FRENCH SHARE CONCERNS ON HRC; NOTE NOMINATION FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005697 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNHRC FR SUBJECT: FRENCH SHARE CONCERNS ON HRC; NOTE NOMINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION REF: A. STATE 136467 ¶B. STATE 137429 Classified By: CDA Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D). Human Rights Council -------------- ¶1. (C) Acting Polcouns shared ref A points August 21 with newly arrived MFA DAS-equivalent for UN Human Rights Affairs Jacques Pellet and discussed ref A demarche with him August 24, highlighting growing U.S. concerns with the Council's lack of balance and objectivity, particularly as demonstrated in the two recent extraordinary sessions' treatment of Israel (on Gaza and Lebanon). He added that the unwillingness of other Council members to take issue with the OIC's refusal to compromise further threatened to undermine the credibility of the Council. ¶2. (C) Speaking informally, Pellet assured A/Polcouns that France shared U.S. concerns, and he claimed that, on the Gaza resolution, the French permrep in Geneva had made clear in a separate statement following the presentation of the agreed EU position by the Finnish presidency that the EU statement had not gone far enough. (Comment: We understand that USMission Geneva may have a different understanding of the French intervention and its motivation.) France had found the HR Council's initial session satisfactory, but was displeased with the results of the two extraordinary sessions. The OIC's tactics were inconsistent with the spirit of dialogue and cooperation that was supposed to characterize the HRC, but how to address the problem was far from clear. He said the OIC states had done the arithmetic and concluded that they could ask for a session and pass a resolution with little or no debate. ¶3. (C) A/Polcouns noted that GRULAC passivity was also a problem, but suggested the Europeans could also show a little more spine; he expressed disappointment that the Swiss had abstained on the resolution after failing to change it. Pellet agreed that the EU could do more, but lamented the failure of the EU to achieve consensus on a tougher approach. He did not elaborate on the extent to which France was pushing other member states in that direction. ¶4. (C) Pellet said he would be open to U.S. views on how to improve the situation, noting that the new PDAS-equivalent for IO Affairs, Ambassador Giacomini, until recently the French permrep in Geneva, would prepared to join such a discussion. International Law Commission election -------------- ¶5. (C) A/Polcouns used the occasion to deliver ref B demarche in support of Michael Matheson. Pellet undertook to pass it to the appropriate people in the IO bureau and said he would ask them to communicate the French response. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Rosenblatt