JUNE 15 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001468

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y //CORRECTED SUBJECT LINE TO READ JUNE 15//

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/RHS, DRL/MLA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2010
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: JUNE 15 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS

REF: A. GENEVA 1456 B. GENEVA 1428

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Classified By: Political Counselor Velia De Pirro. For Reason: E.O. 12
958, 1.4 (b).

Summary
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1. (C) President-designate de Alba circulated a revised
agenda for first session of the Human Rights Council (HRC)
during June 15 informal consultations. Delegates complained
of a lack of transparency regarding the agenda item "pressing
human rights issues" and demanded to see a precise list of
issues. OIC countries again pressed for the occupied
Palestinian territories included in this list, as well as
religious tolerance. Mexico proposed discussion of migrant
issues. De Alba appealed for restraint in the number of
issues to be raised. The EU is considering a thematic issue,
such as human rights defenders, rather than a country
situation to avoid giving the appearance of retaliating
against the OIC. Austrian PermRep Petristch asked for U.S.
views on such an approach. Japan is considering raising
North Korea. The inter-active dialogue with the High
Commissioner will now be based on her statement during the
June 19 opening session rather than her annual report, which
makes it more likely that U.S. detainee policy will be
raised. China, Cuba, and Russia said that each mandate
should be reviewed individually at this time instead of
automatically extended. There was agreement that the agenda
for the first session not set a precedent for future
sessions. Procedural issues such as speaking times and the
deadline for tabling resolutions were also discussed. Action
request in para 3. End Summary.

Revised Agenda: "Pressing Issues" Continues to Raise Questions
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2. (U) HRC President-designate de Alba circulated a revised
agenda for the first session of the Council. Key changes
from the June 13 agenda (ref A) include advancing the
"pressing issues" session to the morning of June 26. While
Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) delegations focused
on the Occupied Palestinian Territories as the issue for
discussion, they demanded that other Member States inform the
Council about the issues they intend to raise. OIC members
also intend to raise the issue of religious intolerance.
China, Cuba and Russia strongly supported the OIC's call for
transparency and specificity on the list of issues. De Alba
agreed with the need for transparency and asked for restraint
in the number of issues proposed, but noted that it was up to
Member States to decide what to raise. Mexico proposed
including migrants issues in preparation for the September
meeting in New York.


3. (C) On the margins of the meeting Austrian PermRep
Wolfgang Petristch told Polcouns that the EU is considering
raising a thematic issue that would encompass more than one
country. The EU is specifically considering the issue of
human rights defenders. Petristch noted that including
country-specific situations in the list of issues for
discussion would appear as a retaliatory act against the OIC

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for raising Israel-Palestinian issues. He asked for USG
views on raising human defenders as a pressing issue. The
Japanese mission told poloffs that it has requested guidance
from Tokyo on whether to raise the human rights situation in
North Korea. Latin American and Western colleagues told
PolCouns that Cuba has not indicated an intention to raise
Guantanamo during this session. Action request: Mission
requests guidance on the EU's proposal to raise the rights of
human rights defenders as a pressing issue. The Department's
views on the possibility of Japan adding North Korea to the
list are also requested.

Inter-Active Dialogue with High Commissioner: Guantanamo?
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4. (SBU) The basis of discussion has changed for interactive
dialogue with High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise
Arbour scheduled for June 23. While she will present her
annual report, consideration of the report will be deferred
to the September session. The current proposal is for the
inter-active dialogue to take as point of departure her
statement during the June 19 opening session. Delegates
requested advance copies of the statement to prepare for the
interactive dialogue. We expect that this session will
provide the opening for Arbour, and others, to raise concerns
and opposition to U.S. detainee policy, particularly
Guantanamo.

Attempt Against Country Resolutions
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5. (U) In an obvious attempt to begin to eliminate
country-specific mandates, China, Cuba, and Russia said that
each mandate should be reviewed individually at this time
instead automatically extended. Other delegations noted that
the resolution creating the Council charged it with reviewing
all mandates, functions and mechanisms within its first year.
This required that the Council extend all of them, without
exception, for one year.

Procedural Issues
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6. (U) In response to questions, de Alba said resolutions
would have to be tabled by June 27 with voting taking place
June 29-30. Speaking times will be five minutes for Council
members, three minutes for observers, and 15 minutes at the
end of each segment for NGO's. De Alba asked the secretariat
to open the speakers' lists for all sessions on Monday, June

19. He proposed that the lists would close 15 minutes after
debate on a given item has started. Mission will inscribe
the U.S. for all sessions.
CASSEL