VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #1859/01 1750841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230841Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2923
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0008
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6011
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3698
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 3912
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1226
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 5064

UNCLAS AMMAN 001859 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, DRL, AND NEA/ELA 
STATE PASS TO USTR (FRANCESKI, KARESH, ROSENBERG) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB PHUM QIZ JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN RESPONSE TO G/TIP REPORT: SURPISED AT 
DEMOTION, BUT HOPEFUL FOR IMPROVEMENTS 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 55790 
     ¶B. B) AMMAN 776 
 
 ¶1.  (U) Summary:  Following Post delivery of Ref A points 
and an advance copy of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
Report on Jordan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there 
has been moderate press coverage and limited civil society 
reaction.  The general feeling among media, civil society, 
and government contacts is that the Government of Jordan 
(GOJ) has made significant efforts in the past year to deal 
with labor issues, particularly in the Qualifying Industrial 
Zones (QIZs).  While few are claiming the demotion of status 
to Tier 2 Watchlist is undeserved, there is a sense that it 
will not be long before Jordan is bumped up again, a result 
of continued GOJ efforts to improve labor conditions.  End 
Summary. 
 
Government Reaction:  TIP Fails to Recognize Improvements 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Political Counselor delivered Ref A points to the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Human Rights Directorate on 
June 3, but found little reaction to the Tier 2 Watchlist 
designation.  Directorate staff thanked the Embassy for the 
advance copy of the TIP Report and assured PolCouns that a 
response was forthcoming.  In contrast to the relative 
silence of the MFA, the press reports sounds of discontent 
from the Ministry of Labor (MoL).  Ambassador discussed the 
TIP Report with Labor Minister Bassem Al-Salem during his 
farewell call on June 17, stressing the importance of 
enacting anti-trafficking legislation, prosecuting those who 
violate labor laws, and increasing protection for vulnerable 
workers.  Salem commented that the report failed to 
accurately reflect the strides that Jordan has made, adding 
that a detailed, formal response was forthcoming.  Despite 
expressing his disappointment, Salem readily agreed on these 
points for action, noting that comprehensive labor law reform 
was inscribed on the ag 
enda for Parliament's Extraordinary Summer Session, requiring 
a vote before the session ended. 
 
Mixed Media Reaction to TIP Release 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The June 4 release of the TIP report garnered a mixed 
bag of media attention.  The opposition daily Al-Ghad ran 
several stories since its release, giving the issue 
front-page attention along with the initial government 
reaction on June 6 and June 8.  One article announced that 
Jordan is threatened with "punishments" for alleged 
violations against foreign workers, and that the government 
"was not able to exempt Jordan" from activities related to 
"trafficking in persons."  Another stated that Jordan had 
agreed under the newly established Better Work Project, which 
is supported by the International Labor Organization and 
partly financed by USAID, to allow U.S. "evaluators" to 
inspect the work environment within the QIZs.  Al-Ghad 
further reported the "Labor Ministry is preparing an official 
reply to accusations in a new American report that considers 
Jordan still in violation of foreign workers' rights." 
 
¶4.  (U) Columnist Hashem Kraisat, in the June 10 edition of 
the independent, opposition daily Al-Arab al-Yawm, asserted 
that the potential for penalties brought on by the reported 
incidence of trafficking conditions within QIZs is further 
evidence that the QIZs may be more trouble than they are 
worth.  The article noted the "receding status" of the QIZs 
"as well as the headache they cause dictate the need for 
serious treatment on all levels...The point should be that 
Jordan benefits from these zones not suffer from their 
burden." 
 
Industry Reaction:  One QIZ Praises GOJ Anti-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Garment factory manager Yanal Beasha from the Al 
Tajamouat QIZ near Amman had not read the TIP Report, but 
when PolOff informed him about the drop in status, he 
declared it "pretty annoying" since the GOJ has given such 
visible attention to labor issues in the past year.  While 
Beasha maintained that any increased government scrutiny or 
auditing of the QIZs does not worry him, he noted that this 
 
may highlight a few problems for some small subcontractors. 
He is confident that Jordan will not fall further to Tier 3 
next year. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) United Garments factory owner and Manager Karim 
Saifi had also not heard of the report, but expressed some 
concern about the status change since previous public 
criticism of labor conditions in QIZs had affected his 
business.  He noted that labor problems in Jordan have been 
dealt with transparently and promptly so the report may work 
to the industry's advantage if foreign investors see how well 
the GOJ and factories handle the criticisms in the report. 
 
Civil Society Reaction:  TIP Key to Raising Awareness 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) UNIFEM's Human Rights and Labor Program Officer, 
Ghada Aku Al-Rous, believes that while Tier 2 Watchlist may 
seem appropriate now, time is needed to determine the full 
effects of current reform efforts by the MoL, as well as the 
level of political will needed to pass provisions for 
domestic workers in the draft labor law.  She is very hopeful 
that Jordan will continue to make serious efforts to improve 
conditions in this sector.  Rous also noted that the TIP 
Report is an important tool that empowers the work that 
UNIFEM does on 
trafficking by highlighting the issue.  Aida Abul Ras, 
President of the labor rights non-governmental organization 
Friends of Women Workers, also maintains that the MoL has 
worked to sort out problems with QIZ workers.  She told 
PolOff that today there is much more awareness about the 
issue of trafficking writ large as compared to years past. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Despite previous public claims of inadequate 
government services and attention to migrant workers in the 
QIZs by President of the Textile and Garment Union, Fathalla 
Al-Omrani, Al-Ghad used several quotes of his, taken out of 
context, to defend the GOJ track record after the release of 
the TIP Report.  According to Al-Ghad, Omrani highlighted the 
freedoms and services that foreign and domestic workers 
enjoy.  Omrani later told PolOff, however, that these 
comments were taken out context and he maintains that there 
are still serious problems, as evidenced by the 46 strikes in 
the QIZs and 3,000 complaints the Union reportedly received 
from foreign workers last year. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) It is too early to tell whether the report's 
recommendations for increased prosecutions or a new 
trafficking law will be seen this year as a result of the TIP 
Report.  Labor Minister Salem is focused on the importance of 
prosecutions, and told Ambassador he has discussed this point 
with the Interior Minister - and Ambassador wished so once 
again.  Given the GOJ's transparent and open approach to such 
issues in the past, we do expect the GOJ to take the TIP 
report seriously and to continue down its current path of 
reform to combat trafficking in persons.  Post anticipates 
additional public reaction to the TIP Report once the Arabic 
version is posted online. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
Hale