HONDURAS GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. GOALS FOR

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002523 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP, IO/PPC, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN USUN FOR BLACKSHAW NSC FOR BANBURY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AORC PHUM ECON OTRA HO UNGA UN SUBJECT: HONDURAS GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. GOALS FOR 57TH UNGA; WILL SUPPORT WEDGWOOD HR COMMITTEE CANDIDACY REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 2517 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA 2516 ¶C. STATE 169228 ¶D. STATE 167230 AND PREVIOUS ¶E. FLECK/LANG E-MAIL AUGUST 6 ¶F. STATE 133355 ¶G. TEGUCIGALPA 2140 ¶H. TEGUCIGALPA 2116 ¶I. STATE 126082 ¶J. STATE 125639 ¶1. EmbOffs have demarched MFA officials several times in August/September on U.S. goals for the 57th UNGA and the GOH will be generally supportive. Post has the following comments about the GOH positions on key issues raised in ref F, in addition to those included in ref E e-mail: -- On counterterrorism cooperation, President Ricardo Maduro has been very supportive of the USG, and the GOH has worked closely with the Embassy on the issue of terrorist assets. Unfortunately the GOH has not provided a counterterrorism coordinator (ref I),nor has it taken any concrete steps since September 11 to become a party to the seven outstanding international conventions/protocols and two OAS conventions (1971 and 2002) against terrorism, except for signing the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the new OAS convention (ref J). The GOH has still not sent the UN its counterterrorism report in response to UNSCR 1373. -- On Middle East Peace, the GOH, which has diplomatic relations with both Israel and Egypt, is likely to seek a middle road on the issue. -- The GOH is very interested in the Millennium Challenge Account, a topic of discussion during WHA A/S Reich's August 28-29 trip to Honduras. -- On candidacies, the MFA informed the Embassy September 9 that the GOH would support the candidacy of Ruth Wedgwood to the UN Human Rights Committee (ref D). The GOH had previously informed the Embassy that it would support the candidacy of Susan McLurg to the ACABQ (see ref H). The GOH also has a candidate for the UN Human Rights Committee. ¶2. Post notes that contrary to ref G, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro will not attend UNGA. The GOH will be represented by Foreign Minister Guillermo Perez-Cadalso Arias, as detailed in refs A and B. PIERCE