US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3194

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 003194 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G, G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2010 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, ETRD, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE PROGRESS ON TIP ACTION PLAN 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 3074 
 
     B. ABU DHABI 2833 
     C. STATE 99833 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: With two weeks to go before the end of the 
60-day TIP action plan, the UAE continues to make progress in 
addressing the suggested steps in the action plan (ref C). 
The following is a review of progress made to date on the 
mini-action plan, keyed to the six points provided by G/TIP. 
We are continuing to encourage additional progress from our 
UAEG interlocutors on a daily basis.  End Summary. 
 
NATIONAL COORDINATOR 
-------------------- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation: Appoint a national coordinator 
with sufficient authority to oversee the implementation of 
this mini-action plan. 
 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
-- On July 13, Yousef Al Otaiba, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's 
International Affairs Director, was appointed as the UAE's 
national coordinator to oversee the implementation of the 
action plan. 
 
IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION FOR CAMEL JOCKEYS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation: Identify and provide protection, 
within the U.A.E., for at least 700 foreign child camel 
jockeys that are trapped in exploitation and begin providing 
them with appropriate rehabilitation, repatriation, and 
reintegration services.  The number of victims identified and 
protected at 
government-provided shelters or elsewhere will be verified by 
the International Organization for Migration or UNICEF. 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
(Note: On May 8, 2005, the UAE Ministry of Interior and 
UNICEF signed a project agreement for identifying, rescuing, 
rehabilitating and reintegrating up to 3,000 children 
estimated to be in the UAE working in the camel jockey 
industry.) 
 
-- Since June 2, the UAE has established three shelters in 
Abu Dhabi for housing and rehabilitating children rescued 
from camel farms.  Since June 2, 111 have been repatriated in 
cooperation with UNICEF, and 188 are currently in shelters. 
We have requested additional data, including the 
nationalities of the children.  In Dubai, the number of camel 
jockeys rescued totaled 39 as of July 18, according to the 
head of Dubai Immigration; the rescued jockeys are being 
transferred to shelters in Abu Dhabi. 
 
-- The Ministry of Interior has assigned police patrols to 
the racetracks to enforce the ban and monitor the tracks and 
farms. 
 
-- The Ministry of Interior's Social Support Center has 
public hotline numbers for persons to call who have 
information about kidnapped children brought to the UAE. 
 
-- The first robot camel jockey race was held July 18 to 
demonstrate that the UAE is serious about ) and capable of - 
replacing child camel jockeys with lightweight robots. 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION 
----------------------------- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation: Investigate and begin prosecuting 
at least 10 persons responsible for the trafficking, abuse, 
and exploitation of trafficked children in the camel racing 
industry.  Investigate and commence prosecution of at least 5 
cases involving the trafficking of women for sexual 
exploitation.  Investigate and commence prosecuting at least 
5 cases of abuse of foreign domestic workers and laborers. 
Persons convicted should receive sufficient penalties 
reflecting the heinous nature of trafficking crimes.  All 
investigations and prosecutions should be conducted with due 
regard to individual human rights. 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
-- On July 5, President Khalifa issued a federal law that 
prohibits persons below age 18 from either sex from 
participating in camel races, and subjects traffickers to 
jail sentences not exceeding three years, and/or fines of not 
less than 50,000 Dirhams ($13,500).  In the case of repeat 
offenders, the penalties will be doubled.  The law took 
effect upon signature. 
 
-- We are awaiting statistics on investigations and 
prosecutions of trafficking cases, abuse, and exploitation of 
child camel jockeys, of trafficking of women for sexual 
exploitation, and of trafficking of persons for the true 
purpose of labor exploitation. 
 
MECHANISM FOR IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF VICTIMS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation: Develop and implement a formal 
mechanism for the systematic identification and protection of 
trafficking victims, including women in sexual servitude and 
women and men trafficked as domestic workers and laborers. 
Expand the availability of hotlines for foreign workers to 
report instances of abuse and to seek assistance. 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
-- The UAE Government is developing several systems for the 
identification and protection of trafficking victims.  The 
UAE's Judicial Training Institute is developing an 
anti-trafficking course that includes such a mechanism and 
that will be introduced in the police training curriculum. 
The course would be offered at Abu Dhabi's Judicial Training 
Institute as well as at Abu Dhabi and Dubai police academies. 
 
-- The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has established a 
website for workers to report abuse and seek assistance. 
 
-- The Dubai government has set up a Dubai-wide labor 
complaints website and hotline, which enables domestic 
workers, laborers, and other foreign workers to lodge 
complaints.  This service includes free government-provided 
legal representation for complainants.  A new Dubai labor 
committee is preparing to launch a public awareness campaign, 
including through the distribution of pamphlets, T-shirts, 
and caps, to let workers know about these new measures, 
including the website and hotline.  The labor committee has 
also begun to complete inspections of labor camps and sending 
its report directly to Dubai's Crown Prince and his Executive 
Council. 
 
ESTABLISHING SHELTERS; FORMAL PROTECTION 
---------------------------------------- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation:  Establish shelters in Abu Dhabi 
and Dubai for trafficking victims, particularly for abused 
domestic workers, women forced into sexual servitude, and 
male laborers, where such victims can receive protection, 
including counseling, medical, physiological, and other 
appropriate rehabilitation assistance regardless of their 
immigration status.  Articulate how the U.A.E. government 
will extend formal protection to domestic workers and other 
laborers, currently without any protection outside of their 
employment contracts. 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
Since July 2, the UAE Government has taken the following 
actions to establish formal protection for domestic workers 
and other laborers: 
 
-- Dubai Immigration has finalized a plan to construct a 
shelter for trafficked victims in Dubai within one year's 
time.  Construction will begin as soon as a building permit 
is issued by the municipality, hopefully within weeks.  In 
the meantime, Dubai police are referring victims to a private 
shelter.  The Government has promised to grant this shelter a 
license. 
 
-- The UAE Government is collaborating with source countries 
by allowing the operation of shelters for potential victims. 
Currently, there are 7 such shelters for trafficking victims 
being operated by private parties or by source country 
embassies with the consent of the UAE Government.  Embassy 
and Consulate General staff have visited some of these 
shelters and spoken to both the operators and shelter 
residents.  These facilities shelter approximately 100 
victims per day based on Embassy and Consulate General 
contacts with each shelter.  Shelter victims are provided 
counseling, medical, psychological, and other appropriate 
rehabilitation assistance. 
 
-- The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs issued a ruling 
June 28 requiring employers to grant a break to workers 
engaged in outdoor work between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in 
July and August (the hottest months of the year).  Those who 
violate the rule will face a jail sentence of up to six 
months or a fine ranging from 3,000 Dirhams ($810) to 10,000 
Dirhams ($2,700) ) repeat offenders could get their license 
suspended. 
 
-- The Minister of Labor has told us that the Ministry of 
Labor and Ministry of Interior plan to include minimum wages 
of domestic workers on their visas to prevent employers from 
changing their wages upon the workers' arrival in the UAE. 
-- The Minister of Labor has told us that the Ministry of 
Labor plans to require that employers open a bank account and 
directly deposit monthly wages.  Non-compliance by employers 
to these requirements would carry penalties. 
 
PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 
------------------------- 
 
Action Plan Recommendation:  Conduct broad public awareness 
campaigns highlighting the rights and obligations of domestic 
workers and laborers, and the consequence of abusing such 
workers. 
 
UAEG Response: 
 
There has been a steady media outreach by the UAEG, with 
frequent articles in the major daily papers intended to raise 
public awareness about working conditions and workers' rights: 
 
-- "Gulf News" June 6: The Ministry of Labor formed a 
committee to try to resolve the case of 200 Asian workers who 
protested the non-payment of wages. 
 
-- "Khaleej Times" June 16: The Ministry of Labor will 
inspect and penalize companies that violate occupational 
safety rules in a move to protect laborers from health 
hazards, such as working outdoors for long hours during the 
summer. 
 
-- "Khaleej Times" June 19: The Ministry of Labor intervened 
in the case of 20 Asian laborers who stopped working to 
protest their poor living conditions and non-payment of wages. 
 
-- "Gulf News" June 29: The Ministry of Labor began requiring 
companies which employ more than 150 workers to have a 
certified safety officer approved by the Ministry. 
 
-- "Gulf News" June 29: The Minister of Labor issued a ruling 
requiring employers to give outdoor laborers a rest period 
from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the hottest summer months 
of July and August.  The ruling subjects violators to fines 
or up to six months in prison.  "Gulf News" July 10: The 
Ministry of Labor announced that 15 local companies would be 
fined for violating the new rule.  "Khaleej Times" July 13: 
Seventeen companies had been fined to date for failing to 
observe the midday break rule.  "Khaleej Times" July 15: The 
Ministry has temporarily suspended visa issuance for 
companies that have defied the rule until it can find a means 
to collect the fines. 
 
-- "Khaleej Times" July 14: The Minister of Labor has accused 
some labor recruitment offices from labor source countries of 
using deception tactics to recruit workers. 
 
-- "Gulf News" July 16: Abu Dhabi police will soon produce 
booklets listing frequently asked labor questions and answers 
in Arabic and other languages in an effort to educate the 
public about their rights under the UAE Labor Law. 
 
-- "Gulf News" July 17: The Ministry of Labor intervened in 
the case of 150 Bangladeshi workers who had not been paid for 
five months.  The employer has promised to settle the dispute 
within a week. 
 
-- "Gulf News" July 18, 19: The Government is planning to 
amend the Labor Law to allow sponsorship transfers to all 
categories of expatriate workers.  A worker would need to 
obtain approval from the original sponsor before a 
sponsorship could be transferred.  The new employer would pay 
new visa/sponsorship fees. 
-- "Gulf News" July 19: The Ministry of Labor launched an 
Arabic-language "electronic majlis" (Arabic open forum) on 
the Internet for the public.  The website is available to any 
user who would like to comment on Ministry policies.  An 
English site will be available by the end of the year. 
 
COMMENT: 
------- 
 
2. (C) The UAEG has made progress in addressing each of the 
suggestions in the mini-action plan.  We have requested, and 
are still waiting for, information about investigations and 
prosecutions, updated camel jockey data, and additional 
public outreach activities, including public statements about 
workers' rights and responsibilities.  We will forward this 
information as soon as it is available. 
SISON