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Viewing cable 10DAMASCUS123, SYRIA - FORCED LABOR AND CHILD LABOR

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10DAMASCUS123 2010-02-12 14:53 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0123 0431453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121453Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7343
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, DRL/ILCSR FOR SARAH MORGAN, G/TIP 
FOR LUIS CDEBACA 
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR/ILAB FOR LEYLA STROTKAMP, RACHEL RIGBY, 
AND TINA MCCARTER. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI SY
SUBJECT: SYRIA - FORCED LABOR AND CHILD LABOR 
 
REF: 09 STATE 131995 
 
1. This cable provides information on child labor and forced 
labor in the Syrian Arab Republic per reftel. 
 
2. Contacts at local international NGOs and children's rights 
activists reported the Syrian Arab Republic Government (SARG) 
kept no official statistics on the prevalence of child labor 
in the country, nor was there evidence the SARG regularly 
monitored industries for evidence of child labor. 
Notwithstanding some allegations in blogs, these same 
contacts do not consider the use of forced or child labor in 
the production of goods to be an appreciable phenomenon in 
Syria and have no statistics suggesting that it is. Anecdotal 
evidence suggests that (1) most child labor occurs among 
intensely poor Syrians and Iraqi refugees who seek to support 
themselves and/or their families by working in the service 
sector or on small farms; and (2) most forced labor occurs in 
the exploitation of foreign domestics living with Syrian 
families. 
 
3. The Syrian Commission for Family Affairs continued working 
with relevant NGOs and SARG ministries on a comprehensive 
children's rights law during the reporting period. 
Additionally, in December 2009, the Ministry of Social 
Affairs and Labor agreed to cooperate with the International 
Labor Organization and UNICEF on a three-month national study 
of the worst forms of child labor in the country. 
HUNTER