US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO378

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000378 
 
SIPDIS 
G/TIP FOR RYOUSEY, AF/RSA FOR RZUEHLKE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KWMN, SMIG, MZ, Trafficking in Persons 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: GATHERING SUPPORT FOR AN 
ANTI-TRAFFICKING LAW 
 
REF: MAPUTO 305 
 
1. (U) Summary: Mozambique's new government is increasingly 
serious about addressing the issue of trafficking in women 
and children. At a trafficking in persons luncheon held at 
the Ambassador's residence on March 16, representatives of 
key government agencies and local non-governmental 
organizations assessed the level of the trafficking problem, 
described recent steps that the GRM has taken and discussed 
strategies to establish an anti-trafficking law, though they 
cautioned that the process could take time. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) The Ambassador hosted an anti-trafficking in persons 
luncheon at her residence on March 16, attended by 
representatives from the staff of the Council of Ministers, 
the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Women and 
Social Action, along with representatives of key 
non-governmental organizations dedicated to women's rights 
and legal issues. These ministries and organizations were 
involved in passing Mozambique's 2004 Family Law, and would 
be the lead actors in the drive to create new 
anti-trafficking legislation. 
 
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Prospects for Legislation 
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3. (U) All at the luncheon were eager to take on the project 
of adopting an anti-trafficking law. Post has learned 
separately from the Ministry of Justice,s legal reform unit 
(which drafts most legislative initiatives at the request of 
the Council of Ministers) that drafting an anti-TIP law is 
the sixth highest priority for 2005. The attendees 
cautioned, however, that progress would take time; building 
support for new social legislation typically requires an 
extensive public consultation process. Further, they all 
doubted that the number of trafficked persons reached the 
1,000 per year estimate used by the International 
Organization on Migration (IOM). The Ministry of Interior 
representative said her ministry, which keeps statistics on 
crimes against women and children, has heard of only a 
handful of anecdotal reports of trafficking from Mozambique 
to South Africa. As a result, she said, raising the public 
profile of the trafficking problem in order to pass a law 
would require some time. 
 
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Recent Initiatives 
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4. (U) Representatives from various agencies outlined 
specific TIP-related steps that their agencies have taken 
recently. NGO representatives noted that on March 15 the 
public Eduardo Mondlane University signed an agreement to 
carry out a UN-funded study on trafficking in persons; this 
would be the first TIP study carried out by a 
government-affiliated entity. Others noted that in January 
2005 the GRM had given approval for IOM, after years of 
delay, to re-open its office in Mozambique. The 
representative from the Council of Ministers staff said that 
the Council plans to ratify the UN Convention on 
Transnational Organized Crime within the next two months; 
this convention was originally signed by Mozambique in 2002. 
 
5. (U) Comment: Embassy will continue to press the government 
to adopt specific anti-trafficking legislation and to ratify 
the UN Convention as planned. 
LALIME