CHR-59 LIBYAN CHAIRMANSHIP: ITALIANS CONCERNED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005802 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR DRL/MA, IO/SHA, NEA/ENA AND EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2005 TAGS: PHUM LY IT UN SUBJECT: CHR-59 LIBYAN CHAIRMANSHIP: ITALIANS CONCERNED ABOUT PRECEDENT REF: A) STATE 244156 B) GENEVA 4483 CLASSIFIED BY: LABOR COUNSELOR JOHN BASS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 05802 021646Z ¶1. ITALY UNDERSTANDS U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT CHR-59'S EFFECTIVENESS UNDER A LIBYAN CHAIR, BUT IS CONCERNED THAT CONTESTING A REGIONAL GROUP'S CONSENSUS CHOICE FOR THE CHAIR WILL SET A BAD PRECEDENT FOR THE COMMISSION'S FUTURE OPERATION, MFA HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE DIRECTOR CALVETTA TOLD US DECEMBER 2. CALVETTA ARGUED THAT IT WAS "DANGEROUS" TO REVISIT THE CHAIRMANSHIP PROCEDURES IN MIDSTREAM; THE POTENTIAL BACKLASH AGAINST THE WESTERN GROUP'S CANDIDATE NEXT YEAR COULD UNDERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHR-60 IN 2004. HE WONDERED WHETHER THE U.S. AND OTHERS OPPOSED TO LIBYA'S CHAIRMANSHIP COULD PURSUE A "DECLARATION" AT THE JANUARY COMMISSION MEETING EXPRESSING THEIR DISPLEASURE WITHOUT FORCING A VOTE. ¶2. EU EXPERTS WOULD EXPLORE POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES AT THEIR DECEMBER 4 SESSION. CALVETTA REMINDED US OF ITALY'S EFFORTS ENCOURAGING LIBYA TO REJOIN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, POINTING TO PM BERLUSCONI'S "SUCCESSFUL" OCTOBER 28 VISIT TO TRIPOLI AS ANOTHER USEFUL WAYPOINT. NONETHELESS, ITALY WOULD NOT OPPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE UNDER WHICH THE AFRICAN GROUP WOULD RETAIN THE CHAIRMANSHIP FOR CHR-59. ¶3. LOOKING AHEAD, CALVETTA SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS THE BEST LONG-TERM SOLUTION WOULD BE TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR CHR CHAIRMANSHIP. FOR EXAMPLE, ANY STATE FOR WHICH A UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR HAD BEEN APPOINTED WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION BY ITS REGIONAL GROUP. ¶4. MFA LIBYA DESK OFFICER SEPARATELY AGREED THAT ITALY WANTED A WELL-RUN COMMISSION, BUT SUGGESTED THE CHAIRMANSHIP MIGHT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 05802 021646Z BE AN APPROPRIATE VEHICLE TO TEST LIBYA'S COMMITMENT TO FULL REINTEGRATION INTO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. ¶5. COMMENT: GIVEN ITS EMPHASIS ON ENGAGING LIBYA, ITS LONG-STANDING COMMERCIAL TIES AND PM BERLUSCONI'S RECENT VISIT TO TRIPOLI, ITALY WILL NOT LEAD EU EFFORTS TO BLOCK LIBYAN CHAIRMANSHIP -- BUT THEY WILL JOIN CONSENSUS. AFTER STEPPING ASIDE TO CLEAR ROOM FOR U.S. MEMBERSHIP IN CHR-59, THE MFA HAS SET ITS SIGHTS ON THE 2004 SESSION; IT CLEARLY IS CONCERNED ABOUT INTRA-GROUP FIREWORKS THAT COULD SINGE WESTERN GROUP CANDIDATES NEXT YEAR. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME05802 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL