DEMARCHE FOR ATTENDEES OF NAM SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001639 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016 TAGS: PREL UNGA PTER PHUM CU SZ SUBJECT: DEMARCHE FOR ATTENDEES OF NAM SUMMIT REF: SECSTATE 145242 Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d 1.(SBU) Switzerland will send a delegation to observe the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Havana the week of September 11. Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) desk officer Stefano Vescovi told Poloff on September 4 that the Swiss delegation would be led by resident Swiss Ambassador Bertrand Louis and would include Swiss Mission to the UN (New York) DCM Andreas Baum and Swiss DFA Human Rights Chief Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart. 2.(C) Vescovi said that the Swiss would not seek bilateral meetings with Cuban officials. Swiss officials would instead observe the proceedings and take note of Cuba's political reaction to potential protests by dissidents. The meeting was also an opportunity to lobby various NAM states to "correct deviances" in how the UN Human Rights Council was functioning, according to Vescovi. The Swiss delegation would urge NAM states, particularly GRULAC (Latin American) members, not to continue enabling Arab League abuse of the HRC. 3.(C) On the UN Security Council vote, Vescovi reaffirmed that Switzerland supported Guatemala over Venezuela. URBAN