AMBASSADOR SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI'S VISIT TO SPAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000621 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SECRETARY RICE AND UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS R. NICHOLAS BURNS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2016 TAGS: PREL KUNR UN SP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI'S VISIT TO SPAIN Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. During her two-day visit to Madrid, Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Senior Advisor to the Secretary on UN Reform, met with Spanish National Security SIPDIS Advisor Carles Casajuana, MFA Director General for International Organizations Arturo Laclaustra, and MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar. She also had a successful press roundtable and two think tank events. GOS interlocutors said they agreed in principle with the USG's demanded changes to the Human Rights Council (HRC) draft, but did not think they were achievable, given the number of countries that would propose amendments to water down the text should it be reopened for negotiation. The Spanish said the EU sees US participation in the Council as crucial, and is looking for ways to bring the US on board, including a declaration saying that no EU country would ever vote for a country under UN sanctions in an election to the new HRC. ¶2. (C) The Spanish expressed appreciation for US leadership on management reform, where Spanish and US priorities are in sync. In answer to a question, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli explained the US position that Security Council reform is not a US priority, and that she hoped the rest of the reform agenda could be negotiated before the difficult negotiations on the UNSC are undertaken. While the Spanish confirmed their intention to vote for Guatemala in elections to the UN Security Council, they still indicated that they will not promote the Guatemalan candidacy over that of Venezuela. End Summary. -------------- NSA Casajuana -------------- ¶3. (U) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli laid out the US approach to United Nations reform, explaining the long and deep involvement the USG has had in the process, beginning in November of 2004. She put forward US hopes for mandate review and elimination of outdated mandates, and for management accountability, transparency and oversight. She also explained the importance to the US of having a credible Human Rights Council to replace the discredited Commission. She said the US required two changes to the current draft resolution for the HRC which would give the Council the membership credibility necessary for the US to vote for it: a 2/3 election threshold and a membership exclusion for countries under UN sanctions for Human Rights or terrorism abuses. ¶4. (U) Casajuana said that Spain appreciates US activism in the UN reform process, particularly on management issues. He said Spain also hopes that the mandate review will lead to the elimination of unnecessary mandates and shifting of funds to more worthwhile causes, but he said he expected that national pride would play a role in keeping alive some mandates whose usefulness might be questionable. ¶5. (C) He said he thought US objections to the Human Rights Council draft resolution were entirely reasonable, and if it were possible to amend the text without other countries coming in with their own amendments, it would be ideal. As things stand, though, he said, this will not be feasible. He asked that the US reconsider its position on the HRC, saying that Spain and the EU would like to help the US overcome its objections to the text as it stands. It would be unthinkable to have a Council without US participation, he said, but opening the text to amendment now would likely result in something even weaker than the discredited Commission. ¶6. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli stressed that the US was not asking for a line-by-line revision of the draft text, simply that the two conditions laid out be taken on board. The rationale behind the U.S. request for change was that exclusion of known human rights violators was indeed needed for more credible membership and better functioning of the premier UN human rights body. -------------- DG Laclaustra and Team -------------- ¶7. (U) MFA Director General for International Organizations Arturo Laclaustra began by introducing his Deputy for Human Rights, Fernando Fernandez-Arias, who had just returned from an EU meeting in Brussels to discuss the Human Rights Council draft. Fernandez-Arias reiterated the Spanish position that the HRC draft resolution was the best that member states could hope for and that opening the text for revision could result in a weaker Council. Nonetheless, he said, the EU member states felt it essential that the US be part of the Council from the beginning, and they were looking for ways to bring the US on board. ¶8. (U) Fernandez-Arias said he and his EU colleagues had come up with a proposed declaration, to be signed by all EU member states and to be valid in perpetuity, stating that none of the signatories would vote for a country under UN sanctions for a HRC seat. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli explained the importance the US places in the two proposed changes to the text and emphasized that the USG was not asking for a line-by-line revision of the draft text. Nonetheless, she said she would convey this idea to colleagues in Washington, asking if this idea had been publicized by the EU yet. She expressed hope the Spanish and the EU would find a way to address US concerns. ¶9. (U) On the UN Democracy Fund, Laclaustra said his Ministry had asked for an appropriation for the Fund and expected to make a contribution by the summer. 10, (C) The Spanish restated their desire that there be no new permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said that although UNSC reform is not the highest of US priorities, the US has for a number of years supported a seat for Japan, and has put forth the elegant formula of "two or so" addition permanent members. The important element for the US, she said, was that the Security Council not grow so large as to be ineffective. ¶11. (C) Laclaustra asked if the Ambassador had any thoughts on the election of the next UN Secretary General (SYG). Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said that the US had put forward criteria which a successful candidate should meet. She said the US was not tied to the regional formula, which would mandate an Asian SYG this time. She told Laclaustra that the US has no favorite candidate yet. ¶12. (U) PolCouns also asked the Spanish about their intention to vote for Guatemala over Venezuela in the upcoming UNSC elections. She asked if they planned to do outreach to rally votes for Guatemala, particularly in their region of influence, Latin America. Laclaustra said that Guatemala had not asked for assistance from Spain, and that in any event, the Spanish had no desire to be seen as favoring one Ibero-American ally over another. While their vote will be for Guatemala, they have no intention of campaigning for the Guatemalans. ¶13. (U) Rafael Dezcallar's chief of staff Felix Costales also attended the meeting, where he mentioned the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, thanked the Ambassador for US support as expressed in Secretary Rice's letter to Foreign Minister Moratinos, and stressed how important Spain feels the Alliance is, particularly in light of the recent cartoon controversy. He mentioned that during the latest High Level Group meeting in Doha, all of the priorities for the region the Secretary mentioned in her letter were discussed, and several project possibilities came up. He said he felt certain that the High Level Group's recommendations, when they are released later this year, will include some concrete projects the US will be able to contribute to. -------------- Dezcallar -------------- ¶14. (C) Beginning with the topic of the hour, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli opened her discussion with MFA Director General for Political Affairs Rafael Dezcallar by reiterating the US objections to the HRC draft text, and explaining that the US was working hard to find a way forward. Dezcallar echoed his GOS colleagues by saying that Spain sees US participation in the Council as critical. He reminded the Ambassador that several years ago, when Spain was running for a Human Rights Commission seat (and Dezcallar was DG for International Organizations),the Spanish withdrew from the election when it looked like the US would lose its seat. Spain has always viewed American involvement in the Commission as important, and believes the US needs to be part of the new Council from the beginning. ¶15. (C) Nonetheless, he said he had just returned from Pakistan, where the Pakistanis said they would propose numerous amendments to the draft text should it be reopened. Cuba and others certainly would take advantage of the opportunity to water down the resolution, if given the chance, he added. He said he hoped the US would consider alternative ways of ensuring appropriate membership in the Council and avoid trying to change the text. ¶16. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli explained that Secretary Rice had conveyed her view that the credibility of the new Human Rights Council would be reflected in its membership. There need to be certain thresholds for improved membership, she said, and they need to be in the resolution text, to ensure the integrity of the Council. Dezcallar said he understood the US point of view, but hoped we could work to find a solution outside the text. ¶17. (C) Dezcallar mentioned the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT),saying that he and Minister Moratinos had discussed the issue with the Pakistanis the day before. He said he believed the Pakistanis could be a moderating force on the countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and said that the Spanish and Pakistani Ambassadors in New York were going to be in contact about the CCIT. He added that it would be good if Ambassador Bolton could work with the Pakistani Ambassador as well. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said she would pass the message ¶18. (C) At the request of Embassy Madrid, and since Dezcallar had just returned from Pakistan, where he had been with Foreign Minister Moratinos, the Ambassador took the opportunity to mention Moratinos's stopover in Damascus, where he met with the Syrian Foreign Minister at the airport. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said that though she was not a Middle East expert, she was somewhat puzzled by the stop, given the amount of trouble Syria seems to be causing in various places, and wondered why it had happened. PolCouns added that the US, EU and UN all have a common policy on Syria, and that the US is very concerned that this united front be maintained. ¶19. (C) Dezcallar said that Spain was very worried about Syria as well, but felt that "certain things can be done with Syria." He said that Minster Moratinos was convinced that severing contact with the Syrians will cause them to radicalize and will drive them into the hands of Iran. He added that Moratinos, because of his close ties to the Syrian Foreign Minister and the important links between the Spanish royal family and the Assad family, has more room for maneuver than many Western leaders. The Ambassador and PolCouns both reiterated the need to respect the common US/UN/EU policy. AGUIRRE