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