SLOVENIA ON 5TH SESSION OF UNHRC

UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000440 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL SI SUBJECT: SLOVENIA ON 5TH SESSION OF UNHRC REF: SECSTATE 91929 ¶1. Polecon Chief delivered reftel points to Smiljana Knez, Head of the Office for Human Rights at the MFA. Knez said she appreciated and shared much of the USG frustration with the recent session of the UNHRC. Though Slovenia did not become a member until June 19, she had been aware of the very difficult atmosphere in which this session concluded. ¶2. Knez said that Slovenia was disappointed to see the termination of the special rapporteurs for Cuba and Belarus. However, she was pleased that China's push for a two-thirds majority to establish a rapporteur was unsuccessful, and she was glad that the generic point on human rights was made a permanent point on the agenda. ¶3. Knez also felt that given the mood after the last General Assembly when it was expected that all special rapporteur positions would be abolished, the 5th session ended better than she had expected. On the UPR process, she said Slovenia was satisfied with the formulation which weighs equally the report from the country, from UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and NGOs. ROBERTSON