UN THIRD COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS - AUSTRIA SHARES

UNCLAS VIENNA 003703

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/AGS (VIKMANIS KELLER)

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PHUM PREL AU UNHRC
SUBJECT: UN THIRD COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS - AUSTRIA SHARES

U.S. VIEWS

REF: STATE 204646


1. On 14 November, EconPolOff met with Bert Theuermann,

Director for Human Rights in the Foreign Ministry, and Eva

Schoefer from the same department. According to Theuermann,

Austria plans to vote with the U.S. in favor of the UN Third

Committee resolutions on Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea,

Uzbekistan, and Burma. It will also vote in favor of the

US-sponsored thematic resolutions. More specifically:

-- IRAN. Theuermann said the EU is co-sponsoring the

resolution and Austria, as a result, will vote in favor of

the measure.

-- TURKMENISTAN. Austria and the EU, Theuermann said, have

very good cooperation with the U.S. and appreciate

Washington's leadership on Turkmenistan. Austria plans to

vote for the resolution and to lobby against a 'no action'

vote. The EU, he said, co-tabled the resolution.

-- UZBEKISTAN. Austria plans to vote in favor of the

resolution on Uzbekistan. However, Theuermann expressed

concern about the current state of negotiations between the

U.S. and the EU. The U.S. and EU, he said, differ on whether

the text should concentrate mainly on the recent events in

Andijan or address a wider array of human rights offenses in

Uzbekistan, as the EU prefers. "Now is the time to move

forward" and "time is running out," Theuermann said. He

urged the U.S. to co-sponsor the resolution to ensure it

receives maximum credibility and support.

-- NORTH KOREA. Theuermann said Austria plans to vote in

favor of this resolution, which the EU introduced. The EU,

he said, fully shares the concerns of the U.S.

-- BURMA. The situation on the ground in Burma is

deteriorating rather than improving, Theuermann said. As a

result, Theuermann expected the resolution on Burma to be

adopted without moving to a full vote. If it comes to a

vote, he said, Austria will vote in favor of the resolution.

-- U.S. THEMATIC RESOLUTIONS. Austria, as in past years, is

a co-sponsor of the resolution supporting the UN elections

monitoring body. Austria will vote in favor of this

resolution, as well as the U.S.-sponsored resolution on the

impact of corruption on human rights. Theuermann noted that

the fight against corruption will be an important theme of

the upcoming Austrian EU Presidency.


2. SUDAN. Theuermann raised the issue of the Third

Committee Resolution on Sudan. He said the EU hopes the U.S.

will co-sponsor the resolution along with the EU. U.S.

support of the resolution will be critical, he said, in

minimizing 'no action' threats against the measure.


3. OTHER AUSTRIAN RESOLUTIONS. Austria is sponsoring two

resolutions, which he hoped the U.S. would fully support and

co-sponsor, Theuermann said. The first is an update of a

previous UN resolution that recognizes and calls for

improving the rights of minorities. This would help improve

the security situation in a number of countries, Theuermann

said. The second resolution involves safeguarding human

rights and improving the international juvenile justice

system. The U.S. and EU delegations in New York, according

to Theuermann, are in close contact on this issue.

VAN VOORST