NEPAL WILL OPPOSE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000937 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR IO/RHS, DRL/ MLGA, USUN NEW YORK, US MISSION GENEVA FROM THE AMBASSADOR E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC BO NP SUBJECT: NEPAL WILL OPPOSE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CANDIDACY OF BELARUS REF: STATE 63345 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) Nepal To Oppose Candidacy of Belarus -------------- ¶1. (C) I am confident that Nepal will oppose Belarus' candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council (reftel). The Acting Deputy Chief of Mission discussed the issue May 10 with Prime Minister Koirala's Foreign Policy Advisor, Dr. Suresh Chalise. Dr. Chalise assured both the A/DCM and, later, in a separate conversation the same day, the Pol/Econ chief that Nepal would not vote for Belarus. He added that he had instructed Acting Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya to issue directions to Nepal's UN Mission accordingly. Nepal's Position on Slovenia and Bosnia Not Yet Firm -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) While Dr. Chalise told the DCM, "We are with you," referring as well to supporting the candidacy of Slovenia and Bosnia, MFA Joint Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai did not reaffirm that support, although the Pol/Econ chief pressed him to do so. I suspect that Nepal will ultimately vote in favor of Slovenia and Bosnia on May 17, but, in the meantime, we will seek a firm indication from the Foreign Ministry that that is indeed Nepal's intention. MORIARTY