VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1192/01 1621337
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101337Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9515

UNCLAS CAIRO 001192 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KCRM KWMN EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT CRIMINALIZES TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND FGM 
 
REF: A. 2007 CAIRO 3031 
 ¶B. CAIRO 410 
 
Sensitive but unclassified, not for Internet distribution. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On June 7, Egypt's upper house of parliament 
approved amendments to Egypt's Child Protection Law that criminalize 
and stipulate severe punishments for trafficking of children and for 
female genital mutilation (FGM).  The new legislation represents 
Egypt's first legal framework to specifically address trafficking in 
persons (TIP).  This, along with other efforts, shows the GOE's 
increasing momentum to improve its anti-TIP posture, as well as its 
increasing efforts against FGM.  End summary. 
 
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Criminalizing Child Trafficking, FGM 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) On June 7, the People's Assembly approved a series of 
amendments to Egypt's Child Protection Law that contain a specific 
statute criminalizing trafficking of children and laying out severe 
punishments for such an offense.  Specifically, a provision bans any 
kind of "abuse, trafficking, sexual harassment, and commercial or 
economic abuse of children."  It mandates a punishment of at least 
five years imprisonment and a fine of between LE 50,000 ($9260) and 
LE 200,000 ($37,000) for anyone who "buys, sells, or offers a child 
for sale" or anyone who "participates in transferring a child as a 
slave for sexual or commercial exploitation." 
 
¶3. (U) In a similarly unprecedented step, another provision 
criminalizes the practice of FGM, except in cases of "medical 
necessity," by between three months and two years imprisonment and a 
fine of LE 1000 ($190) and LE 5000 ($950).  Additionally, the legal 
age of marriage for girls was raised from 16 to 18 (although another 
law still permits "civil registration" before the age of 18).  Also, 
a provision for the first time allows the mother of a child whose 
father is unknown to issue a birth certificate for the child under 
her name, conferring upon these children all the benefits of 
Egyptian citizenship. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The amendments to the law been in the works for over a 
year, and were developed with the full backing of First Lady Suzanne 
Mubarak by the governmental NGO the National Center for Childhood 
and Motherhood (NCCM), and in consultation with Embassy Cairo 
Justice Attache and poloff regarding the TIP-specific provisions 
(ref A).  Aza El Ashmawy, the director of the NCCM's Trafficking in 
Children unit, told us on June 9 that the NCCM is satisfied with the 
anti-TIP provisions of the law as finally passed. 
 
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Opposition on Religious Grounds, Alleged U.S. Pressure 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. (U) The majority of MPs who opposed the amendments did so over 
the statute banning FGM.  Many in Egypt believe FGM to be a 
religious duty; although rates are on the decline, the most recent 
official statistics from Egypt's 2005 Demographic and Health Survey 
indicated that the incidence of FGM among females aged 15 to 49 was 
a staggering 96 percent.  Some MPs also cited Islamic law in 
objection to raising the marriage age - resulting in the compromise 
where a separate law still allows "civil registration" under age 18 
- and issuing a birth certificate to a child under other than the 
father's name.  The anti-TIP provisions received little opposition 
from MPs. 
 
¶6. (U) On June 9, MFA Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs 
Naela Gabr publicly denied that the new child protection provisions 
had been passed due to "American pressures."  Although she did not 
specifically mention it, this was perhaps a reference to the TIP 
report released on June 4, which opposition newspaper Al Dustour 
cited as the potential catalyst for the parliament moving so quickly 
on the child protection amendments.  Gabr also stated that the new 
provisions do not conflict with Islamic law. 
 
--------------------------------- 
USG-Sponsored TIP Training Begins 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Separately, on June 8 the International Organization for 
Migration funded by G/TIP began a three-week training course for 
Egyptian police on trafficking in persons.  The class will educate 
23 Egyptian and two Jordanian security officials about the 
phenomenon of trafficking and will discuss techniques to investigate 
traffickers and protect victims in the context of international 
migration.  Additionally, from July 14 to 17 the International 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in cooperation with the 
USDOJ and Microsoft, will conduct a four day seminar for 
approximately 50 public prosecutors on combating child pornography 
on the Internet. 
 
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Comment 
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¶8. (SBU) These amendments provide Egypt with its first legal 
framework that specifically tackles TIP, as well as its first law 
criminalizing FGM.  Taken in conjunction with other GOE-sponsored 
efforts, including the international training efforts, NCCM training 
on victim protection and services, draft comprehensive 
anti-trafficking legislation, and a comprehensive study of the 
trafficking situation in Egypt (ref B), the new legislation shows 
that the GOE is actively working to improve its anti-TIP posture. 
We will continue to encourage Egyptian police and prosecutors to 
arrest and prosecute traffickers under this new framework, to pursue 
and document pursuit of traffickers under existing law, and to move 
forward on the other anti-TIP initiatives underway. 
 
Scobey