RUSSIA SHARES TRILATERAL CONCERNS ABOUT UN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005741 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM AORC UN RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA SHARES TRILATERAL CONCERNS ABOUT UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES REF: A. STATE 78740 ¶B. MOSCOW 2864 Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Kirk Augustine. For Reasons 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. (C) Responding to a May 26 demarche (ref A) by Australian, New Zealand and U.S. emboffs on the draft UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP), Grigoriy Lukyantsev, Head of the UN Division of the MFA's Department of Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights said that Moscow had procedural and substantive objections to the draft text. Moscow thought that acceptance of the so-called consensus text would set a bad precedent for the newly formed UN Human Rights Council. It did not reflect a consensus on the controversial subject matter, but instead reflected the Working Group Chairman's proclivities. ¶2. (C) According to Lukyantsev, Moscow objected to the treatment of the issues of self-determination, territorial integrity and control of land and natural resources. Russia would likely vote against the draft if it were brought to a vote, but Lukyantsev indicated Russia was not looking to assume the lead in opposing DRIP. He suggested that our respective delegations in Geneva coordinate a joint approach to avoid a vote, renew the Working Group's mandate, and send the text back to the Group. BURNS