UNGA 59/HUMAN RIGHTS/NL: PUSH NEEDED ON PROPOSED

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002316

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2014
TAGS: PHUM AORC PREL NL
SUBJECT: UNGA 59/HUMAN RIGHTS/NL: PUSH NEEDED ON PROPOSED
THIRD COMMITTEE PACKAGE

REF: O'HARA/TRAUB/DRL/IO/USUN EMAIL OF 9/10

Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).


1. (C) Poloff spoke September 14 with Wouter Plomp, in the
HR department of the Dutch MFA, regarding the proposed
package of agreed Third Committee language (ref e-mail)
provided to the Dutch several weeks ago. Plomp said that the
Dutch are "still working on it internally," but could not
indicate when an EU analysis of the package would be
complete, or whether the US and EU could finalize
negotiations on the package in time to make it useful in New
York.


2. (C) Plomp was surprisingly prickly at first when Poloff
suggested that the US and EU meet well before October 25 to
agree on the package, which is intended to facilitate more
efficient negotiations on Third Committee resolutions at the
UNGA. He reacted more positively, however, when reminded
that negotiators at the working level would start analysis
and lay out negotiation strategies based on what is actually
printed in the published drafts of resolutions placed before
them. For example, according to the draft agenda,
resolutions on Item 113 (Children) are due to be tabled no
later than October 21. Poloff noted that any deals on Item
113 resolutions, therefore, must be concluded before October
21; once the resolutions are tabled, reaching US-EU
agreements would be complicated by consultations with the
G-77, which has its own slow internal consultation process.
Plomp seemed to take on board US concerns about timing, and
agreed to "take the idea further internally."

COMMENT
--------------


3. (C) The Dutch understand our interest in reaching quick
agreement on the package, but as EU president have a very
full agenda. Keeping the Dutch focused on organizing timely
discussions of the HR language package will most likely
require a coordinated, multi-level effort here and in New
York stressing that this is a USG priority.
SOBEL