HRC: JAPAN RELUCTANT TO PUSH COUNTRY-SPECIFIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005570 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016 TAGS: PHUM UNDC JA SUBJECT: HRC: JAPAN RELUCTANT TO PUSH COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS REF: STATE 157283 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor W. Michael Meserve. Reason s: 1.4 (b)(d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an Action Request, para 5. ¶2. (C) Political Section Deputy presented reftel demarche September 26 to MOFA Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Principal Deputy Director Yoriko Suzuki. Ms. Suzuki responded that like the United States, Japan also wants an effective Human Rights Council (HRC). The first two weeks of the first session in June had been "quite successful," she stated, having been conducted in a cooperative atmosphere. The final days, and first week following the session, however, had turned to confrontation due to the submission of a resolution by the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Japan had not been consulted about the resolution and, after consulting with European countries and the United States, she related, had voted against the resolution because it was one sided and did not contribute to resolving the conflict (in Lebanon). ¶3. (C) Japan believes the HRC must resurrect the cooperative atmosphere of the first session's early days, Suzuki continued, but because the HRC is dominated by developing countries, this must be done cautiously. She noted that the Council has one year, starting from June 2006, to establish a structure and to determine what tools and mechanisms it will use to address issues. Japan has proposed to the United States and others that we first focus on how it should reform the HRC. At this point, we should not push for country-specific resolutions; rather, we should work to keep the mandate for country-specific resolutions and country-specific rapporteurs, she said. Japan plans to submit country-specific resolutions in the third or fourth sessions, depending on how this second session proceeds, Suzuki explained. ¶4. (C) The current president of the HRC has solicited issues to included in a proposed omnibus text. Japan supports this approach and hopes to work with the United States to address North Korean and/or Burma after this session. Japan's strategy is two pronged; it plans to use both the UNGA Third Committee this fall and the HRC next winter or spring to submit DPRK resolutions. Japan is already consulted with EU member countries to submit a North Korea resolution in the Third Committee, as it did last year. Suzuki said Japan hopes the United States will again join in sponsoring the resolution. ¶5. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Noting that the United States is not a member of the HRC, Suzuki asked whether the United States has consulted with other countries about submitting DPRK or Burma resolutions during the second session. Embassy Tokyo request that Department provide any information that we can share with MOFA. SCHIEFFER