Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06THEHAGUE835
2006-04-18 05:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

NETHERLANDS/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: NO VOTES FOR

Tags:  PHUM KUNR OPDC PREL UNGA NL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5904
PP RUEHAG
DE RUEHTC #0835 1080549
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 180549Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5417
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 4001
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4922
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 5041
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0018
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0290
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000835 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2011
TAGS: PHUM KUNR OPDC PREL UNGA NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: NO VOTES FOR
VIOLATORS

REF: A. A) STATE 57036


B. B) THE HAGUE 765

C. C) THE HAGUE 659

Classified By: DCM Chat Blakeman; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000835

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2011
TAGS: PHUM KUNR OPDC PREL UNGA NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: NO VOTES FOR
VIOLATORS

REF: A. A) STATE 57036


B. B) THE HAGUE 765

C. C) THE HAGUE 659

Classified By: DCM Chat Blakeman; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador delivered the Secretary's letter
(ref A) to FM Bot on April 11. Poloff, Political Counselor
and DCM followed up April 11, 12 and 13, with working level
officials. The Dutch are pleased, but not surprised, by our
commitment to the success of the new Human Rights Council.
They stress that they will absolutely not vote for any
country that is a systematic abuser of human rights nor seek
their support for a Dutch candidacy. End summary.


2. (C) MFA Ambassador at Large for Human Rights, Piet de
Klerk, told DCM April 13 that the GONL will not support
egregious human rights violators. The Dutch have come up
with a list of seven or eight countries they would not
support under any circumstances (e.g., Zimbabwe, Iran, Sudan,
North Korea). Examples are for our information and should
not be shared with others. De Klerk repeated (per ref B)
that The Netherlands hopes we will join the Council at a
later date. He offered to keep us fully informed of Council
proceedings should the Dutch be elected.


3. (C) Political Counselor made similar points to MFA Deputy
Director General for Political Affairs Peter de Gooijer on
April 12. De Gooijer reiterated that the Dutch did not want
to see serious violators of human rights sitting on the
Council. For this reason, he continued, they would neither
vote for such states nor seek their support for the Dutch
candidacy. On the other hand, de Gooijer stressed that the
Dutch were very interested in having the support of the U.S.
and other like-minded states for their candidacy.


4. (C) Poloff spoke with Peter van der Vliet, Head of MFA
Legal Affairs Division, UN and IFIs, on April 11. V/d Vliet
stressed that the Netherlands will not/not vote for any
country that is a systematic or repeat human rights abuser.
He worried, though, that regions such as Africa might put
forward slates that included abusers. Although The
Netherlands would refuse to vote for the abusers, these
countries might ultimately end up on the Council. Anneke
Adema, Head of the MFA Human Rights Division, emphasized
that, although The Netherlands voted for the resolution
creating the HRC, it was acutely aware of the resolution's
shortcomings. The GONL, she said, hopes to use its influence
(and a hoped for seat on the HRC) to shape the direction of
the new body.
BLAKEMAN