UNCHR 61: SPANISH VIEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001073 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2015 TAGS: PHUM PREL SP UNHRC SUBJECT: UNCHR 61: SPANISH VIEWS REF: A. STATE 42847 ¶B. MADRID 1030 Classified By: Political Officer Ricardo Zuniga for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered Reftel talking points to Susana Camara Angulo, MFA Deputy Director of Human Rights, on March ¶15. Camara Angulo said that generally the GOS agrees with positions presented in the talking points. She stated that even though Spain is no longer a voting member of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR),the GOS likes to take an active role in the EU on human rights issues. Spain concurs with U.S. positions on Belarus, North Korea, no-action motions, Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Spain takes note of U.S. comments concerning resolutions focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict, as they are carefully following the issues and recent Arab group proposals. One of Spain's top priorities is the passage of a resolution that reflects the seriousness of the human rights situation in Sudan. ¶2. (C) Poloff asked Camara Angulo if Spain's position on Cuba would be consistent with Spain's position last year at the annual session in Geneva. Camara Angulo said that Spain usually supports human rights resolutions regarding Cuba, but that it was too early to give a definitive response from the MFA on the USG's draft resolution. (NOTE: In a recent discussion with Charge, MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar said that he expects Spain to support the USG draft resolution, but it is unlikely that Spain would co-sponsor the USG-tabled resolution. When Charge asked Dezcallar whether Spain would help lobby in favor of the resolution in Latin America and the EU, Dezcallar was non-committal.)(Ref B) Camara Angulo said that the text of the resolution began circulating at the MFA on March 15 and that political considerations would probably be as important as human rights concerns in the GOS's final decision on the resolution. MANZANARES