Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BRUSSELS2609
2007-08-16 12:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
IO DAS SINGH AND AMB REES EU CONSULTATIONS
how-toVZCZCXRO1963 RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #2609 2281204 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 161204Z AUG 07 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002609
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL EUN
SUBJECT: IO DAS SINGH AND AMB REES EU CONSULTATIONS
Classified By: Deputy Political Minister Counselor Alyce Tidball for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002609
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL EUN
SUBJECT: IO DAS SINGH AND AMB REES EU CONSULTATIONS
Classified By: Deputy Political Minister Counselor Alyce Tidball for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) During a two day visit to Brussels, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Manisha Singh and Amb. Grover Joseph Rees met with
SIPDIS
officials from the European Commission, the Council
Secretariat, the Presidency, the European Parliament and
SIPDIS
international NGO's to discuss human rights issues. The
focus of the visit was to discuss the US reaction to the UN
Human Rights Council (HRC),to explore alternative venues for
advancing human rights, and to introduce DAS Singh to some of
the interlocutors she will be working with in her new
portfolio. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) DAS Singh and Amb. Rees spoke with Marek Grela,
Director for America, the UN, Human Rights and Counter
Terrorism at the European Council, and with Rolf Timans, Head
of Unit for Human Rights and Democratization at the European
Commission. Both Grela and Timans agreed with the U.S.
position that the HRC's first year was disappointing, and
shared the U.S. frustration with its anti-Israel focus, its
procedural irregularities, and the loss of the Cuba and
Belarus mandates. They disagreed, however, with any
suggestion that the US and EU should withdraw their support
and participation. They both said it was too early to make
such a judgment. They further indicated they felt that there
is no alternative international forum for human rights
advocacy. Timans argued that despite the lack of results, he
and the EU remain convinced that the process of continually
raising human rights issues, holding discussions, seminars,
dialogs, supporting human rights defenders and seeking ways
to influence governments may
have few immediate results but can have positive effects in
the long run.
3. (C) Meetings were held with representatives from Germany
and Portugal, the previous and current presidencies of the
European Council. The German representative to the Political
and Security Committee (PSC) Clemens Von Goetze said that
although Germany was not happy with the last HRC meeting in
June, when Germany still held the presidency, he believes
that the "consensus" package was the best deal possible, an
that the Universal Periodic Review gave the HRC a base that
could be built upon. Amb. Rees disagreed strongly with this
assessment. He argued that serious human rights abusers such
as North Korea and Belarus would not fear scrutiny by a body
in which Cuba held more influence than the U.S. Furthermore,
the U.S. might be more inclined to deal with the poor results
of the HRC if there had been some positive results to balance
them. All that was produced, however, was one weak
resolution on Darfur, and eight resolutions condemning
Israel. The acting Portuguese PSC representative Antonio Leao
Rocha d
id not comment on U.S. opinions regarding the HRC, as it was
not his portfolio but promised to relay U.S. concerns to
Lisbon.
4. (C) Singh and Rees also met with Dr. Michael Rupp, a
staff member from the European Parliament (EP) sub-committee
on human rights. Rupp said MEPs were much less forgiving of
the HRC's failings than the Commission or the Council, and
were more demanding of action on human rights issues. The EP
would be sending observers to the UN 3rd committee this fall,
to show strong support for a progressive human rights policy.
He did not think that there would be a lot of interest in
publicly condemning the council. He also indicated that while
the HRC is of great interest to the NGO community, European
voters are generally not aware of its existence.
5. (U) In meetings with the Brussels staff of the
International Committee of the Red Cross and the Italian NGO
No Peace Without Justice, Singh and Rees discussed particular
human rights situations in Sudan, Indonesia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo and other areas where these
organizations have field operations. In particular, Singh
and Rees learned about programs to protect women from rape
and genital mutilation.
6. DAS Singh and Amb Singh approved this cable.
.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL EUN
SUBJECT: IO DAS SINGH AND AMB REES EU CONSULTATIONS
Classified By: Deputy Political Minister Counselor Alyce Tidball for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (U) During a two day visit to Brussels, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Manisha Singh and Amb. Grover Joseph Rees met with
SIPDIS
officials from the European Commission, the Council
Secretariat, the Presidency, the European Parliament and
SIPDIS
international NGO's to discuss human rights issues. The
focus of the visit was to discuss the US reaction to the UN
Human Rights Council (HRC),to explore alternative venues for
advancing human rights, and to introduce DAS Singh to some of
the interlocutors she will be working with in her new
portfolio. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) DAS Singh and Amb. Rees spoke with Marek Grela,
Director for America, the UN, Human Rights and Counter
Terrorism at the European Council, and with Rolf Timans, Head
of Unit for Human Rights and Democratization at the European
Commission. Both Grela and Timans agreed with the U.S.
position that the HRC's first year was disappointing, and
shared the U.S. frustration with its anti-Israel focus, its
procedural irregularities, and the loss of the Cuba and
Belarus mandates. They disagreed, however, with any
suggestion that the US and EU should withdraw their support
and participation. They both said it was too early to make
such a judgment. They further indicated they felt that there
is no alternative international forum for human rights
advocacy. Timans argued that despite the lack of results, he
and the EU remain convinced that the process of continually
raising human rights issues, holding discussions, seminars,
dialogs, supporting human rights defenders and seeking ways
to influence governments may
have few immediate results but can have positive effects in
the long run.
3. (C) Meetings were held with representatives from Germany
and Portugal, the previous and current presidencies of the
European Council. The German representative to the Political
and Security Committee (PSC) Clemens Von Goetze said that
although Germany was not happy with the last HRC meeting in
June, when Germany still held the presidency, he believes
that the "consensus" package was the best deal possible, an
that the Universal Periodic Review gave the HRC a base that
could be built upon. Amb. Rees disagreed strongly with this
assessment. He argued that serious human rights abusers such
as North Korea and Belarus would not fear scrutiny by a body
in which Cuba held more influence than the U.S. Furthermore,
the U.S. might be more inclined to deal with the poor results
of the HRC if there had been some positive results to balance
them. All that was produced, however, was one weak
resolution on Darfur, and eight resolutions condemning
Israel. The acting Portuguese PSC representative Antonio Leao
Rocha d
id not comment on U.S. opinions regarding the HRC, as it was
not his portfolio but promised to relay U.S. concerns to
Lisbon.
4. (C) Singh and Rees also met with Dr. Michael Rupp, a
staff member from the European Parliament (EP) sub-committee
on human rights. Rupp said MEPs were much less forgiving of
the HRC's failings than the Commission or the Council, and
were more demanding of action on human rights issues. The EP
would be sending observers to the UN 3rd committee this fall,
to show strong support for a progressive human rights policy.
He did not think that there would be a lot of interest in
publicly condemning the council. He also indicated that while
the HRC is of great interest to the NGO community, European
voters are generally not aware of its existence.
5. (U) In meetings with the Brussels staff of the
International Committee of the Red Cross and the Italian NGO
No Peace Without Justice, Singh and Rees discussed particular
human rights situations in Sudan, Indonesia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo and other areas where these
organizations have field operations. In particular, Singh
and Rees learned about programs to protect women from rape
and genital mutilation.
6. DAS Singh and Amb Singh approved this cable.
.