BELGIUM: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - CANDIDACY OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001521 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2016 TAGS: KUNR PHUM UNHRC PREL BE SUBJECT: BELGIUM: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - CANDIDACY OF IRAN REF: STATE 072724 Classified By: POLCOUNS TED ANDREWS. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). (C) In response to reftel, Belgian MFA advisers told us Belgium will not support Iran's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council. Bruno Van Der Pluijm, Cabinet Adviser for UN Human Rights issues, called it a "very simple and plain issue" for Belgium not to support Iran's candidacy nor the candidacy of human rights abusers. He said the Belgian mission in New York also had instructions to "under no circumstances join an emerging majority if one surfaces on Iran's candidacy." IMBRIE .