KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED -- UN HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002418 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM KU DEMARCHE SUBJECT: KUWAIT DEMARCHE DELIVERED -- UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 99490 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matthew H. Tueller for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) (C/NF) PolChief delivered reftel demarche June 20 to Salah Al-Saif, First Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' International Organizations Department. (The Foreign Minister and MFA Undersecretary are traveling with the Amir in South Asia; the International Organizations Department Director and his deputy are both in Baku for the OIC meeting.) Al-Saif, who served in Geneva from 1993-94, said Kuwait shared U.S. views and did not want the new Human Rights Council to be a "carbon copy" of the former ineffective Commission on Human Rights. He agreed attacks on Israel would be inappropriate, but commented Kuwait had little influence on some of the more belligerent OIC members and would side first with the GCC and then the Arab League on controversial issues. Nonetheless, he welcomed U.S. views on the agenda for the Council and was pleased the U.S. planned to remain engaged on the issues by working with the UN and international community. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * TUELLER