EGYPT: FIRST SESSION OF NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003758

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UNGA EG

SUBJECT: EGYPT: FIRST SESSION OF NEW HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

REF: STATE 94561

Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) The Ambassador drew from reftel in separate meetings
June 11 with Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit and June 13 with
EGIS Chief Soliman, to stress the importance of Egyptian
cooperation on UN and other multilateral issues. (Both senior
officials have been urging us to advance a "strategic
dialogue." Soliman is traveling to the U.S. this weekend, in
part to set the stage for this.) In particular, the
Ambassador urged Aboul Gheit to use Egypt's influence to
improve the odds that the Council's inaugural session sets
positive precedents for the subsequent work of the
institution. Aboul Gheit acknowledged the importance of the
upcoming opening session of the new organization, and called
for maximum U.S. flexibility to assure the concerns of other
states are adequately addressed. The minister welcomed
additional discussions at the working level with the Embassy
to address U.S. positions in greater detail.


2. (C) Following up on the Ambassador's initial
representation, poloff met with MFA Human Rights Office
Director, Dr. Ihab Gamaledin, to discuss U.S. priorities for
the upcoming UNHRC session. After stressing our interest in
seeing the opening session address only procedural and
institutional matters, poloff detailed U.S. positions
regarding the agenda, establishment of working groups, and
the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples.


3. (C) Gamaledin welcomed the opportunity to hear USG
positions on the Council and its opening session, and
stressed that Egypt saw the inauguration and work of the new
Council as a "fresh start." Gamaledin stressed the
importance of allowing the widest possible participation in
defining the parameters of the new UN body. The importance
of regional groups, he said, must be recognized and acted
upon. Egypt, which may try to join the Council next year,
would pay special attention to improving the body's system of
special procedures, and would like to see the Sub-Commission
on Human Rights strengthened ("we do not support elimination
of the sub-commission"). Egypt, he said, would be looking
for something "qualitatively better" than the work of the
Council's predecessor. Nevertheless, during a brief
discussion on the U.S. desire to avoid country-specific
resolutions -- particularly relating to Israel -- at next
week's inaugural session, Gamaledin said Egypt ("within the
Arab Group") would pursue "traditional Arab issues" (read:
criticism of Israeli actions in the occupied territories).
RICCIARDONE