GOI "STEAMROLLERED" INTO VOTING FOR UNCHR WORKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 003430 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/SHA - SMEHRA,S/UNR - JGERAN AND USUN FOR MZACK E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2015 TAGS: PHUM IN SUBJECT: GOI "STEAMROLLERED" INTO VOTING FOR UNCHR WORKING GROUP, WILL RECONSIDER THE ISSUE REF: STATE 82967 Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Responding to Reftel demarche, MEA Joint Secretary (UN Economic and Social) Manjeev Puri told PolCouns on May 5 that India was "steamrollered" into voting for the resolution to create a UNCHR Working Group to consider reform proposals. The resolution sponsors forced a vote on the last day, when the delegates wanted to finish all business and depart, and India went along. India would like to exercise a moderating influence on the debate, Puri said, noting that the GOI should be able to "take a better approach" when the issue arises in the ECOSOC "now that there is time" to consider it more fully. ¶2. (C) On May 6, MEA Deputy Secretary (UN Economic and Social) Gopal Baglay clarified to Poloff that the Indian delegation saw the text of the resolution only the day before the vote, and agreed that there was little consideration given to the Indian vote. ¶3. (U) We will need to remain engaged with New Delhi as this issue comes to a head again, but the GOI is now on notice regarding our views. BLAKE