EXTENSION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES MANDATE AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 000965 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR DRL/MLGA(NOYES),NEA/IPA, IO/RHS, AND EAP/MTS USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO AND J5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017 TAGS: UNHRC PREL PHUM RP SUBJECT: EXTENSION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES MANDATE AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 35404 Classified By: Pol/C Scott Bellard for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) In a meeting on March 23 with Julius Torres, the Executive Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs' Office of United Nations and International Organizations, Acting Pol/C conveyed reftel points regarding the review of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories and urged that the Philippines help ensure that the Working Group continues to review all mandates. Torres, who is flying to Geneva to participate in Human Rights Council meetings, promised to discuss the issue further with the Philippine delegation. He commented that he personally saw a clear need for the Council Working Group to review and rationalize all existing mandates and special procedures, but he admitted that the Organization of the Islamic Conference often exerted heavy influence on the Philippine government. ¶2. (C) After carefully reading our non-paper, Torres remarked that weighing in on procedural points represented the most practical way to get around politics in the Council. "We can address the issue and make the argument for it," Torres stated, adding that he hoped to review this and other questions with U.S. counterparts in Geneva. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm KENNEY