Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LONDON6591
2006-09-12 13:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy London
Cable title:
UK AGREES TO LIMITED LOBBYING FOR GUATEMALA'S UNSC
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLO #6591 2551330 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 121330Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8942 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0786
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 006591
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR: EUR/PGI (ELDRIDGE),IO/UNP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UK
SUBJECT: UK AGREES TO LIMITED LOBBYING FOR GUATEMALA'S UNSC
BID
REF: A. STATE 142876
B. SINDLE-HARRIS EMAILS
C. LONDON 6547
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David T. Johnson, reasons 1.4 (b
& d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 006591
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR: EUR/PGI (ELDRIDGE),IO/UNP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UK
SUBJECT: UK AGREES TO LIMITED LOBBYING FOR GUATEMALA'S UNSC
BID
REF: A. STATE 142876
B. SINDLE-HARRIS EMAILS
C. LONDON 6547
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David T. Johnson, reasons 1.4 (b
& d).
1. (C) The FCO agreed to our request to lobby Ghana, Kenya,
Namibia and Singapore in support of Guatemala's bid for the
Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) seat on the UN
Security Council. FCO Director for International Security
Stephen Pattison told DCM September 9 that the UK supported
Guatemala, but noted HMG was thinking ahead to the
possibility that neither Guatemala nor Venezuela might be
able to win the necessary two-thirds vote. In such a
scenario, Pattison said the Dominican Republic - as it
informed the UK last week - intends to put itself forward as
a candidate to avoid a prolonged debate, and the UK would
support the Dominican Republic's bid.
2. (C) Our demarche was timely, according to Pattison, who
informed us he has been encouraging the Foreign Office
leadership to be more aggressive in supporting Guatemala
given the stakes. Pattison and several others at the FCO
have told us the idea of Venezuela on the Council would be
"ghastly." Pattison was unsure, however, if his pleas for
aggressive support to Guatemala would resonate with Foreign
Minister Margaret Beckett.
3. (C) Comment: Pattison's comments reinforced the position
we heard earlier last week from the FCO's International
Organizations Office - that the UK's willingness to engage in
across the board lobbying for Guatemala is limited by the
UK's policy of not revealing its voting position and the UK
preferred to quietly engage a few selected countries (ref C).
Although ref A only requested UK assistance with Ghana, our
earlier meetings with FCO suggested that the UK was willing
to lobby a few additional countries where HMG has some
influence. We expanded our demarche to include Kenya,
Namibia and Singapore with the Department's approval per ref
B. While ref B also requested UK lobbying of India and
Cyprus, Pattison and the DCM agreed such an effort was highly
likely to lead to a preverse result. We will follow up at
FCO for any readout of these UK lobbying efforts.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Tuttle
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR: EUR/PGI (ELDRIDGE),IO/UNP (HARRIS)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2016
TAGS: PREL UNSC GT VE UK
SUBJECT: UK AGREES TO LIMITED LOBBYING FOR GUATEMALA'S UNSC
BID
REF: A. STATE 142876
B. SINDLE-HARRIS EMAILS
C. LONDON 6547
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David T. Johnson, reasons 1.4 (b
& d).
1. (C) The FCO agreed to our request to lobby Ghana, Kenya,
Namibia and Singapore in support of Guatemala's bid for the
Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) seat on the UN
Security Council. FCO Director for International Security
Stephen Pattison told DCM September 9 that the UK supported
Guatemala, but noted HMG was thinking ahead to the
possibility that neither Guatemala nor Venezuela might be
able to win the necessary two-thirds vote. In such a
scenario, Pattison said the Dominican Republic - as it
informed the UK last week - intends to put itself forward as
a candidate to avoid a prolonged debate, and the UK would
support the Dominican Republic's bid.
2. (C) Our demarche was timely, according to Pattison, who
informed us he has been encouraging the Foreign Office
leadership to be more aggressive in supporting Guatemala
given the stakes. Pattison and several others at the FCO
have told us the idea of Venezuela on the Council would be
"ghastly." Pattison was unsure, however, if his pleas for
aggressive support to Guatemala would resonate with Foreign
Minister Margaret Beckett.
3. (C) Comment: Pattison's comments reinforced the position
we heard earlier last week from the FCO's International
Organizations Office - that the UK's willingness to engage in
across the board lobbying for Guatemala is limited by the
UK's policy of not revealing its voting position and the UK
preferred to quietly engage a few selected countries (ref C).
Although ref A only requested UK assistance with Ghana, our
earlier meetings with FCO suggested that the UK was willing
to lobby a few additional countries where HMG has some
influence. We expanded our demarche to include Kenya,
Namibia and Singapore with the Department's approval per ref
B. While ref B also requested UK lobbying of India and
Cyprus, Pattison and the DCM agreed such an effort was highly
likely to lead to a preverse result. We will follow up at
FCO for any readout of these UK lobbying efforts.
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
Tuttle