SLOVENIA CONCERNED BY THIRD UNHRC EEG CANDIDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LJUBLJANA 000124 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PGI, IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA CONCERNED BY THIRD UNHRC EEG CANDIDATE REF: SECSTATE 21984 ¶1. (C) Summary. The Government of Slovenia (GOS) has serious concerns about the effect a third candidate from the East European Group (EEG) competing for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council will have on its chances to win a seat on that council. The GOS is not willing to risk losing its bid for the UNHRC a second year in a row, and it is concerned that the anti-western, anti-EU atmosphere in the General Assembly would more likely ensure that any third candidate from the EEG, especially a non-EU member, would pull votes from Slovenia rather than Belarus as suggested in reftel. This prediction is based on Slovenia's experience last year when it lost out to Romania, which was not an EU member at the time. With 2008 parliamentary elections and Slovenia's EU presidency in mind, the GOS would rather withdraw from the race than be seen to lose a second year in a row, and this time to Belarus and Bosnia. Thus, the EU and western democratic orientation of the UNHRC would be further diminished. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Smiljana Knez of the MFA's Division for International Organizations and Human Security told Pol/Econ Chief on March 2 that while it would normally fully support the efforts of Bosnia to run for a seat on the UNHRC, this year, the stakes are high and any third candidate would draw its votes from Slovenia, not Belarus. Knez said that unlike other regional groups, the east European group does not collaborate or coordinate on candidates for seats in UN institutions. And, while Slovenia normally is in favor of a full field of candidates for these sorts of positions, in this instance, the GOS is convinced that expanding the slate by even one country will guarantee that Slovenia will not win a seat on the UNHRC. ¶3. (C) According to the Slovene mission in Geneva, Belarus can already count on the support of at least 129 countries. The addition of Bosnia to the field would be an attractive option for the members of the nonaligned movement (NAM) who reflexively would want to avoid casting a vote which would favor a western democracy and EU member. ¶4. (C) Knez added that Slovenia is very serious about wanting to be on the UNHRC, and it is actively pursuing this goal. The GOS has appointed a special envoy who is traveling the globe to drum up support, and FM Rupel is sending personal appeals to 196 of his colleagues around the world. Nevertheless, domestic politics is part of Slovenia's equation. If a third candidate appears to take votes from Slovenia, the GOS will seriously consider pulling back its candidacy, thus leaving the field to Belarus and the third candidate and diminishing the presence of western democracies and the EU. ROBERTSON