CHR-60: ITALY STRONGLY SUPPORTS U.S. OBJECTIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000987

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

DEPT. FOR DRL/MLA AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2014
TAGS: PHUM AORC IT UNCHR HUMAN RIGHTS
SUBJECT: CHR-60: ITALY STRONGLY SUPPORTS U.S. OBJECTIVES

REF: A) STATE 41252 B) ROME 307

CLASSIFIED BY: LABOR COUNS. JOHN BASS, REASONS 1/5 (B) AND (D)


1. (SBU) ITALY STRONGLY SUPPORTS AND SHARES BROADLY U.S,
OBJECTIVES FOR CHR-60, MFA HUMAN RIGHTS DIRECTOR GIUSEPPE
CALVETTA REITERATED TO US MARCH 11. THE U.S. DEL TO THIS
YEAR'S SESSION OF THE COMMISSION WOULD SEE STRONG AGREEMENT
AND SUPPORT FROM ITS ITALIAN COUNTERPART, HE PREDICTED.


2. (C) ITALY WOULD BE ESPECIALLY SUPPORTIVE OF U.S. EFFORTS
ON ANTI-SEMITISM, BUT THERE WAS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF A COMMON
EU POSITION ON THE MATTER, CALVETTA OBSERVED. "YOU NEED TO
WORK HARDER ON YOUR BRITISH FRIENDS," HE ASSERTED, CITING HMG
AS THE MAIN OBSTACLE TO EU SUPPORT FOR A STRONG STATEMENT, OR
COMPONENT TO A RESOLUTION, ON ANTI-SEMITISM. (NOTE: THE MFA
ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 17 THAT IT WOULD HOST AN INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON ANIT-SEMITISM, CO-HOSTED BY THE ANTI-DEFAMATION
LEAGUE, IN EARLY JUNE. ADL NATIONAL DIRECTOR ABE FOXMAN TOLD
THE AMBASSADOR THE ADL WANTED TO DO A JOINT EVENT WITH THE
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS STRONG CONDEMNATIONS OF
ANTI-SEMITISM IN RECENT MONTHS AND ITS STEADFAST SUPPORT
WITHIN THE EU FOR THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT. END NOTE)


3. (SBU) CALVETTA UNDERSCORED ITALY'S COMMITMENT TO PRODUCING
A MORE EFFECTIVE, CREDIBLE SLATE OF RESULTS FROM THIS YEAR'S
COMMISSION. FM FRATTINI HAD DRIVEN MFA PLANNING TO REALIZE
MORE EFFECTIVE, CONCRETE RESULTS FROM THE "DEMOCRACY CAUCUS"
OF COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACY MEMBERS (SEE SEPTEL READOUT OF U/S
DOBRIANSKY'S MARCH 4 DISCUSSION OF CD WITH FRATTINI). MFA
U/S BONIVER, A LONGSTANDING CRITIC OF CHR INEFFECTIVENESS,
AGAIN WOULD HEAD ITALY'S CHR DELEGATION.


4. (C) CALVETTA ALSO INQUIRED WHETHER THE U.S. HAD REACHED A
DECISION TO RUN A CHINA RESOLUTION (NOTE: BOTH BONIVER AND
CALVETTA PREVIOUSLY HAVE EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR A STRONGER CHR
RESPONSE TO CHINA'S POOR HR PERFORMANCE).
SEMBLER

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2004ROME00987 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL