SPAIN ENCOURAGED BY US SUPPORT FOR WEOG ROTATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003080 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2014 TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ENCOURAGED BY US SUPPORT FOR WEOG ROTATION FOR CHR REF: STATE 172297 Classified By: Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Political Counselor, for reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel talking points and Secretary of State Colin Powell's letter regarding US support for Western European and Others Group (WEOG) rotation for the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) membership to Gonzalo Alvarez Garrido, Acting MFA Deputy Director General for UN Affairs, on August 11. Alvarez Garrido promised to pass on the letter immediately to the office of Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. He thought the US stance was a positive development, particularly the talking point that stated that the US has decided to cede a second year in proposed rotational schemes. He stated that Spain favors rotational schemes such as the scheme designed for the Economic and Social Council, because they allow commissions to spend more time working on serious issues. He added that he thought Germany and France were in favor of efforts by Canada and the Netherlands to find acceptable WEOG rotational schemes for the CHR, while Switzerland and possibly the United Kingdom were against the efforts. ¶2. (C) Additionally, Alvarez Garrido said that USG could expect a note verbale soon from the GOS concerning Spain's candidate for the International Court of Justice elections in ¶2005. MANZANARES