NETHELRANDS/UN: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001338 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2011 TAGS: PHUM PREL NL SUBJECT: NETHELRANDS/UN: HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: A) STATE 94561 B) GENEVA 1428 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The GONL agrees that the first order of business in the new Human Rights Council (HRC) must be to establish procedures. They will oppose OIC attempts to table condemnatory measures relating to Israel. However, they will attempt to raise Sudan, if others begin raising specific issues during the "pressing issues" session. The GONL will not raise the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or the Declaration on Enforced Disappearances but understands that the Canadians plan to put these measures to a vote. End summary. ¶2. (C) Poloff delivered ref A demarche June 12 to MFA acting head of the Human Rights Division, Briggita Tazelaar. Charge followed up June 14 with MFA Human Rights Ambassador at Large Pieter de Klerk. The GONL, according to de Klerk, has worked hard to keep an OIC resolution off the agenda and would continue to oppose it at the HRC. Such a resolution would, he added, "represent the pinnacle of old thinking." ¶3. (C) According to de Klerk, "the first order of business is to" establish procedures. The GONL would not, however, object to all substantive issues, or to issues that were mixed substantive-procedural. For example, he noted that the GONL would not object to having the Special Rapporteurs present their views on the role they could play in periodic universal reviews. Nor would the GONL object, time permitting, to the Rapporteurs' raising specific reports, such as on torture in China. Finally, if other countries began to present specific issues during the "pressing issues" session, The Netherlands would likely try to raise Sudan. ¶4. (C) De Klerk said that, while the GONL has no plans to THE HAGUE 00001338 002 OF 002 raise the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or the Declaration on Enforced Disappearances, he understands that the Canadians do plan to put these measures to a vote. Human Rights Division Head Tazelaar reiterated to poloff the GONL's lukewarm support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples but said the Dutch believe, after eleven years of negotiations, that this is probably the best document we will get. ¶5. (U) Finally, de Klerk noted that FM Bot will address the HRC on June 19. BLAKEMAN