ICELANDERS AGREE PROCEDURAL ISSUES SHOULD BE FOCUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L REYKJAVIK 000218 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL IC SUBJECT: ICELANDERS AGREE PROCEDURAL ISSUES SHOULD BE FOCUS OF FIRST UNHRC SESSION REF: SECSTATE 94561 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CAROL VAN VOORST, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In meetings with Embassy officials June 13 and 14, Icelandic MFA officials indicated agreement on most key issues for the June 19-30 first session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). The Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples may prove to be a sticking point, as Nordic solidarity dictates that Iceland should not openly oppose what has been a Norwegian priority. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Poloff discussed reftel demarche with MFA Political Department Human Rights Officer Ingibjorg Davidsdottir June ¶13. The Ambassador followed up June 14 with a call on MFA Permanent Secretary Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson in which she emphasized establishing effective HRC processes and maintaining a lean agenda, and outlined the potential problems with the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both Davidsdottir and Gunnarsson expressed sympathy with U.S. views but said final decisions on Icelandic positions would need to be cleared by new Foreign Minister Valgerdur Sverrisdottir (note: who took office June 15; end note). Sverrisdottir may herself travel to Geneva for the HRC session. NATURE OF THE FIRST SESSION -------------- ¶3. (C) Iceland MFA officials agree that the first session of the HRC must avoid the rancor of the organization's predecessor body by eschewing country-specific resolutions such as those that the Organization of the Islamic Conference may intend to raise against Israel. That said, Iceland will/will take positions on any country resolutions that do get discussed. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GROUPS -------------- ¶4. (C) The GOI agrees that there must be a review of Human Rights Commission mandates and that older mandates and special procedures (rapporteurs) should be extended one year for review -- indeed, Davidsdottir said she saw no realistic alternative. She added, however, that as Iceland has a member on the Sub-Commission on Human Rights the GOI probably would not speak out in favor of that body's elimination. ¶5. (C) Davidsdottir agrees that there should be a working group to establish the processes and rules for the new Universal Periodic Review mechanism. DECLARATION ON RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES -------------- ¶6. (C) The Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples presents the main impediment to full Icelandic cooperation with the U.S. in Geneva. While Davidsdottir personally shares our concern that the Declaration's text is seriously flawed, she and Gunnarsson asserted that Iceland's equities lie with following the Scandinavian lead in supporting the document. Iceland is the only Nordic country without an indigenous population. ¶7. (C) Comment: As Sverrisdottir, who comes from six years at Iceland's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, is a foreign affairs neophyte, we expect her to accept the MFA career officials' advice on what positions Iceland should take at the HRC. Unfortunately, that is likely to include going along with the other Nordics in their outreach to indigenous peoples. End comment. Van Voorst