THE GAMBIA: AMBASSADOR'S ASSESSMENT ON UN HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000245 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR IO/RHS,DRL/MLGA, EUR/PGI, AND AF/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC GA SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: AMBASSADOR'S ASSESSMENT ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ELECTION REF: A. STATE 63345 ¶B. STATE 58056 ¶C. BANJUL 229 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) ¶1. (C) Per ref a, on May 10, Ambassador made follow-up demarche on the May 17 UN Human Rights Council election to Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Mawdo Touray (President and Foreign Secretary are travelling),urging the GOTG to support the candidacies of Slovenia and Bosnia and oppose that of Belarus. Touray took note of our demarche, indicating that the GOTG had yet to decide which candidates it would support. ¶2. (C) Ambassador spoke with UK High Commissioner, who said he, like us, had received no response from the GOTG to his earlier demarche (ref c). ¶3. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: The Foreign Secretary is expected back prior to the May 17 vote and we will make follow-up demarche to him on his return. At the same time, we think it likely that the GOTG will have its UN delegation in New York follow the lead of the more influential members of the Africa Group, rather than provide a specific instruction on how to vote. Accordingly, we request that the Gambian UN delegation in New York (we believe there is currently an acting Permrep) be approached directly. END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. STAFFORD