MOROCCO: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CANDIDACY OF IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000787 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016 TAGS: KUNR PHUM UNHRC PREL MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CANDIDACY OF IRAN REF: STATE 66050 Classified By: Pol/C Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Poloff discussed reftel demarche April 27 with MFA Director for International Organizations and UN Affairs Nasser Bourita and urged Morocco to oppose the candidacy of Iran and other serious human rights abusers during the May 9 vote for the UN Human Rights Council. Bourita said that Iran had proposed reciprocity with Morocco, but that Morocco had refused to give its support to Iran and had already promised its vote to 13 other Asian countries. The GOM felt strongly that the new Council must be credible, and as a result, had either refused, as in the case of Iran, or simply not replied to several countries which did not meet the GOM's criteria for support, including Venezuela, Cuba and South Africa. This criteria, explained Bourita, included: positive bilateral relations, a "multilateral spirit," and the human rights element (i.e., that the country not be a human rights abuser). Bourita emphasized that it is not enough to change the structure, but that the mentality of the new Council must also change in order to maintain the credibility of the new organization. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley