DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CONCERN OVER MEXICO HUMAN

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000462 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: JM PHUM CU MX CHR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CONCERN OVER MEXICO HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE REF: SECSTATE 22969 ¶1. (SBU) On February 16, Poloff called Sheila Sealy-Monteith, Director, International Organizations Department (IOD),Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT),to deliver reftel talking points. Sealy-Monteith accepted the information and then responded at lenghth. First, she asked directly what the U.S. position on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was. She questioned whether the United States was really happy with the operation of the commission, which she is aware has been criticized more than once recently, including last year in the Third Committee. She pointed out that the UNCHR is a body of limited representation, of which Jamaica has not been a member. She added that the GOJ does, however, maintain a general interest in the commission, especially insofar as its decisions are discussed in the General Assembly, and in particular during the 2003 visit to Jamaica of the UNHCR's Special Rapporteur. ¶2. (SBU) With respect to Cuba, Sealy-Monteith questioned whether country-specific resolutions are balanced, adding that there seems to be a bias in the commission, since "we spend year after year looking at the same countries," while "other countries are not held culpable." TIGHE