VZCZCXRO6219
PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #1134/01 3370916
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030916Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4254
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001134 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KMPI KTIP ELAB KU
SUBJECT: CDEBACA TO GOK AND KUWAITI NGOS: NEW BILL IS KEY 
TO PROGRESS ON TIP 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 608 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 761 
     ¶C. KUWAIT 811 
     ¶D. KUWAIT 832 
     ¶E. KUWAIT 844 
     ¶F. KUWAIT 1078 
     ¶G. KUWAIT 788 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Highlights of the November 16 visit to Kuwait 
by Ambassador at Large for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and 
Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
Persons Luis CdeBaca: 
 
--Meeting with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor 
(MOSAL), Ambassador CdeBaca emphasized the critical role of 
Kuwait's anti-TIP bill in enabling Kuwait to make progress on 
this critical issue, while GOK officials emphasized their 
efforts to investigate labor complaints while explaining that 
as only one-third of the total population, Kuwaitis see 
strict oversight of the expat population here in the context 
of national security as well as economic and human rights 
terms. 
 
--Meeting with the Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) NGO, 
Ambassador CdeBaca explored the crossover between the 
institutions and training necessary to care for child abuse 
victims and those necessary to care for trafficking victims. 
 
--Meeting with the International Labor Organization (ILO), 
Ambassador CdeBaca discussed the short-comings of Kuwait's 
new labor bill and the potential of the anti-TIP bill. 
 
--With the press, Ambassador CdeBaca held a one-on-one 
interview with AP reporter Diana Elias. End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) During his first visit to Kuwait in his capacity as 
Ambassador at Large for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and 
Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
Persons, Ambassador CdeBaca on November 16 discussed with top 
MOSAL officials some of the similar trafficking problems 
experienced by both the U.S. and Kuwait as migrant labor 
destination countries. Although MOSAL U/S Mohammad Al-Kandari 
emphasized that there were significant differences between 
the two countries' labor experiences because Kuwait's 
two-million-strong foreign worker population is twice the 
size of its one-million-strong citizen population, he 
acknowledged Ambassador CdeBaca's point that parliament's 
passage of the anti-TIP bill would open the door to 
opportunities for USG anti-TIP training for GOK lawyers, 
victim counselors, and police.  (Note: Since the appointment 
of MOSAL Minister Al-Afasi in May 2009, MOSAL has led the GOK 
on progressive policies for foreign workers (REFS A-E). 
However, MOSAL's reforms do not apply to Kuwait's 550,000 
domestic workers, who fall under the Ministry of Interior's 
jurisdiction. End note.) 
 
¶3. (U) In a subsequent meeting, Ambassador CdeBaca engaged 
the leadership of the NGO Kuwait Human Rights Society (KHRS) 
on crossover between two of the group's main goals:  helping 
child abuse victims and helping trafficking victims. The KHRS 
leaders were receptive to Ambassador CdeBaca's suggestion 
that many of the GOK institutions and training sought by the 
NGO to help child abuse victims -- shelters, counselors, and 
police training -- could be adapted to help trafficking 
victims as well. In response to accounts from KHRS director 
Ali Al-Baghli of foreign maids stealing from Kuwaiti sponsors 
and Kuwaiti sponsors physically abusing maids, Ambassador 
CdeBaca suggested the GOK mandate training for both incoming 
foreign workers and prospective sponsors. 
 
¶4. (U) Meeting with ILO Officer-in-Charge Thabet Al-Haroun, 
Ambassador CdeBaca discussed Kuwait's draft labor bill and 
the potential for passage of the anti-TIP bill. Haroun 
expressed regret that proposed amendments that would have 
enabled the new labor bill to apply to domestic workers 
failed to pass.  Haroun expressed concern that MOSAL was 
ill-prepared to implement the bill because it has provided no 
training to its staff concerning the major changes in the 
law. Haroun agreed with Ambassador CdeBaca that passage of 
the anti-TIP bill would greatly increase opportunities for 
USG anti-TIP training for GOK staff and expressed his belief 
that the U.S. TIP report has played a major role in hastening 
GOK labor reforms. 
 
¶5. (U) Ambassador CdeBaca also met with the top two officials 
of the Kuwait Trade Union Federation (Chairman Khalid Al-Azmi 
and Deputy Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Ghanim), Kuwait's 
International Organization for Migration Officer-in-Charge 
Iman Ereiqat, and labor attaches from sending countries 
 
KUWAIT 00001134  002 OF 002 
 
 
Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. The 
problem of exploitative and fraudulent recruitment practices 
by labor agents in source countries and the Kuwaiti 
government's de facto policy of deporting runaway migrant 
workers were common themes in these meetings. 
 
¶6. (U) In an interview with local AP reporter Diana Elias, 
Ambassador CdeBaca discussed the enormity of the trafficking 
problem in Kuwait and his optimism that the GOK was taking 
steps in the right direction.  The following day, the local 
dailies ran favorable accounts of his visit. 
 
¶7. (U) Comment:  Ambassador CdeBaca's visit coincided with 
the Kuwaiti parliament's growing debate over trafficking and 
labor issues, particularly the new draft labor law (REF F; 
SEPTEL).  Awareness of the challenges facing expatriate 
laborers appears to be growing -- helped by the many 
forward-leaning public comments of the MOSAL Minister (REF 
G).  Many of the key anti-TIP actors with whom Ambassador 
CdeBaca met are determined to improve Kuwait's record in 
these areas and were encouraged by his discussion of common 
challenges and his offer to identify additional areas of 
cooperation and support. 
 
¶8. (U) This cable was cleared by G/TIP staff. 
 
********************************************* ********* 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it 
********************************************* ********* 
WILLIAMS