Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06HELSINKI786
2006-08-09 12:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Helsinki
Cable title:
FINLAND: VIEWS ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL
VZCZCXYZ0013 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHHE #0786 2211257 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091257Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2278 INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0369
C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000786
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PREL PTER IS LE FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: VIEWS ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL
SESSION ON LEBANON
REF: SECSTATE 130145
Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4 (B) and (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000786
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PREL PTER IS LE FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: VIEWS ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL
SESSION ON LEBANON
REF: SECSTATE 130145
Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (SBU) Poloff spoke with Johanna Suurpaa, Director of the
MFA's Human Rights Unit, about the proposed Special Session
of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on Lebanon. Poloff
emphasized that at this critical point in the Lebanon crisis
(reftel),any HRC Special Session would be an unhelpful
distraction that could threaten to undermine the Security
Council's efforts. Suurpaa replied that the GoF agreed that
the timing was poor, but that the HRC had no choice given the
strong pressure exerted by the Islamic Conference countries,
by Russia, and by China. She said that the meeting has
already been scheduled for Friday, August 11. Finnish and
other EU legal experts in New York and Geneva had determined
that there was no Article 12 conflict since the HRC and
Security Council were debating simultaneously.
2. (C) Suurpaa said that Finland would work with other HRC
members toward securing a balanced statement that did not
solely address Israeli actions; that took into account
attacks by Hizballah on Israeli civilians; and that called
for an end to all deliberate attacks on civilians in the
region. Finland's Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja was
enroute to Egypt to meet his counterpart and discuss,
interalia, the HRC situation. Suurpaa said that Tuomioja
will warn the Egyptians about any push for an unbalanced HRC
that might complicate the UNSCR process and the international
community's efforts to broker a cessation of hostilities.
Suurpaa opined that she herself was "not optimistic" that
such a session could be avoided; and that she thought it
unlikely any compromise language could be agreed to, despite
the efforts that Finland and other like-minded HRC countries
intended to make .
WARE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PREL PTER IS LE FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: VIEWS ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL
SESSION ON LEBANON
REF: SECSTATE 130145
Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (SBU) Poloff spoke with Johanna Suurpaa, Director of the
MFA's Human Rights Unit, about the proposed Special Session
of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on Lebanon. Poloff
emphasized that at this critical point in the Lebanon crisis
(reftel),any HRC Special Session would be an unhelpful
distraction that could threaten to undermine the Security
Council's efforts. Suurpaa replied that the GoF agreed that
the timing was poor, but that the HRC had no choice given the
strong pressure exerted by the Islamic Conference countries,
by Russia, and by China. She said that the meeting has
already been scheduled for Friday, August 11. Finnish and
other EU legal experts in New York and Geneva had determined
that there was no Article 12 conflict since the HRC and
Security Council were debating simultaneously.
2. (C) Suurpaa said that Finland would work with other HRC
members toward securing a balanced statement that did not
solely address Israeli actions; that took into account
attacks by Hizballah on Israeli civilians; and that called
for an end to all deliberate attacks on civilians in the
region. Finland's Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja was
enroute to Egypt to meet his counterpart and discuss,
interalia, the HRC situation. Suurpaa said that Tuomioja
will warn the Egyptians about any push for an unbalanced HRC
that might complicate the UNSCR process and the international
community's efforts to broker a cessation of hostilities.
Suurpaa opined that she herself was "not optimistic" that
such a session could be avoided; and that she thought it
unlikely any compromise language could be agreed to, despite
the efforts that Finland and other like-minded HRC countries
intended to make .
WARE