URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON IRAN'S CANDIDACY TO UN HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000397 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2016 TAGS: KUNR PHUM UNHRC PREL UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON IRAN'S CANDIDACY TO UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: A. STATE 68575 ¶B. STATE 66050 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Linda T. Gonzalez for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) (C) On April 2, Pol Counselor delivered ref B demarche to MFA Deputy Director General for Political Affairs Alvaro Gallardo, emphasizing Iran's poor human rights record and its refusal to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community regarding its nuclear program. Gallardo indicated that the Director General of Political Affairs, Ambassador Bruno Faraone had already instructed Uruguay's UN delegation not to support Iran's candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council. He said this decision was likely to be accepted "unless it was overturned at the highest level here", an obvious reference to Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano who is currently traveling with President Vazquez in the US. Gallardo also stated that the Iranian Embassy in Montevideo had been pressing the MFA's Office of Multilateral Affairs "hard" for GOU support, but that its Multilateral Affairs Director Gustavo Alvarez had told the Iranians that a decision had not yet been made. Polcouns had earlier discussed the Iran Human Rights Council demarche with Alvarez, who told him that Uruguay would not/not support Iran's candidacy. Gonzales