US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2732

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 002732 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI; ABU DHABI, TUNIS FOR MEPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KMPI, ECON, KDEM, KWMN, KU 
SUBJECT: MEPI KUWAIT: QUARTERLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FUTURE 
OBJECTIVES 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 2093 
 
     B. STATE 80607 
     C. KUWAIT 1830 
     D. KUWAIT 1594 
     E. KUWAIT 1295 
     F. KUWAIT 790 
     G. 04 STATE 238564 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Post's MEPI committee -- comprising 
representatives from the Front Office and Commercial, 
Economic, Political and Public Diplomacy sections -- convened 
June 12 to review the current quarter's accomplishments and discuss 
potential projects for the upcoming period. During the 
April-June time-frame, Embassy Kuwait submitted five small 
grants proposals (two of which have been signed), welcomed 
several regional program visitors, hosted MEPI/Abu Dhabi 
Deputy Director and invited Kuwait is to BMENA and MEPI 
regional conferences. The committee also brainstormed 
potential program work for each pillar for the remainder of 
the year with the objective of making progress on Post's 
Freedom Agenda priorities, which include full political 
participation for women, establishment of political parties 
and promotion of more responsible journalism. Post welcomes 
PDAS Elizabeth Cheney and will review MEPI highlights and 
goals during her upcoming visit. End summary. 
 
Quarterly Recap: Five Small Grants Submitted, Two Signed 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
2. (C) Post submitted five FY05 small grants proposals. Thus 
far, two projects have been approved, both of which support 
our Freedom Agenda: one from Dr. Alanoud Al-Sharekh for the 
production of a brochure outlining legal biases against 
Kuwaiti women with the goal of spurring their political 
participation and one from the Center for Women's Issues to 
conduct a survey measuring the level of support for women's 
political participation among Kuwaitis and defining the 
underlying reasons for support or lack thereof. Post is still 
awaiting approval on the remaining proposals, which include a 
summer internship program for youth to work in the government 
and media, film training class to produce civic-minded short 
movies for mass distribution, and summer civic program to 
increase political awareness among the largely apathetic 
Kuwaiti youth. Post reiterates support for the remaining 
grant proposals and looks forward to receiving feedback. 
 
3. (C) Post is concerned about the length of time required 
for small grants approval. The committee understood that Post 
would have greater control over the allocation of small 
grants and that Post recommendation for funding would lead to 
grant approval (ref G). Unlike organizations in less 
developed countries, Kuwaiti groups are not in dire need of 
external funding. Post exerted significant efforts to promote 
MEPI, including recruiting proposals from new and diverse 
organizations and issuing a press release announcing the 
small grants program, which was picked up by Arabic- and 
English-language dailies. The GOK responded by informing Post 
that Kuwaiti law bans NGOs from receiving foreign funding 
without prior governmental approval(ref D). We are sensitive 
to their concerns and will find a way to work  around the 
issue. 
 
Quarterly Recap: Democracy, Economics Pillar Visitors 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
4. (C) During the quarter, Kelley Jones from the National 
Democratic Institute (NDI) concluded her assessment of 
women's involvement in the suffrage movement. Jones worked 
with leading women activists to hone their organization and 
public relations skills during a period that fortuitously 
coincided with the ultimately successful February-May 
parliamentary fight to grant women political rights (ref A). 
Post understands that funds remain from this project and 
recommends that NDI launch a second phase focusing on 
campaign training for women, which would accomplish the 
Freedom Agenda goal of fully integrating women into the 
political process. (See paragraph 11.) 
 
5. (U) On April 28, Post welcomed Soraya Salti of INJAZ, the 
Amman-based Junior Achievement (JA) affiliate for the Middle 
East, who visited to introduce JA in Kuwait. There is good 
potential for JA programs in Kuwait as the private sector is 
enthusiastic and, in fact, asked for a JA chapter. The GOK is 
actively encouraging Kuwaitis -- more than 90% of whom work 
for the state -- to transition to the private sector, and JA 
would help to prepare a new generation to branch out from 
traditional career paths. Salti, working with the 
American/Kuwaiti Alliance, identified approximately ten 
prominent business leaders to serve on a JA Kuwait board. 
Through one of these contacts, they submitted a request to 
the Ministry of Education to permit after-school JA 
instruction at the middle and high school levels. Salti is 
scheduled to return to Kuwait for meetings on June 30. 
 
6. (U) A second economic pillar implementor, the Beyster 
Institute at UC-San Diego, arrived April 30 to gauge 
potential Kuwaiti participation in the soon-to-be established 
regional BMENA Entrepreneurship Center in Bahrain. The 
group's meetings included government agencies, private 
companies and professional associations. A Kuwaiti MEET U.S. 
alumnus escorted the Beyster delegation. Post is working with 
MEPI/Abu Dhabi and NEA/PI to obtain a trip report from 
Beyster, promised during a meeting between the group and the 
Ambassador. MEPI/Abu Dhabi Deputy Director accompanied the 
Beyster group to Kuwait, participated in some of their 
meetings and joined Post's MEPI committee May 1 for a 
discussion chaired by the Ambassador. 
 
7. (U) Post requests an update on the Center for 
International Development (SUNY-Albany) proposed Legislative 
Resource Center. The program representative visited Kuwait in 
January, and Kuwaitis, including MP Mohammed Al-Sagr, 
expressed interest in the project. To date, however, there 
have been no updates on the status of the Center. Post 
welcomes reassessing the potential locations of the Center to 
include Kuwait, if appropriate. 
 
Quarterly Recap: Kuwaitis Attend IPR, Business Conferences 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
8. (U) Post invited Kuwaitis to two BMENA conferences during 
the quarter. The first was the April Literacy Workshop in 
Algiers to which Post extended an invitation to the GOK but 
never received a response. Post was unable to confirm the 
participation of any Kuwaitis. Unlike other countries in the 
region, Kuwait has a low illiteracy rate (only 6%), which may 
have contributed to the lack of GOK action. The second event, 
the Trade and Investment Finance Conference, took place in 
Amman in May. Post invited 32 Kuwaitis, none of whom 
accepted. However, Ibrahim Daboub, Chairman of the National 
Bank of Kuwait, served as a conference speaker replacing a 
last-minute cancellation by one of the initial invitees. The 
difficulty in recruiting can be partially attributed to the 
Amman conference coinciding with the World Economic Forum, 
which would have required a lengthy absence for attendees. 
 
9. (U) Two Kuwaiti judges participated in a May 9-26 
intellectual property rights (IPR) training sponsored by MEPI 
and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The 
participants were positive about the program and its 
relevance. We will likely be seeking additional MEPI support 
to facilitate movement to free trade negotiations. (See 
paragraph 14.) 
 
10. (U) The five Kuwaiti participants in the Tunis 
Businesswomen's Summit May 24-26 all found the event useful 
for networking and meeting other Arab businesswomen and 
entrepreneurs. They relished the opportunity to hear from 
their counterparts in diverse parts of the Arab world and 
have established what they term "enduring relationships" 
forged during the Summit. The Kuwaitis were split on the 
usefulness of the professional training seminars. Most of the 
more experienced entrepreneurs found that the workshop topics 
were beneath their level of expertise. All participants 
agreed, however, that the organization of the Summit was 
first-rate and that they are interested in maintainingcontacts with Post and 
program alumni regarding future 
activities or training. 
 
Democracy: Supporting the Freedom Agenda 
---------------------------------------- 
 
11. (C) In support of our Freedom Agenda priority of full 
political participation for Kuwaiti women, Post recommends 
implementing a second part of the NDI program focusing on 
campaign training for women, which  could be funded from 
resources remaining from the initial phase. NDI, for example, 
could partner with a local academic institution like the Arab 
Open University to establish a training program designed by 
and tailored for Kuwaiti women. NDI and other organizations 
could provide speakers and experts on political participation 
in preparation for the 2007 legislative elections. 
 
12. (C) A second Freedom Agenda objective is to aid the 
development of political parties. The U.S. should be 
promoting political discussion in a country where informal 
legislative blocs exist, but parties are not welcome. One 
tool could be broad distribution of the "Journal of 
Democracy." This publication, translated into Arabic, would 
afford Kuwaitis the opportunity to compare their potential 
parties to those in other countries. NEA/PI was exploring 
this with the National Endowment for Democracy. Post would 
like to be in a position to distribute widely an Arabic 
version of the Journal, including to legislators, academics 
and activists. Another resource that we are using is the 
"Arab Reform Bulletin," a Carnegie publication translated 
into Arabic by a local Kuwaiti publisher. We believe this 
publication receives some MEPI support. 
13. (C) In an attempt to foster effective, functioning 
political parties, Post solicits advice from MEPI and partner 
NGOs such as NDI to determine which projects or approaches 
have worked in the past in other countries for possible 
application in Kuwait. A final program area could be an 
anti-corruption campaign, a topic of interest to the Prime 
Minister. Post welcomes any available information on 
MEPI-related programs available to combat corruption. 
 
Economics: Focus on IPR, Free Trade 
----------------------------------- 
 
14. (U) MEPI funds would be extremely useful in supporting 
the U.S.-Kuwait TIFA process, which has been underway for 
approximately 18 months (ref E). Post would like to pursue 
three projects in particular: 1) IPR training for 
prosecutors and judges; 2) provision of technical assistance 
to replace Kuwait's International Conformity and 
Certification Program (ICCP); and 3) consultations from U.S. 
experts to help Kuwait develop environmental laws and 
regulations that would conform with free trade agreement 
(FTA) requirements. 
 
15. (U) IPR: Post has identified Kuwait's judiciary as in 
particular need of sensitization on intellectual property 
rights issues. Stronger enforcement of IPR laws is a key 
measure of Kuwait's suitability for FTA negotiations (ref F) 
so strengthening the judiciary's capacity is essential. 
Better IPR enforcement is also critical for economic 
diversification in Kuwait since increased IP protections 
would attract more investors and create more high-tech jobs. 
Post had arranged for USPTO to send an expert to Kuwait in 
April to conduct an IPR seminar for prosecutors and judges, 
but the program was postponed due to FTA negotiations in the 
UAE and Oman. Post would like to reschedule the training 
session for early fall, ideally in September before Ramadan 
begins in October. 
 
16. (U) Technical Assistance on ICCP: The U.S. would like 
Kuwait to eliminate its International Conformity 
Certification Program (ICCP), a major product testing regime 
that is incompatible with Kuwait's WTO requirements and is a 
technical barrier to trade. As with IPR, Kuwait's willingness 
to dispense with the ICCP is seen as an indicator of its 
seriousness to move from a TIFA to an FTA. Kuwait has 
requested U.S. technical assistance in designing a 
replacement for the ICCP, and Post would like to request help 
using MEPI trade capacity-building funds. 
 
17. (U) Strengthening Environmental Protections: During the 
April visit of the regional Environment, Science, Technology 
and Health (ESTH) officer, several GOK officials -- most 
notably from the Environment Public Authority --  requested 
assistance in strengthening Kuwait's environmental 
regulations (ref C). Post would like to request an assessment 
visit from U.S. environmental officials to help identify 
legislative and regulatory weaknesses, particularly in light 
of U.S. FTA requirements, and areas for further cooperation. 
 
Education: ACCESS, University Linkages, Reading Campaign 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
18. (U) Post has several ideas for education programs for the 
remainder of the year. First, Post has requested funding for 
the ACCESS micro-scholarship program to increase the number 
of enrollments of non-elite Kuwaiti youths in 2005-2006 from 
105 to 180. Kuwait's education sector has welcomed the 
program. Even people who hold anti-U.S. attitudes are 
appreciative and changed by seeing their children benefit 
greatly by learning English. We have anecdotal evidence that 
ACCESS alumni have an increased interest in pursuing 
additional educational opportunities in the U.S. 
 
19. (U) Post is also exploring the possibility of 
incorporating Kuwait's universities -- including  Kuwait 
University (KU), the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and 
the Gulf University for Science  and Technology (GUST) -- 
into the MEPI University Linkages program to strengthen their 
capacity to train Kuwait's future leaders in the fields of: 
political science, law, gender studies, business, teacher 
education, communication and information technology. While 
some institutions already have ties with American 
universities (AUK with Dartmouth and GUST with the University 
of Missouri-St. Louis), Post would focus on KU, where most 
Kuwaitis attain their higher education, and on the Public 
Authority for Applied Education and Training, similar to a 
junior college attended by aspiring teachers. 
 
20. (U) In addition, the "My Arabic Library" program could 
become part of Post's concerted efforts to reach a younger, 
non-elite audience. Additional educational and reading 
programs linked with "Library," which focus on Arabic 
translations of key publications on civic participation, 
civil society, democracy, federalism, human rights and the 
rule of law, would be a good tool for instilling civic values 
and a global perspective, foundations upon which educational, 
political and women's reforms can be built. 
 
21. (C) MEPI support for establishing an American Studies 
program at KU would be the natural progression after focusing 
on initiatives such as ACCESS, university linkages and 
"Library." Post's ultimate goal is to encourage reform in 
each of MEPI's pillars through understanding, and eventual 
emulation, of successful and culturally-acceptable aspects of 
American society and values. To accomplish this goal, we need 
Kuwaiti elites educated in-country to have insight into 
American notions of civic participation and civil society. 
Post's public diplomacy efforts in this regard have succeeded 
but only incrementally. A strong push, with MEPI backing, 
would have a quicker impact by building an institutionalized 
American Studies program that, by its nature, would influence 
today's students and tomorrow's leaders who are facing 
increasing intellectual recruitment from Islamist-leaning 
professors and administrators. Though current Islamist 
tendencies at the University seem moderate, we see a 
continued strong pressure of Salafist- and Islamic 
Brotherhood-oriented thinking. 
 
Women: Potential Proposal under Development 
------------------------------------------- 
 
22. (C) Since program work in the other pillars already 
incorporates women, specifically women's full political 
participation, Post does not have any additional programs for 
consideration. PolChief learned from Dr. Samar Al-Roomi that 
she met with NEA/PI in January and discussed developing a 
proposal focusing on a women's issue, which she reports to be 
finalizing in cooperation with U.S. and Kuwaiti NGOs. 
Al-Roomi also drafted a small grants proposal for a "Women's 
Media and Leadership Center." The idea is of interest since 
it also supports the Freedom Agenda goal of creating a more 
responsible media allowing for the participation of all 
Kuwaitis. Al-Roomi's project, however, does not qualify for 
small grants money since it seeks funding for start-up and 
overhead costs, both ineligible expenses under the small 
grants program. Perhaps her idea could be considered for a 
different source of funding. 
 
Welcome PDAS 
------------ 
 
23. (SBU) Post also welcomes the upcoming visit of PDAS 
Elizabeth Cheney to Kuwait. In addition to meetings requested 
with senior Kuwaiti leaders, Post has scheduled events with 
Kuwaits who have benefited from MEPI programming and funds aswell as with 
activists advocating the type of reform MEPI 
supports. The Post MEPI committee also welcomes the 
opportunity to discuss with PDAS Cheney programs that have 
been successful in other countries and how they might be 
replicated in Kuwait. 
 
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LEBARON