UNGASS - FOLLOWUP TO DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 002148 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2012 TAGS: PREL AORC VT UN SUBJECT: UNGASS - FOLLOWUP TO DEMARCHE REF: A) STATE 71201 B) VATICAN 1920 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON, REASON E.O. 12958 1.5 (B,D). ¶1. (C) AS PROMISED REF B, POLOFF FOLLOWED UP WITH VATICAN MFA UN DESK OFFICER MONS. DOMINIQUE MAMBERTI MAY 2, TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE VATICAN HAD CONTACTED LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES MENTIONED IN REF A INSTRUCTION. MAMBERTI HAD MET WITH AND PASSED A PRO MEMORIA WITH THE VATICAN'S POSITION ON UNGASS LANGUAGE, WHICH HE SAID IS LARGELY PARALLEL TO USG CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 02148 031530Z POSITION, TO CERTAIN LATIN AMERICAN EMBASSIES AT THE HOLY SEE. IN ADDITION, PAPAL NUNCIOS HAD TRACKED THE DEMARCHE WITH CERTAIN OTHERS. ¶2. (C) MAMBERTI SAID THAT THE VATICAN HAD NOT APPROACHED ALL OF THE COUNTRIES ON THE LIST, BUT RATHER HAD CONCENTRATED ON THOSE THAT ARCHBISHOP MARTINO, VATICAN PERMREP AT THE UN, BELIEVED WOULD BE MOST AMENABLE TO PRESSURE. THOSE COUNTRIES INCLUDED NICARAGUA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, COSTA RICA AND URUGUAY. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY IN WHICH CAPITALS NUNCIOS HAD TRACKED THE MESSAGE. MAMBERTI SAID THE VATICAN UNDERSTOOD THAT ALMOST ALL LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES HAD VERY STRONG ANTI-ABORTION LEGISLATION ON THE BOOKS, BUT THAT PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE WAS ANOTHER MATTER. HE HINTED THAT THE VATICAN'S DEMARCHES FOCUSED ON THIS STRONG LEGISLATION AND THE NEED TO AVOID COMMITTING STATES TO UN LANGUAGE THAT HAD THE FUTURE POTENTIAL TO UNDERMINE NATIONAL LEGISLATION. POST WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS ISSUE WITH OUR INTERLOCUTORS AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE UNGASS. NICHOLSON CONFIDENTIAL > 2002VATICA02148 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL