US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1809

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001809 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA 
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT FOR 
VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN 
STATE PASS USTR JASON BUNTIN, DOUG BELL 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PHUM, PGOV, PREL, SOCI, CVIS, GTIP, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE TO REBUT ICFTU CAMEL JOCKEY REPORT AT ILO GENEVA 
CONVENTION 
 
1. SUMMARY: During this week's ILO 92nd Session in Geneva, the 
UAE Minister of Labor and Social Affairs will rebut allegations 
that the UAE is not doing enough to curb the employment of 
underage foreign boys as camel jockeys.  The UAEG will use the 
forum to highlight the UAE's progress over the year in fighting 
all forms of human trafficking. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. The local press reported on May 30 that the UAE delegation to 
the ILO's 92nd Session, set to begin June 1 in Geneva, will 
challenge ILO accusations that the UAE continues to employ 
underage foreign boys as camel jockeys.  The delegation, led by 
the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Matar Humaid Al Tayer, 
will also use the forum to highlight the UAE's commitment to 
combat this and all other forms of human trafficking.  He will 
rebut a report submitted by the International Confederation of 
Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to the ILO last year that alleges that 
the practice is still common in the UAE.  According to the MOL, 
the ICFTU report was based on outdated information and did not 
reflect the many measures the Ministry of Interior (MOI) took to 
address this issue. 
 
3. Al Tayer will discuss the requirement, which was implemented 
in January 2003, for DNA testing on all camel jockeys and their 
claimed parents to prove the family relationship.  If the test 
is refused, the residency visa is denied.  If the DNA evidence 
refutes the claim of parentage, the false "parents" are 
prosecuted and the boy is humanely repatriated to his home 
country.  The MOI claims that, since the inception of the DNA 
requirement, the number of camel jockey violations has decreased 
by 50 percent, and the number continues to decline dramatically. 
The media report said that the UAEG provided evidence of this 
decline to the ILO. 
 
4. In addition to DNA testing, the delegation will discuss other 
measures adopted by the UAE to eradicate this form of child 
trafficking.  Increased communication between the MOI and UAE 
Embassies in jockey-exporting countries has contributed to the 
rapid decline in the number of violations.  Before jockeys are 
permitted to race camels, a medical committee performs tests to 
ensure that they are medically fit and at least 15 years old, as 
stated in their passports.  Identification cards for all 
jockeys, required at all races and inspected by police at all 
racetracks, are not issued without medical committee approval. 
Stable owners sponsoring the camel jockeys must pay for the 
repatriation of all candidates the committee determines are 
younger than 15 or unfit to race.  Further, the MOI has proposed 
a law to penalize camel jockey traffickers.  The Ministry of 
Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf (MOJ) is finalizing the law, 
and will forward it to the Cabinet for approval. 
 
WAHBA