NETHERLANDS/ISRAEL/UNGA: DUTCH FOLLOW EU LEAD

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002853 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR IO/UNP - RAYMOND HOTZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IS NL UNGA SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/ISRAEL/UNGA: DUTCH FOLLOW EU LEAD REF: A. SECSTATE 188933 ¶B. SECSTATE 188927 ¶1. (SBU) The Dutch are cosponsors of the Holocaust Remembrance Resolution and will follow the majority EU position by abstaining from voting on the renewal of the mandates of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (Committee),the Division for Palestinian Rights within the UN Secretariat (Division), and the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (Special Committee). Piet van der Vliet (Director, International Law Division, MFA),Mark Verschuur, and Marieke Tilleman (Deputy Directors, International Law Division, MFA) imparted this information to POLOFF in response to ref a and b points during a meeting on October 20. POLCOUNS separately delivered ref a and b points to Henriette van Lynden, Director of the MFA's Office of Middle East and North African Affairs on October 14. ¶2. (SBU) The Dutch feel little enthusiasm for the three UN bodies at issue in ref a, but do not wish to break ranks with the EU, Van der Vliet explained. Tilleman added that, during their term in the EU Presidency last year, the Dutch had considered attempting to build consensus within the EU to abolish all three bodies. Tilleman demurred when asked why the Dutch decided not to follow through with the idea. ¶3. (SBU) Van der Vliet and Tilleman noted that EU consensus on the mandates is not firm; they suspect Malta and Cyprus will again break with the majority to vote to renew the mandates for the Committee and the Division. A Dutch "no" vote under these circumstances would further divide the EU, an outcome that Van der Vliet found undesirable. Tilleman acknowledged that the new Palestinian Ambassador to the UN may "soften the edges" of the resolutions but doubted that any such revision would lead to a change in the Dutch position. ¶4. (SBU) POLOFF asked Dutch counterparts whether the decision by world leaders at the 2005 World Summit to review all UN mandates older than 5 years might contribute to a shift in Dutch, and EU, policy away from the three UN bodies at issue. Van der Vliet replied that, though he hopes the mandates of the three UN bodies are thoroughly scrutinized, the Dutch will not "politicize the issue" by aggressively advocating for such a review. BLAKEMAN