BAHRAIN: GAINING SUPPORT FOR USG PROPOSAL ON UN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001161 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2015 TAGS: PHUM PREL BA UNCHR UNGA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: GAINING SUPPORT FOR USG PROPOSAL ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 140192 Classified by Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Pol/Econ chief August 9 delivered reftel demarche concerning gaining support for the U.S. proposal on creating a new UN Human Rights Council to MFA Director for International Organization Affairs Ghassan Shaikho. Shaikho, who often expresses his "personal" support for U.S. initiatives in the UN and pledges to work within the Bahraini system to gain official support, was reserved in his comments on the U.S. proposal. He agreed that the Human Rights Council idea is the type of reform measure UN members states should be working on now rather than focusing so heavily on UNSC reform. He welcomed the points on limiting "name and shame" resolutions, requiring a two-thirds majority vote in the UNGA for election to the Council, and applying the broad view of human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He said the aim of the Council should be to "create an international environment conducive to ameliorating human rights situations." ¶2. (C) When asked directly for Bahrain's support for the U.S. proposal, Shaikho noted there were three proposed models for the composition of the Council (large, medium, and small number of members) and Bahrain had not yet taken a position on which model to endorse. He praised Swiss-led consultations on the proposed Council and said these consultations should continue. ZIADEH