VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #2030/01 1840927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030927Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5908

UNCLAS CAIRO 002030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, NEA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: NA 
TAGS: PHUM KPAO PGOV PREL EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT:  NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CHILDHOOD AND MOTHERHOOD 
EFFORTS ON TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN. 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  See paras 7 and 8. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  DCM Jones met with National Council on Childhood 
and Motherhood (NCCM) chief, Ambassador Mushira Khattab on June 25 
to discuss Egypt's anti-trafficking strategy of the coming year. 
Khattab elaborated on efforts to push the draft "Child Protection 
Law," through Parliament.  The "law" is a collection of amendments 
to criminal and welfare laws related to children, to include a new 
definition of trafficking in children.  Khattab has asked for USG 
input on the articles related to trafficking (See para eight).  She 
also said that NCCM's June 25-27 regional conference on Violence 
Against Children, featured a session on trafficking in children, a 
first in Egypt.  Finally, the Minister of Information has agreed to 
air public service announcements on labor trafficking produced by 
the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna.  NCCM is interested in 
additional public awareness products (see para seven).  End 
summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  As head of the NCCM, and in her role as Vice Chair of the 
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Ambassador Mushira Khattab 
has compiled a comprehensive list of 149 articles relating to 
children, which either exist in various laws and codes and require 
amendment, or are new articles.  During a recent meeting with the 
DCM, she requested USG comments on the articles related to 
trafficking.  She wants input while the law is still in draft "as 
the definition of child trafficking will greatly affect the GOE's 
perceived efforts on TIP."  See para eight for the text of the 
amendments and action requested. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Khattab believes that the amendments will be adopted, but 
predicts it will be difficult as they include raising the marriage 
age for girls and the age of criminal liability for children.  In 
fact, her amendments would affect about two-thirds of existing 
legislation on children.  Once adopted, a public education campaign 
will be needed so that government officials and the public will 
accept them. Khattab has started her own outreach, meeting with 
ministry officials, and opposition and independent lawmakers, in an 
effort to gain broad-based government and opposition support for the 
amendments.  She has obtained the support of the Sheikh of Al Azhar, 
the state's highest Muslim official, which she is using to publicly 
promote the reforms.  She has also gained support from the Assistant 
Minister of Justice, some parliamentarians and governors. 
 
¶5. (U) The NCCM, a state organization, organized the Third Regional 
Conference on Violence Against Children in Cairo June 25-27.  The 
conference included representatives from most Arab countries and 
included a session dedicated to trafficking in children.  In her 
presentation, Khattab stressed that delegations no longer limit 
their understanding of  trafficking  to cross-border movement.  She 
stressed that countries must include early marriage and child labor 
in their definitions of trafficking, two significant regional 
phenomena.  Egypt is focusing on these issues, as well as street 
children and their particular vulnerabilities in its national plan 
on violence against children. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Khattab also told DCM that increasing public awareness on 
trafficking of adults and children is one of her top priorities. 
She successfully persuaded the Egyptian Minister of Information, 
Anas el Fiqqi, to direct Egyptian Television (ETV) - the official 
state television of Egypt - to air free of charge a public service 
announcement (PSA) on labor trafficking produced by the UN Office on 
Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 
 
¶7.  ACTION REQUEST:  Post requests G/TIP assistance in obtaining 
additional public education materials, especially short spots that 
can be used on television, for use by Ambassador Khattab and the 
NCCM, including videos, documentaries and other awareness-raising 
tools. 
 
¶8.  ACTION REQUEST:  The unofficial translation of the text of new 
proposed legislation on trafficking follows.  Khattab has asked for 
USG comment on this draft. Embassy Cairo would like a front channel 
response from G/TIP soonest. 
 
Begin text. 
 
Article 125 (New): Punishment of no less than 6 months imprisonment 
if the perpetrator used means of force or threat against a child to 
commit a felony or a misdemeanor. 
 
Article 138 (New): Punishment of imprisonment for a period no less 
than five years and a fine no less than L.E. 50,000 and not to 
exceed L.E. 200,000 for anyone who sells, buys or displays selling 
or buying a child who is treated as a slave, or is abused through 
sex or labor, or is to be involved in any illegal acts. 
 
Article 139 (New): Punishment of two years imprisonment and a fine 
 
of no less than L.E. 10,000 and not to exceed L.E. 50,000 for anyone 
who imports, exports, prepares, displays, markets, or possesses 
depictions of obscene acts where children are involved or anything 
related to child sexual abuse.  All amounts of money and equipment 
are to be confiscated. 
 
Article 141 (New): Punishment of one year imprisonment not to exceed 
two years and a fine no less than L.E. 2,000 and not exceed L.E. 
5,000 for: 
- Using computer, internet, IT networks, animation to prepare or 
display or print or publish activities and obscene acts related to 
inciting children or using them in prostitution and obscene acts. 
- Using computer, internet, IT networks or animation to incite 
children to deviate or to exploit them in a crime or to commit 
activities or illegal or unethical acts, even if the crime did not 
take place. 
End text. 
Ricciardone