AUSTRIA ON BOARD ON UN THIRD COMMITTEE COUNTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003278

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO AND EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON BOARD ON UN THIRD COMMITTEE COUNTRY
RESOLUTIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

REF: A. STATE 184178

B. VIENNA 3245

C. STATE 182267

D. STATE 183547

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gregory E. Phillips. Reason: 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (SBU) Charge conveyed ref (a) points on country
resolutions to Austrian MFA Human Rights chief Engelbert
Theuermann on November 8.


2. (C) Theuermann said Austria -- and all EU member states
-- opposed, in principle, any no-action motions on human
rights issues. Therefore, Austria would vote against them,
and would lobby other countries to vote against them, as well.


3. (C) On retaliatory resolutions, Theuermann agreed fully
that all the texts in question were unfounded. He added that
they were dangerous, because they sought to limit the
principle -- which the Austrians support entirely -- that
country resolutions are both legitimate and necessary.
Theuermann said it was "especially ludicrous" that Belarus,
the only country in Europe that does not meet the minimum
human rights standards necessary to be a member of the
Council of Europe, was proposing a resolution against a
democracy like the United States. However, he said, we had
to be careful that we dealt with these texts in such a way as
to avoid undermining our credibility or our openness to
debate. He had therefore asked the Austrian mission in New
York to encourage the Finnish EU presidency to work closely
with the U.S. and Canadian delegations on tactics.


4. (C) Theuermann expressed gratitude that the U.S. was
prepared to modify the text on Uzbekistan to take account of
the November 4 meetings between Uzbekistan and the EU. He
offered the information that it was the Germans who were
unenthusiastic about an Uzbekistan resolution at the moment.
U.S. flexibility would help bring the Germans on board, he
said.
Phillips