UNGA DEMARCHES

UNCLAS MANILA 004589 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA KTIA CU RP SUBJECT: UNGA DEMARCHES REF: A. STATE 182267 ¶B. STATE 182099 ¶1. (SBU) In a meeting on November 6 with Acting Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs for United Nations and Other SIPDIS International Organizations Julius D. Torres, Pol/C presented reftels' demarches on country specific human rights resolutions at the UNGA Third Committee and on the Cuba embargo resolution. Torres admitted that the GRP's usual practice at the UNGA was to vote along with the NAM, but he promised to study our talking points and share them with colleagues here and in New York. He said that the Department of Foreign Affairs likely would soon initiate a review of this long-standing practice, since it seemed less and less clear that voting with the NAM was usually in the best interests of the Philippines. Pol/C encouraged a healthy discussion on this point and urged that the Philippines -- a democratic ally of the U.S. and another supporter of human rights worldwide -- never be more than one vote away from the U.S. position whenever it could not actually vote with the U.S. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm KENNEY