JAPAN LARGELY SUPPORTS U.S. POSITIONS ON HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 003273 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL JA SUBJECT: JAPAN LARGELY SUPPORTS U.S. POSITIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 94561 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Joe Donovan. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary. On June 13, the Political Minister Counselor delivered reftel demarche and nonpaper to Global Issues Department Deputy Director General Tsuji and Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Division Deputy Director Orihara. The Japanese and U.S. proposals are very similar, Tsuji observed. The first meeting of the Council should SIPDIS focus on procedures, but Japan would like to turn to substance as soon as possible. On country-specific resolutions, Japan wants to propose a resolution on North Korea but not during the first meeting. Japan agrees that we should seek a one-year extension for mandates and rapporteurs, and that we should try to dissuade others from adopting the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The only possible difference between the U.S. and Japanese position involves the Convention on Enforced Disappearance. Orimura advised that Japan sees linkage between the Convention and the DPRK abduction issue and will likely pursue the Convention during the first meeting, if the HRC decides to deal with the reports from the five working groups. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Political Minister Counselor Michael Meserve delivered reftel demarche and nonpaper to MOFA Global Issues Department Deputy Director General Masaru Tsuji and to MOFA Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Division Deputy Director Shigeharu Orihara on June 13. Tsuji shared that Vice Foreign Minister Akiko Yamanaka would head Japan's delegation to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Dr. Takahiro Shinyo, Global Issues Department Director General, would also travel to Geneva. Orihara interjected that the delegation list had not yet been made public and asked for our discretion. Tsuji promised to pass U.S. views and nonpaper to Shinyo and encourage him to consult with our delegation in Geneva. Shinyo will participate in a teleconference with the United Kingdom on June 13 and Tsuji would try to brief him before the conference, he said. ¶3. (C) The Japanese and U.S. proposals are very similar, Tsuji observed. He agreed that the inaugural meeting should SIPDIS focus on procedures, but that we should turn to substance as soon as possible. Tsuji urged the United States to start substantive discussion in the second meeting. On country-specific resolutions, Tsuji asked if we knew of any upcoming resolutions. Japan would like to propose a resolution on North Korea, Tsuji acknowledged, but did not intend to raise it during the first meeting. He agreed that we should seek a temporary one-year extension for Council on Human Rights mandates and rapporteurs, but expressed uncertainty about doing away with the Sub-Commission on Human Rights. Japan supports U.S. efforts to dissuade others from adopting the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tsuji assured us. SIPDIS ¶4. (C) The only possible difference between U.S. and Japanese positions involved the Convention on Enforced Disappearance, Tsuji continued. Since Japan sees a linkage between the Convention and the DPRK abduction issue, the Convention is politically important to Japan, he explained. The Convention has been unanimously adopted by the working group and, while it is not necessary to raise in during the first meeting, Japan will want to turn to it very quickly. Orimura added that if the HRC decides to deal with the reports from the five working groups during the first session Japan would probably push for progress on the Convention then, too. Meserve noted that the United States takes the abduction issue very seriously and underscored the President's meeting with Sakie Yokota and Ambassador Schieffer's attention to the issue. SCHIEFFER