US embassy cable - 03SANAA2848

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 002848 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL AND NEA/PI; MUSCAT FOR PAO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, YM, HUMAN RIGHTS 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS MINISTER ON MINISTRY DEVELOPMENTS, 
TRIP TO WASHINGTON AND OMAN, HRR 
 
Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for Reasons 1.5 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary and Comment:  Pol/Econ Deputy met with 
Minister of Human Rights Amat al-Alim al-Suswa December 1 to 
discuss the ROYG's input for the 2003 Human Rights Report, 
her winning the fight to maintain ministry responsibilities 
for human rights through effective by-laws and her trip to 
Washington and Oman for programs aimed at increasing women's 
political participation.  The Minister looks forward to 
meetings at the Department to discuss the Middle East 
Partnership Initiative and human rights in Yemen.  Her 
description of the ROYG internal fight over the Ministry's 
by-laws illustrates in part the dynamics often at play in 
Yemeni politics.  Her victory, along with by-laws that 
provide strong guidance and accountability, should bode well 
for the ROYG's efforts to improve the human rights situation 
and increase women's participation in political life.  End 
Summary and Comment. 
 
MINISTER THREATENS TO RESIGN UNLESS GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY 
NEEDED TO DO THE JOB RIGHT 
 
2. (C) Minister al-Suswa described a last-minute fight within 
the ROYG on issuing the Republican Decree outlining the 
regulatory by-laws on the Ministry of Human Rights (MHR) that 
she ultimately won.  The by-laws abolish the previous 
structure of a Supreme Committee on Human Rights chaired by 
the Prime Minister, with Deputy Ministers from key ministries 
and with the Minister of State for Human Rights' role akin to 
a secretary general.  Several ministries and some members of 
the Prime Minister's office were reluctant to relinquish the 
structure (Comment: presumably because of power and control 
issues, as well as the potential loss of government perks. 
End Comment).  The Minister said she argued that maintaining 
both structures -- a (nominal) full Ministry and a Supreme 
Committee -- with similar mandates would undermine Yemen's 
ability to improve human rights because of competing 
interests and confusion over accountability.  She said at one 
point she offered to resign should the new Ministry not 
receive the "responsibility needed to do the job right." 
Ultimately, the Minister prevailed and retained her ability, 
underwritten by specific by-laws issued by Republican Decree, 
to take charge of Yemen's human rights agenda. 
 
MINISTRY BY-LAWS PROVIDE DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK 
 
3. (U)  The by-laws outline the general functions and tasks 
of the MHR, the responsibilities of the Minister, Deputy 
Minister, Board and staff and its regulatory structure.  The 
Ministry's primary functions include: 
 
--  proposing "policies, programs and procedures required for 
the enhancement of human rights and their protection in 
coordination with the bodies concerned;" 
 
--  studying legislation and laws to judge compatibility with 
international human rights conventions and treaties ratified 
by Yemen and proposing amendments as necessary; 
 
--  receiving complaints from citizens and organizations to 
"study them and treat them in accordance with jurisdictions 
of MHR in coordination with bodies concerned;" 
 
--  enhancing "fields of cooperation" with civil society 
organizations; 
 
--  contributing to the preparation of human rights studies; 
 
--  reporting on Yemen's international HR commitments; and 
 
--  coordinating with the human rights-related international 
organizations and developing cooperation with them. 
 
4. (U) The regulatory/organizational structure is made up of 
the Minister, a Deputy Minister (Note:  Not yet appointed. 
End note), a Board made up of the Minister, Deputy Minister, 
advisors and general directors, and seven General 
Directorates (complaints and reports, legal affairs, 
organizations and international reports, civil society 
organizations, awareness, studies, researches and 
translation, and financial and administrative affairs). 
 
INPUT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2003 
 
5. (U) Minister al-Suswa provided detailed responses -- 
coordinated with other relevant ROYG ministries -- to 
specific questions asked by Post for inclusion in the 2003 
Human Rights Report, including case updates regarding the 
disappeared from the 1994 civil war and previous wars and 
other security-related cases.  In addition, she detailed the 
re-cast ROYG initiative to improve prisoners' rights, 
including the release of those criminal prisoners (not/not 
terror-related suspects) who have served two-thirds of their 
sentence and behaved well, the increase in women security 
guards for women's prisons and recommendations for improving 
prison infrastructure to alleviate space problems that 
exacerbate human rights conditions. 
 
MINISTER TO WASHINGTON AND MUSCAT -- INCREASING WOMEN'S 
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 
 
6. (U) The Minister left for Washington December 5 to take 
part in the National Democratic Institute's Win with Women: 
Strengthen Political Parties global women's forum on December 
9-10.  As the sole Yemeni representative, she said she 
coordinated with opposition parties (Islah and YSP) on their 
input but will represent the General People's Congress (GPC) 
primarily.  She said she looks forward to meeting with DoS 
officials, including NEA/PI A/DAS Romanowski and 
representatives from DRL.  On her way back from Washington, 
she is stopping in Muscat at the invitation of Vital Voices 
Global Partnership (VVGP) to speak at an Embassy 
Muscat-sponsored conference on women's leadership in Oman. 
HULL