GOJ COMMENTS ON OAS RACISM WORKING GROUP

UNCLAS KINGSTON 001276 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM AORC JM USOAS SUBJECT: GOJ COMMENTS ON OAS RACISM WORKING GROUP REF: A. STATE 082983 ¶B. SIEBENGARTNER/NEIGHBOUR EMAIL 5/6/05 ¶C. KINGSTON 001250 ¶1. As reported in ref B, poloff on May 6 delivered ref A talking points by telephone and fax to Ann Scott, Deputy Director, Caribbean and Americas Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT). Scott welcomed the information and responded that she was not entirely familiar with the issue, which the MFAFT had only just begun to explore. She added that her department would begin consultations on the matter shortly, but that she believed the GOJ mission in Washington had already begun discussions on the topic. ¶2. In a previously scheduled meeting on May 6, Poloff also raised the issue with Angella Brown, Deputy Director, International Organizations Department, MFAFT. Applying the same argument she used to defend UNCHR discussions in Geneva (Ref C),Brown responded more substantively, offering that regional bodies have their own agendas for good reasons. In the case of racism, she said that the issue is especially relevant to the western hemisphere. She added that, generally, it doesn't hurt to hold discussions of issues at the regional level, since that usually helps to make subsequent discussions in global fora more productive. TIGHE