ICELAND FOLLOWING NORDIC LEAD ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000405 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NB, EUR/PGI, L/HRR, DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA IC SUBJECT: ICELAND FOLLOWING NORDIC LEAD ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES REF: STATE 169257 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff presented reftel demarche to Icelandic MFA Counselor for Human Rights Ingibjorg Davidsdottir on October 25. Davidsdottir, who transferred from the Icelandic mission in Geneva this summer, was familiar with the text and the joint U.S.-Australian-New Zealand position, but apologetically noted that the GOI had pledged its support for the declaration "out of Nordic solidarity." ¶2. (SBU) Allowing that Iceland's lack of indigenous people left the GOI with few equities on the matter, Davidsdottir (protect) said that as a matter of human rights law she personally shared many of the USG's concerns regarding the draft declaration. She added that the procedural irregularities in the draft's progress through the UN system left her uneasy. However, the GOI was firm in its desire to stand with the other Nordic states, and would vote for the declaration's adoption when the matter came to the floor. KOSNETT