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 NNNN 2004ROME00987 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL