US embassy cable - 03SANAA1101

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 001101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR DRL SR. COORDINATOR KLADAKIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, KDEM, ELAB, YE, HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: USG SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN YEMEN 
 
REF: STATE 13796 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. In 2002, Embassy Sanaa managed several successful programs 
that encourage respect for human rights in Yemen, including 
equal access to education, human rights training for military 
officers, and 17 small grants focused on grassroots democracy 
and the development of civil society. 
 
Most notably, during 2002 preparations for the recent 
national parliamentary elections, the Mission worked closely 
with major NGOs to support nationwide voter registration 
programs, the development of political parties, women's 
political participation (43% of registered voters) and 
training for effective local governance.  These efforts 
culminated recently with exceptionally high participation 
(75% of all registered voters) in national elections judged 
generally free, fair and peaceful by international observers. 
 
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HUMAN RIGHTS - A CRITICAL MISSION OBJECTIVE 
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2. Promoting respect for human rights in Yemen is a top 
Mission priority that directly supports the essential US 
interests: eradicating terrorism and ensuring stable, 
democratic governments in the region.  Yemen is a poor 
country with explosive population growth (3.5%), traditional 
social structures that exclude women, widespread adult 
illiteracy, troublesome levels of corruption, and radical 
religious groups.  However, it has also been making 
measurable progress in moving toward democracy, the rule of 
law, and increased participation for its citizens in an 
effective civil society. 
 
3. The Embassy's Democracy Working Group (DWG) includes 
American and FSN members from every Country Team agency. It 
maintains close contacts with local and international NGOs, 
as well as other foreign missions working on development and 
human rights issues.  With no direct-hire American USAID 
officers at post, DWG members work together on Mission  human 
rights agenda.  They monitor grants, evaluate proposals, 
recruit promising candidates for the International Visitors' 
Program, and visit distant field projects.  The Ambassador, 
the DCM and other officers make human rights issues a regular 
part of their conversations with leaders in every segment of 
society. 
 
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EDUCATING NEW LEADERS 
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4. Education/Participation:  In 2002, USDA PL 416 (B) funded 
12.4 million dollars for the construction and furnishing of 
new primary schools for girls in isolated rural areas. This 
will provide thousands of young women their first access to 
modern education and their first entry into civil society. 
The International Visitors' Program allowed a number of young 
Yemeni leaders to share and debate US perspectives on such 
issues as "Women as Political Partners." 
 
5. Military Training:  In 2002, Defense Department 
Counter-Terrorism Fellowship funds ($450,000) provided many 
opportunities for promising Yemeni officers and 
non-commissioned officers to learn increased respect for 
human rights as an essential element of their professional 
military studies.  These courses, either in the US or 
directed by US military trainers in Yemen, have produced 
gratifying results: a marked decrease in cases of human 
rights abuse by the Yemeni military.  The Embassy's Office of 
Military Cooperation is tracking these results to ensure the 
most effective training in years to come. 
 
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PROMOTING DEMOCRACY 
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6.  Small Grants/Big Results:  The Embassy's Public Diplomacy 
Office funded 17 programs throughout Yemen in 2002, totaling 
almost $100,000, through the Democracy Small Grants Projects: 
The individual cost of these programs is small, but the goals 
are ambitious.  For example: to "Educate Society Leaders in 
Human Rights Law" ten influential preachers/prayer leaders 
from mosques throughout the country gathered for a series of 
workshops on political, civil and constitutional rights 
guaranteed under Yemen's new Human Rights Law.  To combat 
"Violence Against Women", project leaders drawn from local 
women's groups worked with officials from several Ministries 
to raise  awareness of the psychological, medical, criminal, 
cultural and legal roots of these crimes.  This 2002 
initiative helped lead to the recent establishment of a 
national network of women's groups helping victims of 
domestic violence. 
 
7.  Training Local Councils: In 2002, the National Democratic 
Institute (NDI) began an ambitious program to train local 
councils.  Throughout Yemen, local councils control 
significant resources and provide basic services to Yemen's 
population: trained members are essential to combat 
traditional problems of patronage, corruption, and gender 
bias.   The Mission will continue to work closely with NDI on 
this ongoing project, and seek additional funding for it from 
the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the Economic 
Support Fund (ESF) and the Middle East Democracy Fund (MEDF). 
 
8.  The Infrastructure of Free Elections: NDI and the 
International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) also 
provided special training in 2002 to strengthen Yemen's 
multi-party system.  Funds from MEPI and MEDF helped support 
comprehensive technical and organizational assistance to the 
Government of Yemen.  NDI staffers worked directly with local 
political activists, focusing on women's political 
participation, voter registration, and local governance. 
 
9.  The Results: In the April, 2003 national parliamentary 
elections,  Yemen scored encouraging international marks for 
organization, participation, and security. The Ambassador and 
twenty-five Embassy Sanaa staffers joined international 
election observers from IFES, NDI, the EU and the United 
Nations, at polling places throughout the country.  Although 
much work remains, 2002 was a year of progress for human 
rights in Yemen, with positive and measurable results.  The 
MIssion will continue to build on that record. 
 
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ADDENDUM 
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11.  USG funded projects of $100,000 or more: 
 
a. $12.4 Million -  USDA PL 416 (b): To construct and furnish 
primary schools for girls in isolated rural areas. 
 
b. $450,000 - DOD Counter Terrorism Fellowship Funds: 
Training military officers to highest professional standards, 
with respect for human rights as an integral part of the 
curriculum. 
 
c. $100,000 - DOS/NEA Democracy Small Grants Program: To fund 
small grassroots projects promoting democratization and civil 
society. 
 
d. $1.3 Million - DOS/Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI) and 
the Middle East Development Fund (MEDF): National Democratic 
Institute (NDI) training for local councils to provide 
effective services to all citizens,  Also, International 
Federation of Election Systems (IFES), National Democratic 
Institute and International Republican Institute (IRI) 
training for local party organizers and national election 
supervisors in all aspects of party organization, voter 
registration, and conduct of elections. 
HULL