Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BERN1223
2006-06-27 15:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bern
Cable title:
SWISS REPLY ON VENEZUELAN ANTI-NGO LAW
how-toVZCZCXRO2053 RR RUEHAG DE RUEHSW #1223 1781507 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 271507Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY BERN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2562 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0149 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2025
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001223
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV EAID VE SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS REPLY ON VENEZUELAN ANTI-NGO LAW
REF: SECSTATE 97547
Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001223
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV EAID VE SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS REPLY ON VENEZUELAN ANTI-NGO LAW
REF: SECSTATE 97547
Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d
1.(C) The Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shares
USG concerns about the draft Venezuelan law on NGOs. In
response to reftel, Swiss DFA desk officer Stefano Vescovi
told Poloff on June 27 that the Swiss Embassy in Caracas had
been working with the Norwegian, Canadian, and various EU
member embassies to raise the issue with Venezuelan MPs.
Swiss and EU concerns, he said, were not so much about the
"framework" of an NGO law, but rather the vagueness of the
wording, which would leave worrisome room for abuse by the
government as it fashioned the implementing regulations. The
law should not become an instrument of political control and
harassment. Vescovi said that the MPs with which his embassy
had spoken appeared to appreciate these concerns. Vescovi
thought it was constructive that a group of local NGOs and
the Catholic university were challenging only aspects of the
law, and not the law in its entirety, since an acceptable
compromise might be feasible.
Urban
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: KDEM PREL PGOV EAID VE SZ
SUBJECT: SWISS REPLY ON VENEZUELAN ANTI-NGO LAW
REF: SECSTATE 97547
Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d
1.(C) The Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shares
USG concerns about the draft Venezuelan law on NGOs. In
response to reftel, Swiss DFA desk officer Stefano Vescovi
told Poloff on June 27 that the Swiss Embassy in Caracas had
been working with the Norwegian, Canadian, and various EU
member embassies to raise the issue with Venezuelan MPs.
Swiss and EU concerns, he said, were not so much about the
"framework" of an NGO law, but rather the vagueness of the
wording, which would leave worrisome room for abuse by the
government as it fashioned the implementing regulations. The
law should not become an instrument of political control and
harassment. Vescovi said that the MPs with which his embassy
had spoken appeared to appreciate these concerns. Vescovi
thought it was constructive that a group of local NGOs and
the Catholic university were challenging only aspects of the
law, and not the law in its entirety, since an acceptable
compromise might be feasible.
Urban