GOI SEEKS PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP OF UN HRC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000095 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO, S/UNR, USUN FOR E TUNIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM KUNR IN SUBJECT: GOI SEEKS PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP OF UN HRC Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (U) This message contains an ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 7. ¶2. (C) Summary: MEA's UN Economic and Social division reiterated the GOI's support for the creation of the UN Human Rights Commission (HRC),and requested that the USG engage in a closer dialogue with New Delhi on UN reform in a January 4 meeting with PolCouns and Poloff. GOI officials expressed concern over press reports that the US will seek P-5 permanent representation on the HRC, and stressed that India would be more deserving of permanent representation than some of the P-5. Based on reporting from USUN, it is clear that the MEA and India's Mission in New York are not singing off the same page on UN reform, and more discussion in Washington and New Delhi could help clarify our positions and find common ground. End Summary. GOI Supports HRC -------------- ¶3. (C) MEA Joint Secretary (UN Economic and Social) Manjeev Puri, accompanied by Director (UNES) Dammu Ravi and Deputy Secretary (UNES) Prashant Pise, told PolCouns and PolOff that SIPDIS the US and India are "in this together" on seeing through the establishment of the HRC. Echoing the earlier remarks of his UN Political colleague (septel),he urged that the US and India work more closely together to push for its creation. It would be inconceivable for India to "scuttle" the HRC, he explained, given India's self-image as the world's largest democracy, with a judiciary as independent and credible as anywhere in the world, and "absolute" support for human rights. Any perception of Indian reluctance to move forward is mistaken, he assured us, as India is completely committed to the concept, but is only raising concerns about "nitty-gritty details." Why Autocratic China and Not Democratic India? -------------- - ¶4. (C) Puri raised recent media reports of Ambassador Bolton calling for P-5 representation on the HRC and pointed out that New Delhi may not be able to support that idea if submitted as a formal proposal. It would be difficult to justify permanent membership for Russia and China while trying to block other human rights violators from serving on the Council, he noted. However, the Joint Secretary continued, if the US advanced a proposal for certain permanent representation that included a role for the world's largest democracy, "we couldn't say no." Puri noted that Ambassador Bolton's remarks had drawn attention from Foreign Secretary Saran. SIPDIS Some Concern on US Goals -------------- ¶5. (C) When the UNES division internally charted out its positions on the HRC, Puri said, on each point there was broad agreement with US goals. Even on issues on which India has reservations, such as the existence of a shaming or punitive mechanism, New Delhi is ready to go along for the sake of creating the Council. One area of concern, however, is the proposal to allow a mechanism for excluding some UN Members from standing for election. It would be "hard to NEW DELHI 00000095 002 OF 003 support" the US idea to exclude certain egregious human rights violators from this Council, when there are no objective criteria for exclusion from any other UN bodies. PolCouns pressed this point regarding egregious violators, asking how India could countenance HRC membership for countries like the DPRK. "We need a more subtle method of excluding" states with poor records, Puri replied, but did not offer any idea of how to accomplish this. India Will Play Ball Even If Others Do Not -------------- ¶6. (C) Looking toward the next round of negotiations, Puri warned that positions of countries opposed to changing the current Commission on Human Rights will be "more hardened" starting January 11. An agreement could have been pushed through on December 21, he speculated, when only a few lines remained bracketed, but after the break some countries may turn out to be less willing to "play ball," and we might be in for a "bit of a showdown" with undesirable outcomes for both sides of the disagreement. However, he assured us, if progress stalls it will not be because of India. COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: Let's Pursue This -------------- ¶7. (C) Puri emphasized several times his desire for greater coordination and dialogue with the US on both HRC and management reform, a plea we also heard from his counterpart in UN Political on December 30. From New Delhi, it appears that India's PermRep in New York is staking out positions far more confrontational than his Ministry would endorse. Having more of the political dialogue take place between Washington and New Delhi, avoiding the problematic channel in New York, may help close the gaps faster on divergences and allow better coordination in moving the HRC and management reform forward together. ACTION REQUEST: Puri will be in Sydney for the Asia Pacific Climate Ministerial from January 10-14, overlapping the next round of HRC consultations in New York on January 11. Post requests guidance from Department on USG positions in the consultations by January 9 in order to encourage helpful instructions from New Delhi to India's New York Mission. ¶8. (C) Comment Continued: India's softer approach to US priorities for the Council, including spotlighting egregious abuses and focusing attention on cr)sis situations, as well as its recognition that some states do not qualify for membership on the HRC, signal New Delhi's growing comfort with an international advocacy role for human rights and democracy. USG backing for permanent Indian representation on the HRC, tied to Indian reformation of its stubbornly non-aligned ways, would bring India's voting closer to that of its natural liberal democratic allies and provide support for USG human rights and democratization goals in the UN system. We have begun a quiet dialogue with the senior levels of MEA's UN divisions on the need to soften India's traditional positions as it pursues its ultimate goal of a larger global role and permanent representation on the Security Council. US encouragement of Indian leadership on the HRC would be a concrete boost to Indian goals for a greater role in the UN, and strengthen the hand of those in the GOI who are moving India's UN positions closer to our own. NEW DELHI 00000095 003 OF 003 ¶9. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) BLAKE