UNCLAS ACCRA 001547

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNCHR UNGA
SUBJECT: GHANA: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DEMARCHE

REF: SECSTATE 140191


1. On August 2, PolOff delivered ref A demarche on the
proposed Human Rights Council to MFA Supervising Director for
Legal, Multilateral and Passports Department Nana Bema Kumi.
Kumi reaffirmed the GOG's support for creating a Human Rights
Council and said she saw "nothing controversial" in the U.S.
government's position. She said the GOG had not formulated a
precise position yet on the Council's scope, membership or
size. Nor had the GOG had any substantive discussions on this
issue with any other missions except "in the greater context
of UN reforms."


2. With regard to the Council's scope, Kumi agreed with the
U.S. government's position that the Council must be strong
enough to confront serious human rights violations in
specific countries. Without such power, the Council would not
be a credible organization, she said. She also reaffirmed
that the GOG does not support universal membership and does
not want serious human rights violators permitted to serve on
the Council. She added that the GOG would like to reduce the
current number of seats, but she was uncertain whether the
range of 20 to 35 seats would be acceptable to the GOG. She
said she could not recall the formula underlying the
geographical distribution of the current seats. She said the
GOG would support reducing the Council's size if African
countries maintained adequate geographical representation on
the new body.

YATES