ITALY WILL GET OUT THE VOTE IN ECOSOC ON CHR CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003672 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2007 TAGS: PHUM PREL CU IT HUMAN RIGHTS SUBJECT: ITALY WILL GET OUT THE VOTE IN ECOSOC ON CHR CUBA RESOLUTION REF: SECSTATE 139472 CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL P. THIEDE FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) ON JULY 23, IN SEPARATE MEETINGS AT THE MFA, POLOFF PRESENTED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO NICOLO' GORETTI DE FLAMINI AND EMANUELE PIGNATELLI, RESPECTIVELY OFFICE DIRECTORS FOR CENTRAL AMERICA AND FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. PIGNATELLI CONFIRMED THE GOI'S INTENTION TO VOTE FOR THE RESOLUTION AGAIN AND TO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 03672 251141Z LOBBY OTHERS TO SUPPORT IT AS WELL. THE GOI'S LEADERSHIP WOULD BE IMPORTANT, PIGNATELLI IMPLIED, SINCE IT WAS REPRESENTING THE EU PRESIDENCY DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF DENMARK FROM ECOSOC. ¶2. (C) PIGNATELLI CONTINUED THAT THE GOI PREFERED "RECIPROCAL ENCOURAGEMENT" OF, NOT CONFRONTATION WITH, STATES WITH GOVERNANCE SHORTCOMINGS. THE GOC HAD "MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS BUT NEEDS TO GO FURTHER." PIGNATELLI CITED BETTER CONDITIONS OF DETENTION AS AN EXAMPLE. (HOWEVER, GORETTI AGREED WITH THE DEMARCHE THAT THE NUMBER OF POLITICAL PRISONERS HAS INCREASED AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAS DETERIORATED.) ¶3. (C) PIGNATELLI EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT PROCEDURAL ISSUES AT ECOSOC. HE ASKED WHETHER THE USG WOULD CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE SEPARATE RESOLUTION ON RACISM. HE HOPED THAT WE WOULD DO SO, STATING THAT THE GOI WAS AS CONCERNED BY THE RACISM RESOLUTION AS THE USG WAS BY THE CUBA ONE. ASKED WHY THE GOI PREFERRED THAT WE TAKE THE LEAD ON THE RACISM RESOLUTION, PIGNATELLI ASSERTED THAT WE HAD CALLED FOR THE VOTE IN THE UNCHR, SO IT WAS ONLY LOGICAL THAT WE SHOULD DO SO AGAIN. HE ALSO ASKED WHETHER THE USG WOULD CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE CUBA RESOLUTION, IF FOR ANY REASON PERU DID NOT DO SO. POLOFF REPLIED THAT SHE HAD NO INFORMATION ON THIS BUT UNDERSCORED THAT THE USG WAS FULLY COMMITTED TO THE PASSAGE OF THE CUBA RESOLUTION. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME03672 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL