UAE: Progress on Human Rights

by Andre

In August of 2007, I was fortunate enough to visit Dubai while its construction boom was still in full swing. I remember sitting on the top level of the big-red tour bus in sweltering sauna like temperatures while listening to the crackling English coming from the discount variety headphones provided for the tour.

I remember wondering if the city would see its glorious completion or if it will instead become a ghost-city; a blistering reminder of the folly’s of reaching for the for sun too soon. As we drove around the city I was told to look at the rail system, amusement parks, desalination plant, downtown cores and any of the several mega projects. All of which were under construction.

I also remember being told about the supposed issues regarding human right violations that had to do with the migrant work force. At the time, beyond registering the words, I thought nothing of it and continued with my tour.

Fast forward a few years…

It appears as if the world economy really is bringing the city to a halt. As of a few days ago, reports are coming out that up to 52.8 percent of projects ($582 billion worth) are going on hold or being cancelled outright in 2009 because to the global crisis.

Consequently, I began thinking of human rights violations mentioned on my bus ride.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, the United Arab Emirates received a fairly large black eye in the human rights department when an HBO report revealed the child camel jockey abuses taking place.

To summarize, children from poorer parts of the world were sold as camel jockeys, fed practically nothing to remain small, lived in miserable cage-like environments and suffered physical and mental abuses by the hands of their captors.

Further along, migrant workers (making up an astounding 90% of the country’s workforce) had their passports  illegally taken from them so to prevent them the option of changing jobs, lived in tight living quarters (typically eight to a room), reported salary’s being withheld completely for months at a time and so on.

Lastly, the trafficking of sex workers became a strong industry thanks in part to the growing tourist industry in the area.

So I was a little surprised when I found out that the UAE had donated $15 million to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).

So I was a little surprised when I found out that the UAE had donated $15 million to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). This was no small donation as evidenced by the overview released early last year.

“Formally launched in March 2007 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and made possible by a generous grant from the United Arab Emirates, UN.GIFT is a call to action, reminding Governments, civil society actors, and the media, the business community and concerned indivuduals of their common commitments to fight trafficking in persons, and that this battle can not be fought, or won, alone.”

Initially this all seemed a bit like a way for the UAE to buy themselves out of the international dog house. But after doing a bit of snooping around, it appears the policy makers in the UAE are serious about reforming their human rights image. 

Scanning through their 2007 Annual Report on Combating Human Trafficking I found nearly all of the UN recommendations on migrant worker reform.

Some direct quotes from the report below:

“The UAE is fully cooperating with all appropriate international and regional law enforcement officials to apprehend and punish anyone who violates the UAE’s human trafficking laws. This cooperation also extends to ensuring the swift prosecution of human traffickers who may attempt to use the UAE as a conduit to violate the anti-trafficking laws of other countries”

“In parallel to the UAE’s tough stand on anyone convicted of trafficking, the UAE is deeply concerned about the victims of this crime and their physical and emotional well-being. We are committed to the development of ongoing nationwide social support programs that protect and care for these victims, humanely, promptly, and justly. Identified victims are also being provided all possible financial and human resources to support, strengthen, and expand initiatives that seek to help them at every level. “

They have further broken down their route of action with what they call the Four-Pillar Action plan which include legislation, enforcement, victim support, bilateral agreements and international partnerships.

Strict laws regarding violation can be found in Federal Law 51 of November 2006 which states: “The 16-article law spells stiff penalties against traffickers ranging from one year to life in prison and fines of 100,000 dirhams and one million dirhams (US$ 27,500 and US$ 275,000).

Other checks and balances include:

• Salary to be paid out electronically so to prevent cash payment of salaries. This is supposed to ensure timely payment of funds while giving government access for monitoring purposes.
• Working and living condition improvements such as the prohibition of work in open labor sites during the midday summer hours.
• Company fines of up to US$8,000 and the banning for any addition contracts for three months for any violation.
• A new unified contract valid for two years (employment security), 
• Copies of the contract provided in both English and Arabic to the two parties plus the government (transparency)
• A month’s paid leave in two years and medical aid provision
• In case of death of the domestic worker, employer is responsible.
• Special labor courts for speedy resolution of cases.
• Direct government involvement in negotiations to increase salaries of workers in some sectors.

The list goes on and I recommend giving it a look.

These guarantees are something that migrant workers in my home country of Canada are not even close to getting. This complete 180 turnaround in policy as far as the UAE is concerned is very welcome considering the worsening of policy toward human trafficking in much of the world but there remain many questions that only time can answer.

As with everything else (as mentioned in a recent article on slavery and government), it is difficult to tell how many of these rules will be enforced and to what degree. As one considers the economic crisis we’re in today, it’s possible that sudden financial constraints will prohibit these policy changes from ever taking shape.

As it stands however, it appears the UAE is doing everything in their power to rid their country of the blemish of human trafficking and other violations that have been plaguing them in recent years. 

Tick tock.