ITALY: CHR CHINA CUBA RESOLUTIONS - G-77 MAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001190 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014 TAGS: PHUM PREL CH CU IT UNHRC SUBJECT: ITALY: CHR CHINA CUBA RESOLUTIONS - G-77 MAIN CHALLENGE REF: SECSTATE 62815 CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) AMBASSADOR SPOKE WITH MFA SECRETARY GENERAL UMBERTO VATTANI REGARDING REFTEL POINTS AND POL MC DELIVERED POINTS, RESOLUTION TEXT AND NON-PAPER TO MFA DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO AND MFA HUMAN RIGHTS DIRECTOR GIUSEPPE CALVETTA. VATTANI THANKED THE AMBASSADOR AND ASSURED HIM THAT ITALY WOULD STUDY THE CHINA AND CUBA RESOLUTIONS CAREFULLY AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SUPPORT. ¶2. (C) BISOGNIERO AGREED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO SUBSTANTIAL HUMAN RIGHTS IMPROVEMENTS IN CHINA DESPITE ONGOING DIALOGUE WITH THE EU AND THE US. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE EU PRESIDENCY WAS CIRCULATING A TEXT TO REAFFIRM THE EU'S 2002 CHR POSITION ON CHINA, WHICH STATES THAT THE EU WOULD NEITHER INTRODUCE NOR CO-SPONSOR A RESOLUTION, WOULD VOTE AGAINST A "NO ACTION" MOTION AND WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION IF IT COMES TO A VOTE. ALTHOUGH THIS POSITION HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY ADOPTED FOR THE 2004 CHR, BISOGNIERO BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR. ¶3. (C) BISOGNIERO AND CALVETTA AGREED WITH OUR CONCERNS REGARDING THE GENERAL HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CUBA AND EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SEEING THE RESOLUTION TEXT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BISOGNIERO PROMISED TO KEEP US UPDATED ON BOTH THESE ISSUES AS THEY EVOLVED. ¶4. (C) BISOGNIERO DESCRIBED THE MAIN CHALLENGE IN STOPPING A "NO ACTION" MOTION BY CHINA AND MOVING FORWARD ON THESE RESOLUTIONS AS A "STRUCTURAL CHR PROBLEM" EMBODIED BY THE G-77 COUNTRIES WHICH, DUE TO THEIR IMPRESSION THAT THE CHR IS AN ORGAN THROUGH WHICH THE WEST FORCES ITS VIEWS ON THE NON-ALIGNED STATES, REFLEXIVELY SUPPORT COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA AND CUBA AS A WAY TO SNUB THE WEST. ¶5. (C) FOLLOWING DEMARCHE TO BISOGNIERO, DCM SPOKE WITH MFA U/S FOR ASIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARGHERITA BONIVER, AND UNDERSCORED IMPORTANCE OF CUBA AND CHINA RESOLUTIONS TO USG. BONIVER ACKNOWLEDGED SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE ISSUES AND SAID HER OFFICE WOULD WORK WITH MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR TO TAKE US VIEWS INTO ACCOUNT. SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01190 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL