MEETING WITH COLOMBIAN VICE PRESIDENT FRANCISCO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 002372

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2015
TAGS: PHUM PREF CO UNHRC
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH COLOMBIAN VICE PRESIDENT FRANCISCO
SANTOS

Classified By: Political Counselor Velia De Pirro. For reasons 1.4 (b)
(d)

Summary
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1. (C) Colombia VP Santos shared September 23 with
Ambassador Moley his concerns about the growing UN presence
in Colombia and his hopes for drastic changes in the mandate
of the OHCHR field office there. Santos stressed the need
for cooperation but not interference from the UN agencies.
He noted his intention to propose to High Commissioner for
Human Rights Louise Arbour that OHCHR,s field office in
Colombia focus on capacity building with the goal of
departing the country as soon as the government and local
institutions can carry out the work on their own. Santos
expressed support for general criteria for membership in the
new Human Rights Council, but said Colombia could not support
criteria that would exclude it from the Council or would
permit NGO membership. End summary.

Santos to Propose Drastic Changes in OHCHR Colombia Mandate
Proposed
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2. (C) Vice President Santos, accompanied by Colombian UN
Permanent Representative in Geneva Clemencia Forero, called
on Ambassador Moley September 23. Santos was in Switzerland
to meet with High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise
Arbour, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, and EU
Troika ambassadors. Santos, admitting this was just being
worked out, said he planned to propose to Arbour dramatic
changes in OHCHR,s mandate for Colombia when it is
re-negotiated before its October 2006 expiration. Santos
complained that UN agencies in Colombia focused more on
perpetuating their presence there than in Colombian
institution building. Ambassador Forero charged that UN
agencies in Colombia are fighting among themselves to secure
funding for increased operations.


3. (C) Santos said the new mandate for OHCHR,s field
office in Colombia needs to center on cooperation, especially
capacity building, with Colombia rather than
&intervention.8 Santos stressed that UN agencies should
leave once their objectives are met or as soon as the host
government/institutions are capable of carrying them out. He
argued that OHCHR and other UN agencies highlight the
negative in Colombia while disregarding progress, as a means
of justifying their continued presence in the country.
Santos said that he planned to brief Ambassador Wood and
other missions in Bogota next week. He stressed that U.S.
backing for the proposal was essential and asked for our
support in discussions with Arbour. The Ambassador noted
U.S. support for Colombian efforts in general. He noted that
he had mentioned to High Commissioner Arbour the need to
avoid penalizing nations that cooperate with OHCHR and to
support their efforts to make improvements. The Ambassador
encouraged Santos to speak frankly with High Commissioner
Arbour about his concerns and plans.

Human Rights Council Concerns
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4. (C) Turning to the upcoming discussions in New York on
the creation of a Human Rights Council (HRC),Santos
expressed concern over proposals he said had support from
many EU and GRULAC members, including Mexico, to exclude
countries with &any8 human rights problems from membership.
He feared that such a blanket exclusion would prevent
nations such as Colombia, solid democracies facing problems,
from membership. Santos noted that this proposal also
included having OHCHR as a member of the Council as well as
NGO,s. He warned that if agreement is reached on these
terms, Colombia would not support the Council. Santos
endorsed the idea of basic, general criteria being
established for inclusion in the Council ) established
democratic government, elections, protection of minorities or
similar standards. The Ambassador noted that U.S. interests
centered on a smaller, effective Council that excluded human
rights violators such as Burma and Cuba.

Distrust of Swiss Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey
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5. (C) Noting he was traveling later in the day to Bern
with Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey, Santos said he did not
expect much to come from the meeting. Ambassador Forero
noted Colombian concern with ties some of Calmy-Rey's
advisors had with the FARC. She and Santos speculated that
Calmy-Rey,s interest in Colombia,s peace process was
probably due to her interest in finding a role for herself in
this high profile issue.

Moley