TANZANIA YET TO COMMIT TO CANDIDACY FOR HUMAN

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000147 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/RHS; DRL/MLGA; AF/E FOR BARBARA YODER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA YET TO COMMIT TO CANDIDACY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 09932 ¶1. (U) The Government of Tanzania appreciates USG interest in the composition of the Human Rights Council, M.K. Sella, Head of Section for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Multilateral Cooperation, told Poloff on January 30. Mr. Sella said he would convey the USG interest in having strong democracies serve on the Council to the new Director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation. COMMENT: Poloff met with Mr. Sella just prior to the first meeting of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation under its new director, Begum Taj. Mr. Sella was reluctant to commit to a position regarding a seat on the Council prior to meeting with the new Director. ¶2. (U) NOTE: The position of Director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation works closely with the United Nations (UN). Ms. Taj left her position as Alternative Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations to assume her new post. Ms. Taj succeeds Ambassador Liberata Mulamula who left the position to become the first Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, a UN body, and who also served at the Tanzanian mission to the UN. Accordingly, we expect Ms. Taj to have an opinion regarding Tanzania's candidacy for a seat on the Human Rights Council and will follow up with her at first opportunity. RETZER