TRIPARTITE DEMARCHE: SWITZERLAND ALIGNS WITH EU

UNCLAS BERN 001138

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL SZ
SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE DEMARCHE: SWITZERLAND ALIGNS WITH EU
AND GRULAC CONSENSUS

REF: SECSTATE 78740

1.(SBU) Switzerland plans to support the Draft Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in large measure due to the
support of Latin American (GRULAC) and EU member states for
the current text. Poloff joined visiting New Zealand DCM
Stephen Harris (based in Berlin) for a June 9 meeting with
Swiss DFA Human Rights Chief Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart and
his deputy Norbert Baerlocher. Harris and Poloff underscored
the U.S., New Zealand, and Australian concerns about the
shortcomings of the chairman's compromise text (ref a).
Reiterating our mutual interest in achieving a consensus
agreement on the rights of indigenous peoples, we urged the
Swiss to support further consultation on, and adaptation of,
the compromise text to meet concerns over the sovereignty
over resources, collective vs. individual rights, and
separatism. Harris suggested that a "friends of the chair"
group could be appointed to work out a solution.

2.(SBU) Bruelhart replied that Switzerland had been working
for 20 years toward the declaration, eleven of those years in
the working group. He said that the Swiss understood the
needs of certain countries, but denied that the current text
could be used to justify separatist movements. Baerlocher
agreed, noting that two of his previous posts -- Indonesia
and Mexico -- faced more worrisome separatist issues and
nonetheless supported the declaration. Key for Bruelhart was
that the GRULAC countries of Latin America were in support of
the declaration's text; this included the Mexican chair of
the Human Rights Council. He said that this fact had brought
the EU to consensus in support. Since they doubted an
international consensus was possible, the Swiss thought the
current compromise text was the best achievable.

3.(SBU) Bruelhart also disagreed with Poloff's assertion that
starting out the HRC on such a controversial issue was
necessarily negative. He reminded Poloff of the USG's
pressure on Switzerland to push through the Third Protocol on
the Geneva Conventions, adopting the new emblem,
notwithstanding substantial opposition. Taking on a tough
issue would reflect well on the HRC. Baerlocher said that he
only knew of four countries opposing the current text: the
United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Russia. He
conceded that some countries with potential misgivings might
be holding back in order to allow the HRC an initial success.

Comment
--------------

4.(SBU) New Zealand DCM Harris shared with Poloff that the NZ
Mission in New York had detected some weakening in Mexican
support for the current text. If, as Bruelhart suggested,
the EU consensus was built on GRULAC consensus, our
approaching Mexico and other Latin American capitals might be
the only means to changing the current text.
Urban