PAKISTANI PERMREP ON OIC TACTICS FOR HRC -- TIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 002251 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/RHS, DRL/MLDG, L/HRR E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2016 TAGS: PHUM UNHRC PK SUBJECT: PAKISTANI PERMREP ON OIC TACTICS FOR HRC -- TIT FOR TAT Classified By: PolCouns Velia M. De Pirro. For reasons: E.O. 12958 (b)( d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) In a meeting, at our request, Ambassador Tichenor delineated U.S. concerns regarding the Human Rights Council and urged Pakistani PermRep Masood Khan to take a more constructive approach to safeguard the Council's credibility. Khan, while appearing calm and reasonable, laid out an OIC strategy for the next Council session that reaffirmed the OIC's interest in keeping the focus on Israel and little else. On the up side, he did appear to accept the existence of country-specific resolutions. End summary. ¶2. (C) Pakistani Permanent Representative and humanitarian affairs and human rights coordinator for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),Masood Khan, met with Ambassador Tichenor September 14 to discuss the upcoming session of the Human Rights Council (HRC). Ambassador Tichenor delineated U.S. concerns regarding the HRC's focus on Israel and its failure to date to address other serious human rights situations. The Ambassador stressed the need to have the Council carry out its mandate to deal with situations worldwide and its responsibility to the victims of abuses. While the human rights situation in the Middle East could be an issue for the Council, the Ambassador noted that it could not be the only one and that it had to be handled in a balanced manner that reflected the totality of the situation on the ground. He urged Khan to work within the OIC and with the United States to build the Council's credibility. ¶3. (C) Khan laid out in reasonable tones a conciliatory and cooperative position for a less contentious HRC session; a position that is completely at odds with the OIC's actions to date. He said that the OIC and the Asian Group in discussions with the Like Minded Group (LMG) had agreed not to table resolutions during this session because the questions of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Gaza, and Lebanon had already been addressed in resolutions during the regular June HRC session and the two special sessions. That said, Khan was unequivocal that if any resolutions are proposed to deal with human rights situations in any country, even if the resolutions are consensus texts endorsed by the country in question, the OIC would table a resolution critical of Israel, likely on the OPT. He was undaunted when the Ambassador pointed out that he (Khan) had said that the OPT issues had already been addressed. According to Khan political pressures in OIC countries and LMG "sensibilities" would require a Middle East resolution if country situations were addressed during the September HRC session. Khan added that the OIC would work constructively with the EU, Canada and others on a consensus text for a Middle East resolution. He pointed to the ECOSOC resolution as an example, though he recognized that the U.S., UK and Australia had voted against it. ¶4. (C) When pressed by the Ambassador, Khan responded that in the case there are country-specific resolutions, he would be willing to work with the sponsors of a Sudan resolution to obtain a consensus text. He described Burma as a "fixture" on the Council agenda and said that any action on Sri Lanka would be provocative. (Note: Septel will report EU consultations with Sri Lanka on a consensus text.) Moving on to other OIC plans for the Council, Khan said that the OIC's request to have a session on the issue of religious intolerance was aimed at addressing the West's perception that Muslims are on the wrong side of history. The outcome the OIC wants in September is a commitment from the Council to remain "seized" with the issue. (In Geneva-speak that means put permanently on the Council's agenda.) Khan said the OIC would propose a follow-up session in November with a panel of experts on religions and inter-faith relations. Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) Khan's demeanor of friendliness and reason was clearly at odds with the message he was conveying -- that the OIC's only interest in the Council is to attack Israel. Were the Council to agree to no country resolutions to avoid a contentious session, the three anti-Israel resolutions would stand as the only actions taken by the Council to date. Another anti-Israel resolution during the September session would further cement the view that little has changed from the Commission's anti-Israel agenda. Khan's indication that GENEVA 00002251 002 OF 002 he would be willing to work toward a consensus text on Sudan was the one positive outcome of the meeting since it points to an acceptance of the existence of country-specific resolutions. TICHENOR