INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Tip Legislation Forwarded to National

Published: Thu 26 Jul 2007 06:16 AM
VZCZCXRO2741
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHTO #0886 2070616
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260616Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7670
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP 0225
UNCLAS MAPUTO 000886
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR HTREGER
G/TIP FOR RYOUSEY
USAID FOR AFR/SA
MCC FOR SGAULL
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG ELAB KFRD MZ
SUBJECT: TIP LEGISLATION FORWARDED TO NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY
1. (SBU) On July 24, Mozambican Government (GRM)
representative Luis Covane announced that the
Council of Ministers approved draft legislation
on trafficking in persons. Covane said that the
GRM accelerated its action on this legislation to
respond to developments in Mozambique and the
Southern African region. The next step is for
the draft to be scheduled on the National
Assembly's agenda for debate and an eventual
vote. While our contacts in civil society
expressed universal satisfaction that the
legislation has finally arrived in the National
Assembly, they understand the remaining challenge
of getting National Assembly approval. It took
three years (2002-2005) to pass the Family Law.
2. (SBU) The government's announcement came only
one month after release of the Department's
annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
Numerous press articles summarized the contents
of the USG report, and some specifically noted
that the Mozambican government had not done
enough to prosecute traffickers. Post maintained
frequent contact with the Ministry of Justice,
including meetings with Justice Minister to urge
quick movement on the legislation.
3. (U) COMMENT: Executive approval of this
legislation was front-page news in Mozambique and
is an important well-publicized step to
demonstrate the GRMQs seriousness about combating
trafficking in persons in Mozambique. We believe
that both international and domestic lobbying
efforts converged to prompt the GRM to act. Post
will continue to engage the GRM and the National
Assembly to seek passage of the TIP legislation,
in conjunction with implementation of the
Department's TIP action plan for Mozambique.
CHAPMAN
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