includes an education component 
targeting children involved in commercial sexual 
exploitation, hazardous agriculture and informal urban work. 
 
EDUCATION KEY TO CHILDREN VULNERABLE TO CHILD LABOR 
 
4. (U) USDOL Eugenio and Vazquez visited the tomato-producing 
province of Azua to promote the Time Bound Program. 
Approximately 20% of children in Azua who do not regularly 
attend school are forced to repeat a grade.  Eugenio 
emphasized the importance of education in meetings with local 
community leaders.  A highlight of the Azua site visit was 
the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by approximately 100 
school children and teachers, opening a library in a 
neighborhood currently receiving USDOL assistance.  The 
teachers appeared to be sincerely committed to keeping 
children in school.  They told Eugenio and Vazquez that when 
their students fail to show up at the special classrooms 
funded by USDOL, the teachers personally visit parents to 
verify that the children are not tomato picking in the fields. 
 
5. (SBU) In a separate meeting with a local Habitat for 
Humanity affiliate, Ministry of Labor inspectors, the Azua 
District Director of Education, local Ministry of Agriculture 
officials and other community workers, Eugenio and Vazquez 
got a bird,s eye view of how to prevent child labor 
utilizing community-owned initiatives.  Despite a few 
defensive comments from the agriculture officials (who did 
not want to be perceived as promoting use of child 
tomato-pickers), the officials seemed willing to eradicate 
child labor.  The local District Director of Education 
requested continuation of USDOL funding, without which she 
says her objectives will be almost impossible to achieve. 
Eugenio and Vazquez urged participants to seek local 
government assistance for micro-enterprises that target poor 
families.  Both also emphasized the importance of changing 
traditional attitudes that it is acceptable for children to 
work to put food on the table. 
 
COMMENT 
 
6. (SBU) The Time Bound Program launch is the latest step in 
the GODR,s proactive policy to address the problem of child 
labor.  The next challenge will be to foster teamwork between 
the Ministries of Labor and Education in implementing the 
program.  Cooperation between the two ministries will become 
increasingly difficult in the run up to the May 2004 
presidential elections, since the Minister of Labor backs 
President Mejia,s re-election bid and the Minister of 
Education/Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch seeks the 
ruling party,s nomination. Local partners, particularly 
ILO/IPEC and contractor DevTech Systems, will also have to 
work together as a team rather than compete.  Fortunately the 
GODR has already set the tone with other successful pilot 
projects, for example significantly reducing child labor in 
the coffee-producing province of Constanza.  To sustain the 
momentum, officials and NGOs will have to continue to 
collaborate in local communities--in spite of the looming 
election and other distractions. 
HERTELL