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RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPOD
RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #1511/01 2650618
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220618Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1345
INFO ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
CIS COLLECTIVE
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0035
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0228
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001511 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM ELAB PGOV UZ
SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: UNICEF Representative Discusses Child Labor 
 
¶1.       (SBU) Summary: On September 16, Ambassador Norland met 
with UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan Mahboob Shareef to discuss 
child labor in the cotton fields.  Shareef discussed a recent 
high-level meeting with the GOU, and discussed his ideas for short- 
and long-term solutions to the child labor problem in Uzbekistan. 
End Summary. 
 
 
 
Meeting with Azimov 
 
-------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.       (SBU) Shareef reported that he met with First Deputy Prime 
Minister Rustam Azimov earlier this week, and stressed to him the 
need for Uzbekistan to fulfill its international obligations and to 
implement the National Action Plan (NAP) on child labor that it 
enacted last year.  Azimov stated that the GOU is committed to not 
using child labor, and mentioned a few steps the GOU is taking to 
prevent it.  For example, the Ministry of Labor just completed 
training sessions for 200 labor monitors, who, according to the 
NAP, will go out in teams to the various districts and monitor 
whether child labor is being used, beginning in mid-October.  The 
GOU has also set up a hotline for people to call with questions 
regarding child labor or to report observations of child labor. 
Shareef said he encouraged Azimov to publicize these activities, 
noting that press coverage of the call centers would be well 
received in the international community. 
 
 
 
¶3.       (SBU) Shareef had in his possession during the meeting two 
letters that Acting Minister of Labor A. Khaitov sent out last 
fall; one to the Minister of Public Education, and one to the 
Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Uzbekistan.  Both reference 
Uzbekistan's ILO obligations, and forbid the use of secondary 
school children in the cotton fields.  The letters also state that 
officials who permit use of labor by secondary school children for 
cotton picking are liable in accordance with Uzbek legislation. 
Shareef stated that he encouraged Azimov to send the same letter 
this year to all of the hokimiyats to ensure broad awareness that 
the use of child labor will not be sanctioned by the government. 
Azimov responded that he would consider it. 
 
 
 
¶4.       (SBU) Shareef also presented Azimov with a chart that 
linked the various relevant agencies to their responsibilities 
under the NAP.  Azimov noted that it was a helpful analysis, in 
that 21 agencies and ministries have responsibilities under the 
Plan.  Shareef encouraged greater leadership from the Ministry of 
Labor in detailing what the other agencies needed to do in order to 
meet their obligations. 
 
 
 
¶5.       (SBU) Shareef expressed his belief that the GOU is 
sincerely trying to address the problem, albeit with small steps. 
He also said he had the sense that the GOU would try use unemployed 
adult workers as much as possible in the cotton harvest this year, 
but that the success of the program will depend in large part on 
the willingness of those unemployed workers to take part at the 
wage levels on offer. 
 
 
 
Short- and Long-term Tactics 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.       (SBU) Shareef stated his ideas for both short- and 
long-term tactics to address the child labor problem in Uzbekistan. 
In the short term, he suggested the following:  1) A campaign to 
ensure that all local officials are aware of and in compliance with 
the GOU's stated policy that child labor will not be used in the 
 
TASHKENT 00001511  002 OF 002 
 
 
cotton harvest; 2) A public awareness campaign directed toward the 
families of school children, which should include the risks and 
negative effects children face in doing the harvest; 3) Promotion 
of diversification and mechanization of crops, both of which would 
reduce the number of children needed to work the fields. 
 
 
 
¶7.       (SBU) Shareef puts the ILO assessment in his long-term 
planning goals.  He stated that he believes that if successes are 
made on some of the short-term goals, perhaps more trust would 
develop between the GOU and the international community, and the 
GOU would be more amenable to a comprehensive ILO assessment in two 
or three years.  He suggested two other possible long-term ideas: 
a financing plan and an incentive plan.  UNICEF is currently 
working with the World Bank on a cost/benefit analysis of child 
labor.  With this analysis, UNICEF hopes to be able to evaluate the 
children's contribution to the cotton harvest, and come up with a 
monetary figure that would be needed in order for the GOU to pay 
adult workers.  The World Bank would then look into financing that 
amount.  An incentive plan, as the name implies, would involve 
diplomatic and NGO communities providing certain incentives in 
exchange for gains in this area by the GOU.  Shareef suggested that 
the international community  get together to brainstorm other 
possible tactics.  In the meantime, UNICEF plans to continue its 
education campaigns, and will do its own informal field survey, as 
it has in the past. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
------------ 
 
 
 
¶8.       (SBU) Now that it is certain that the ILO will not be 
invited for this year's harvest, the international community needs 
to refocus on how to positively impact this issue.  Shareef 
considers boycotts harmful to the interests of children, and we 
agree in the case of Uzbekistan.  The harvest generally continues 
throughout October and November, and can even go into December, so 
there is still time to find effective ways to influence practices 
this year.  UNICEF's short- and long-term proposals present a good 
starting point on which further brainstorming can be done. 
NORLAND