ITALY CANDIDATURE - HRC

UNCLAS GENEVA 000115

SIPDIS

SIPDIS & IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC AORC UN IT
SUBJECT: ITALY CANDIDATURE - HRC



1. (U) U.S. Mission Geneva received a diplomatic note from the
Permanent Mission of Italy requesting U.S. Government support for
the Italian candidature to the Human Rights Council at elections to
be held in the United Nations General Assembly in May 2007.


2. (U) Mission has responded that the information contained in the
note has been forwarded to the appropriate authorities of the USG
for their attention.


3. (U) A copy of the diplomatic note has been e-mailed to IO/UNP,
IO-RHS, L-HRR.


4. (U) Begin text:
Prot. 0-0078
12 JAN 2007

The Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations Office and
other International Organizations in Geneva presents its compliments
to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office and other
International Organizations in Geneva and has the honour to inform
that Italy has decided to present its candidature to the Human
Rights Council for the three-year term 2007-2010 (elections to be
held in May 2007).

Resolution 251 of the General Assembly of 15 March 2006 has
established the Human Rights Council, creating an historic
opportunity to improve the effectiveness and strength of the human
rights protection system within the United Nations. Italy believes
that its membership in the Council will contribute to better respond
to the Council's task of promoting universal respect for the
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, addressing
violations and making recommendations according to the principles of
universality, impartiality and objectivity through constructive
international dialogue and cooperation.

Human Rights in Italy and in Italian Foreign Policy
-------------- --------------
Italy has a long and rooted domestic tradition of respect and
advancement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proved by
its history and its legal culture. Recent developments in the
international debate confirm the increasing importance attached to
the protection of human rights throughout the world, a key element
in foreign policy for our country. Italy considers respect for human
rights to be crucial to ensure peace, prevent conflict and foster
the growth of stable societies worldwide: the focus of our
international action lies therefore with the promotion of democracy
and fundamental rights in multilateral fora, mainly within the
United Nations.

Promoting and protecting human rights throughout the world is
therefore crucial to Italian foreign policy, as demonstrated by the
very active role played by Italy as member of the previous
Commission on Human Rights, where Italy has sat almost
uninterruptedly since 1957, and during the negotiations which have
finally led to the establishment of the new Human Rights Council.

Italy and the United Nations
--------------
Italy has decided to present its candidature to the Human Rights
Council since it intends to keep playing a dynamic role in the field
of the protection of Human Rights, by actively contributing to
increase the effectiveness and coordination of the Council's
actions. Italy believes that the United Nations is the principal
forum of action in the sphere of human rights, and that the Human
Rights Council can and must be the key player. As a member of the UN
Peace building Commission, Italy will also support technical
cooperation programmes in the field of the rule of law, aimed at
fostering stable democratic societies.

Italy has acquired consistent experience as a committed member of
the Commission on Human Rights for several mandates, and has fully
cooperated with the Commission's Special Procedures. In line with an
EU decision, Italy has addressed the UN Special Rapporteurs an open
invitation to visit the country and conduct their investigations at
any time. Consequently, Italy has received the visit of the Special
Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the independence of
judges and lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy, in two occasions in 2002, the
visit of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ambeyi Ligabo,
(October 2004),the visit of the Special Rapporteur on the right of
migrants, Gabriela Rodriguez Pizarro (June 2004) and the visit of
Italy the UN Special Rapporteur on racism and xenophobia, Doudou
Diene (September 2006).


International Framework for the protection of Human Rights in Italy
-------------- --------------

Italy adheres to six major UN Conventions for the promotion and
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to most of
their Optional Protocols.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1978)

- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (1978) and the Second Optional Protocol to ICCPR
(1995)

- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(1978)

- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (1985)

- Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (1989)

- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (2000)

- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (1976)

- Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991)

- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the involvement of children in armed conflict (2002)

- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the sale of children child prostitution and child pornography
(2002)

In terms of monitoring of their implementation and cooperation with
the Treaty Bodies, Italy has a very good record of returning
national reports under UN Conventions in full and on time.

Italy supports the International Criminal Tribunals and hosted in
Rome in 1998 the United Nations conference which established the
International Criminal Court - the so-called "Rome Statute".

Moreover, Italy fully cooperates with the High Commissioner of Human
Rights and its Office in an effective and fruitful way.

At regional level, Italy is a member of the Council of Europe and
OSCE, and it adheres to the European Convention on the safeguard of
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its additional Protocols.

Italy traditionally supports all the initiatives in the framework of
the European Union - monitoring, demarches, structured dialogues,
technical cooperation, presentation of draft Resolutions and several
others - aiming at the promotion and protection of human rights
worldwide. On the initiative of the last Italian Presidency of the
European Union, in December 2003 the EU adopted a set of Guidelines
on children involved in armed conflicts and the 5th edition of the
EU Forum on human rights was organized in Rome, on the issue of
protection of children in international law.

Italy devotes in fact special attention to specific issues in the
field of human rights such as rights of the children, but also
gender equality and rights of people with disabilities. Italy
supports, among others, the UN bodies and agencies of UNDP, UNICEF,
UNFPA, UNAIDS, UNIFEM, WHO and FAO, attributing particular
importance to development cooperation and its link with basic
rights. With specific reference to gender equality, for instance,
the Italian development cooperation invests in programs of
decentralised cooperation, which consist of starting and favouring
interventions at local level for the empowerment of women along the
lines of UN Agencies, aiming at the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals.

In accordance with Resolution 251 of the General Assembly of 15
March 2006, Italy submits hereby an Aide Memoire on a specific set
of voluntary pledges and commitments it is ready to undertake, in
order to further improve its long term commitment towards the
promotion and protection of human rights.

Italy would be most grateful for the support of United Nations
member States for its candidature to the Human Rights Council.

The Permanent Mission of Italy avails itself of this opportunity to
renew to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office and
other International Organizations in Geneva the assurances of its
highest consideration.

Geneva, 12 January 2007
Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office and other
International Organizations
GENEVA

Aide memoire

ITALIAN CANDIDATURE TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Voluntary Pledges and Commitments under Resolution of the General
Assembly of the United Nations A/RES/60/251

Having submitted its candidacy to the Human Rights Council of the
United Nations, Italy engages to continue to strive for the highest
standards of human rights and to fully cooperate with the UN system
in order to make it increasingly effective, both within the Human
Rights Council and the other relevant UN bodies, in particular the
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Agencies and
Programmes.

Hence, Italy's efforts towards the strengthening of the HRC system
within the UN will be focused on the following pledges and
commitments.
In the United Nations and internationally, Italy will:

Work in the most cooperative way with the Human Rights Council and
all the mechanisms that will be established under it

Strive to enhance the relevance and the effectiveness of thematic
action in different sets of countries, in order to keep
international focus on specific relevant human rights issues

Contribute to improve the membership of the HRC through encouraging
States with good human rights records to apply for membership.

Support the work of the Special Procedures which will be established
by the Human Rights Council.

Encourage Third Countries to report more frequently and extensively
to the UN Treaty Bodies, follow up the TB recommendations, and
invite and accept visits of the UN Special Procedures.

Combat impunity, including by promoting the universalization of
signatures and ratifications of the Statute of the International
Criminal Court. In particular, Italy strives to promote the respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide, with special
focus on some issues of particular concern, namely:

Promoting the rule of law and strengthening of democracy by, inter
alia
- Keeping its support to electoral observation missions and
follow-up in countries in transition or not fully developed
democracies.

- Strengthening Parliaments, political parties, civil society and
other democratic institutions, with special focus on strengthening
justice systems, in countries in post-conflict or transition
situation, through specific training.

- Protection of children's rights, especially children involved in
armed conflicts, by, inter alia
- Keeping a high profile both of political initiatives and
cooperation programmes, especially through cooperation with and
support to UNICEF.
- Contrast to xenophobia, racism and all forms of discrimination by,
inter alia

- Promoting increased support of resolutions against racism,
xenophobia and all forms of discrimination presented at the HRC,
highlighting in particular specific actions needed in order to
eliminate any form of discrimination

- Combating torture by, inter alia

- Increasing the number of countries that have ratified and that
implement the Convention Against Torture (CAT)

- Combating gender-based discrimination by, inter alia

- Promoting concrete actions for preventing and combating violence
against women and international trafficking of human beings

- Abolition of the death penalty by, inter alia

- Striving for the increase of the number of abolitionist countries,
eventually requesting countries not willing to abolish yet the death
penalty to apply a moratorium as an intermediate objective

Domestically, Italy is preparing the adaptation/adjustment of its
legislation in order to:

- Complete the normative process for the implementation of the
Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC);

- Achieve ratification and implementation of the Optional Protocol
to the Convention Against Torture and Cruel Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT);

- Establish the National Independent Commission for the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

- End text.

Tichenor