SPANISH POSITION ON ROLLOVER OF UNSCR 1487

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001716

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2014
TAGS: PREL SP UNSC KICC
SUBJECT: SPANISH POSITION ON ROLLOVER OF UNSCR 1487

REF: STATE 98319

Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for Reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche to Inigo de Palacio, MFA
Director of UN Affairs, on May 7. De Palacio stated while no
decision had yet been made, Spain may abstain on the vote to
roll over UN Security Council Resolution 1487 this year. He
said that the change from voting in favor to abstaining on
the resolution springs from GOS concerns that the rollover of
the deferral of ICC investigations and prosecutions for UN
peacekeepers has become seen as an automatic and blanket
renewal, which the MFA believes may violate the Article 16
provisions of the ICC. De Palacio commented that even if
Spain abstains, he believed that the rollover of the
resolution would still garner enough yes votes to pass.
PolCouns stressed how important it would be to have Spain on
board on this issue and that the rollover vote should not be
a forum to re-argue our differences regarding the ICC. De
Palacio said that he would present our position to the MFA,
but that he did not expect a final decision to be made until
the following week.


2. (C) Regarding the timing of the UNSC vote, De Palacio
stated that Spain, regardless of its vote, would support the
USG in having the ICC resolution rollover voted on this month.
MANZANARES