SPAIN WILL SUPPORT FELICE GAER FOR UN CAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001767 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/RHS L/HRR E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA UNHRC SP SUBJECT: SPAIN WILL SUPPORT FELICE GAER FOR UN CAT REF: A. STATE 126155 ¶B. STATE 107692 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) POLOFF delivered reftel B diplomatic note and demarche to Salvador Maspoch Heins, duty officer in the Directorate General for Human Rights, on August 13. Maspoch deferred a response until the return from leave of Deputy Director General for Human Rights Fernando Fernandez-Arias. Fernandez-Arias told POLOFF September 10 that he had recommended that Spain vote for Felice Gaer for reelection to the Committee Against Torture, based on her excellent reputation, notably her willingness to be critical of the United States, as well as the endorsement of her candidacy by the Spanish member of the Committee (please protect). Fernandez-Arias said that, although Committee seats are not apportioned by geographical group, Spain likes to fill current WEOG seats with WEOG candidates, and he said that the other options are a Greek incumbent and a new Cypriot candidate. While he said he could not guarantee how the vote would go, he did not imagine that Spain would vote for both a Greek and Cypriot, given their geographical proximity and the similarity of their political systems. AGUIRRE