ABU DHABI UNABLE TO DELIVER UN HUMAN CLONING BAN

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004026 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UN UNGA TBIO KSCI PREL PHUM TC SUBJECT: ABU DHABI UNABLE TO DELIVER UN HUMAN CLONING BAN DEMARCHE REF: (A) ABU DHABI 4005 (B)STATE 238954 (C) 03 ABU DHABI 5174 (D) 03 ABU DHABI 4881 (E) 03 ABU DHABI 3127 ¶1. As reported in ref. A, due to the official mourning period after the death of late President Sheikh Zayed, and the week-long government holiday for the Eid Al Fitr, the UAEG is closed until November 20. The MFA is not receiving demarches or dip notes. It will not be possible for Post to deliver ref. B demarche before the Sixth Committee closes its meetings in New York on November 11. Due to the time sensitivity of the issue, post recommends that USUN coordinate with the UAE/UN PermRep directly. ¶2. The UAEG has consistently confirmed its support for the USG position on banning all forms of human cloning, as well as its support for the Costa Rican resolution (see reftels C, D and E). However, the UAEG has voted in favor of the Iranian delegation's deferral motion in the past, along with the rest of the OIC. Unless there is a break in the OIC consensus, Post has no reason to believe that the UAEG will change its position. The UAEG stated in November that, if there was a division within the OIC, it would consider abstaining, in coordination with the GCC. SISON