Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06GENEVA2657
2006-10-19 16:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Mission Geneva
Cable title:
WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP PREPARES FOR THIRD
how-toVZCZCXRO4745 PP RUEHROV DE RUEHGV #2657/01 2921643 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 191643Z OCT 06 FM USMISSION GENEVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1445 INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1705 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0836 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 3850 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 5889 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 1294 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 1582 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 1028 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG PRIORITY 0156 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 1175 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 1954 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 0049 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 5548 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 0587 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 3339 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 2699 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 2372 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1646
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 002657
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP PREPARES FOR THIRD
SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Summary
--------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 002657
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP PREPARES FOR THIRD
SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) The Western Human Rights Group (WHRG) met October
18 to strategize how best to prioritize its efforts to ensure
better results for the November 27-December 8 Council
session. The WHRG's efficacy risks being undermined by
divisions between the EU- and non-EU members of the group,
with Turkey's representative privately approaching PolCouns
to float Turkey's interest in possibly joining JUSCANZ, given
its great dissatisfaction with poor EU information-sharing.
More broadly, frustration was widespread that President de
Alba's preference for an "organic approach" to organizing the
Council's work, over having clear and transparent rules of
procedure that all delegations would be forced to respect,
had resulted in a situation where the OIC and NAM could
dominate and effectively prevent real action to address human
rights situations. All agreed that delegations would need
more certainty on working methods prior to the next Council
session. Proposed steps to rectify the situation included
organized cross-regional outreach by WHRG and JUSCANZ
members, prioritization or possible withdrawal of the
outstanding 44 resolutions that are scheduled to be addressed
November 27-28, and outreach to President de Alba encouraging
him to adopt a more structured approach to organizing the
Council's work. End Summary.
Western Group Divided
--------------
2. (SBU) A clear difference of views has emerged within the
WHRG between some EU members, led by Germany and France, who
insist that the group may be used only as a forum for
information-sharing, not for substance, and those who would
like to see it used more openly for policy coordination. The
latter group believes that becoming more action-oriented is
the only way for the WHRG to serve as an effective
counterweight to the OIC and NAM, which have so far dominated
both regular sessions of the Human Rights Council. Although
the differences in views are politely and obliquely addressed
in WHRG sessions, they have real consequences; on the margins
of the meeting, the Turkish human rights officer approached
PolCouns to discuss Turkish interest in joining JUSCANZ in
Geneva. PolCouns advised her to write a letter expressing
Turkish interest, as previous JUSCANZ candidate San Marino
had done.
3. (U) Most delegations at the WHRG recognized that the
second HRC session had accomplished some useful things,
including holding a full interactive dialogue in which NGOS
were allowed to participate. But all acknowledged that
delegations had demonstrated a limited ability to work
together to achieve positive results on pressing human rights
issues. While virtually all speakers attributed some of the
problem to President de Alba's refusal to implement and abide
by transparent working methods, some noted that delegations
were also at fault for not tabling resolutions early enough
and not holding open consultations on their texts. U.S. del
expressed the USG's disappointment in the HRC's failure to
address even urgent issues such as Sudan/Darfur, and the
tabling of 44 resolutions, some of which were clearly not
needed. PolCouns emphasized that while we did not want to
see a return to the CHR agenda, the Council clearly needed
more structure, and suggested that WHRG members, either in
coordination with other groups or with delegations from other
groups, should raise the issue with de Alba. Furthermore,
PolCouns added, the WHRG would need to share information more
closely if it hoped to be more effective during the next HRC
session.
GENEVA 00002657 002 OF 002
Pros and Cons of Seeking Clear Rules of Procedure
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Japan informed WHRG members that the Philippines
delegation had drafted rules of procedure which the Asian
group might propose to President de Alba. The Asian group is
scheduled to meet the week of October 23 to discuss the
Philippines draft. German Ambassador Steiner voiced his
dismay that other groups are drafting rules of procedure,
although he agreed that the HRC would need more structure if
the WHRG were to be able to push for effective action.
Citing the fact that the numbers are against the WHRG, both
Steiner and others expressed concern that, in any full-blown
negotiations on establishing new rules of procedure, the OIC
and NAM would be able to use their strength to force through
rules even worse than the currently reigning chaos. Steiner
added that this did not mean the WHRG should embrace
consensus at all costs. Even divisive votes could focus
attention on urgent issues.
5. (SBU) Part of the problem, it was agreed, was that
President de Alba deliberately chose to keep the Bureau weak,
in order to enhance his own power. In the words of
Ambassador Blaise Godet, the Swiss WHRG Bureau
representative, "de Alba wants to be the President of the
Human Rights Council, not the Chairman of the board of
directors."
Next Steps
--------------
6. (SBU) No clear call to action emerged from this meeting,
although the basic contours of the problem, and tentative
steps at a solution, were clear. Most delegations agreed
that cross-regional cooperation would be helpful, although,
given EU opposition to WHRG policy coordination, no
discussions on how WHRG members intended to carry it out were
held. Canada noted that 14 HRC members belong to the
Francophonie and that it hoped to hold discussions with its
Francophonie partners in the coming weeks. Mission Geneva
will continue its outreach to moderate OIC, sub-Saharan
African and GRULAC delegations.
Comment
--------------
7. (C) The opposition by some EU members to coordinating
"substance" in the WHRG is not universally shared. The Dutch
PermRep, who is WHRG coordinator, as well as the Danish,
Slovenian and Swedish Missions, have approached Mission
seeking closer coordination. Mission will report separately
on agreement by JUSCANZ members (non-EU Western Group
countries plus South Korea)to find common issues and to reach
out across regional groups to build support for agreed
priorities. End Comment.
TICHENOR
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP PREPARES FOR THIRD
SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) The Western Human Rights Group (WHRG) met October
18 to strategize how best to prioritize its efforts to ensure
better results for the November 27-December 8 Council
session. The WHRG's efficacy risks being undermined by
divisions between the EU- and non-EU members of the group,
with Turkey's representative privately approaching PolCouns
to float Turkey's interest in possibly joining JUSCANZ, given
its great dissatisfaction with poor EU information-sharing.
More broadly, frustration was widespread that President de
Alba's preference for an "organic approach" to organizing the
Council's work, over having clear and transparent rules of
procedure that all delegations would be forced to respect,
had resulted in a situation where the OIC and NAM could
dominate and effectively prevent real action to address human
rights situations. All agreed that delegations would need
more certainty on working methods prior to the next Council
session. Proposed steps to rectify the situation included
organized cross-regional outreach by WHRG and JUSCANZ
members, prioritization or possible withdrawal of the
outstanding 44 resolutions that are scheduled to be addressed
November 27-28, and outreach to President de Alba encouraging
him to adopt a more structured approach to organizing the
Council's work. End Summary.
Western Group Divided
--------------
2. (SBU) A clear difference of views has emerged within the
WHRG between some EU members, led by Germany and France, who
insist that the group may be used only as a forum for
information-sharing, not for substance, and those who would
like to see it used more openly for policy coordination. The
latter group believes that becoming more action-oriented is
the only way for the WHRG to serve as an effective
counterweight to the OIC and NAM, which have so far dominated
both regular sessions of the Human Rights Council. Although
the differences in views are politely and obliquely addressed
in WHRG sessions, they have real consequences; on the margins
of the meeting, the Turkish human rights officer approached
PolCouns to discuss Turkish interest in joining JUSCANZ in
Geneva. PolCouns advised her to write a letter expressing
Turkish interest, as previous JUSCANZ candidate San Marino
had done.
3. (U) Most delegations at the WHRG recognized that the
second HRC session had accomplished some useful things,
including holding a full interactive dialogue in which NGOS
were allowed to participate. But all acknowledged that
delegations had demonstrated a limited ability to work
together to achieve positive results on pressing human rights
issues. While virtually all speakers attributed some of the
problem to President de Alba's refusal to implement and abide
by transparent working methods, some noted that delegations
were also at fault for not tabling resolutions early enough
and not holding open consultations on their texts. U.S. del
expressed the USG's disappointment in the HRC's failure to
address even urgent issues such as Sudan/Darfur, and the
tabling of 44 resolutions, some of which were clearly not
needed. PolCouns emphasized that while we did not want to
see a return to the CHR agenda, the Council clearly needed
more structure, and suggested that WHRG members, either in
coordination with other groups or with delegations from other
groups, should raise the issue with de Alba. Furthermore,
PolCouns added, the WHRG would need to share information more
closely if it hoped to be more effective during the next HRC
session.
GENEVA 00002657 002 OF 002
Pros and Cons of Seeking Clear Rules of Procedure
-------------- --------------
4. (U) Japan informed WHRG members that the Philippines
delegation had drafted rules of procedure which the Asian
group might propose to President de Alba. The Asian group is
scheduled to meet the week of October 23 to discuss the
Philippines draft. German Ambassador Steiner voiced his
dismay that other groups are drafting rules of procedure,
although he agreed that the HRC would need more structure if
the WHRG were to be able to push for effective action.
Citing the fact that the numbers are against the WHRG, both
Steiner and others expressed concern that, in any full-blown
negotiations on establishing new rules of procedure, the OIC
and NAM would be able to use their strength to force through
rules even worse than the currently reigning chaos. Steiner
added that this did not mean the WHRG should embrace
consensus at all costs. Even divisive votes could focus
attention on urgent issues.
5. (SBU) Part of the problem, it was agreed, was that
President de Alba deliberately chose to keep the Bureau weak,
in order to enhance his own power. In the words of
Ambassador Blaise Godet, the Swiss WHRG Bureau
representative, "de Alba wants to be the President of the
Human Rights Council, not the Chairman of the board of
directors."
Next Steps
--------------
6. (SBU) No clear call to action emerged from this meeting,
although the basic contours of the problem, and tentative
steps at a solution, were clear. Most delegations agreed
that cross-regional cooperation would be helpful, although,
given EU opposition to WHRG policy coordination, no
discussions on how WHRG members intended to carry it out were
held. Canada noted that 14 HRC members belong to the
Francophonie and that it hoped to hold discussions with its
Francophonie partners in the coming weeks. Mission Geneva
will continue its outreach to moderate OIC, sub-Saharan
African and GRULAC delegations.
Comment
--------------
7. (C) The opposition by some EU members to coordinating
"substance" in the WHRG is not universally shared. The Dutch
PermRep, who is WHRG coordinator, as well as the Danish,
Slovenian and Swedish Missions, have approached Mission
seeking closer coordination. Mission will report separately
on agreement by JUSCANZ members (non-EU Western Group
countries plus South Korea)to find common issues and to reach
out across regional groups to build support for agreed
priorities. End Comment.
TICHENOR