CHR 61: DUTCH REJECT POLITICAL MOTIVATION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001063

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015
TAGS: PHUM NL UNHRC EUN
SUBJECT: CHR 61: DUTCH REJECT POLITICAL MOTIVATION OF
CUBA'S RESOLUTION ON GUANTANAMO

REF: STATE 69823

Classified By: DCM Daniel R. Russel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

(C) 1. The Charge met Pieter de Gooijer (MFA, Director for
European Integration and incoming Deputy Political Director)
April 17 to discuss reftel points. While the Dutch could live
with the text of the resolution, de Gooijer said they were
working to move the EU toward rejecting it because it was
politically motivated and therefore "unacceptable."


2. (C) In a separate discussion the same day, Joris Geevens
(MFA, Human Rights office) told Poloff that the EU saw this
as a test case to take a stand against politically motivated
resolutions and was working toward a common position opposing
it. Some in the EU strongly opposed the resolution, he said.
The Dutch and others struggle to distinguish the substance,
which seems generally acceptable, from the procedural and
political aspects, which are not. He noted Dutch appreciation
for the USG's principled position not to pursue a no action
motion. He said the Dutch welcomed the USG's Member States
briefings on the detainee issue in Geneva and U.S.
willingness to work with the CHR mechanisms looking into
Guantanamo. Strategically, he suggested the Non-Alligned
Movement should be enlisted to convince Cuba that the
resolution is a bad idea. Further, he said the final EU
position "depended on the larger EU partners and their
positions."
SOBEL