MORATINOS AGREES WITH US POSITION FOR WEOG

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003232

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2014
TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL SP
SUBJECT: MORATINOS AGREES WITH US POSITION FOR WEOG
ROTATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

REF: A. REF A: STATE 172297

B. REF B: MADRID 03080

Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos
agrees with US efforts to reach a rotation agreement within
WEOG to occupy the posts assigned in the Human Rights
Commission. Poloff received the text of Moratinos' response
to Secretary of State Colin Powell's August 11 letter (Ref A)
from Gonzalo Alvarez Garrido, Acting MFA Deputy Director
General for UN Affairs, on August 26.


2. (SBU) Begin Text of Letter.


3. (SBU) Dear Rt. Hon. Colin Powell, Secretary of State,
United States of America.


4. (SBU) Thank you for your letter of August 11; I have
made note of your request to continue working on the rotation
agreement in the WEOG in relation to the Human Rights
Commission, which we will consider with the greatest
interest. I hope that this is another of the many United
Nations fields in which Spain can work efficiently with the
United States.


5. (SBU) I agree with you on the need to reach a rotation
agreement within the WEOG, to occupy the posts assigned in
the Human Rights Commission. As you point out in your
letter, this agreement would allow WEOG members to
concentrate better on the defense and promotion of Human
Rights and Democracy in the HRC. Like you, I think the work
done by Canada and Holland provides a point of departure for
negotiation which we also wish to foment, to reach an
understanding which is satisfactory to all. In this sense, I
am grateful for the United States' willingness to cede
another year in the arrangement under the plan proposed by
Canada and Holland.


6. (SBU) In previous negotiations, Spain already expressed
its concern about the number of years assigned particularly
when, in the past, this country was clearly underrepresented
in the HRC. To reach a satisfactory agreement, all of us,
large and less large, will have to act flexibly, making
sacrifices in order to come to compromise solutions.


7. (SBU) Spain, certainly along with the other members of
the European Union, is absolutely willing to work and
coordinate on this matter with the United States in New York,
and with all WEOG partners, on the basis of the reflections
so far produced by Canada and the Netherlands.


8. (SBU) I have given instructions to our Mission in New
York to continue in contact with your representative--which I
understand has already happened in this matter--and with
other WEOG members, to reach an agreement as soon as possible.


9. (SBU) Sincerely, Miguel Angel Moratinos.


10. (SBU) End Text of Letter.


11. (C) Comment: Spain has favored WEOG rotation reform
for the HRC in the past, although they had problems with the
years allocated to Spain in the membership matrix proposed by
Canada and the Netherlands. For example, the proposed matrix
allocated Spain 11 years of membership in a 20-year cycle,
while Canada, a country with 10 million fewer people than
Spain, was allocated 14 years of membership during the
20-year cycle. The GOS's willingness to show flexibility and
make sacrifices to achieve a compromise in a timely fashion
is an encouraging development.

MANZANARES