Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MONTEVIDEO440
2007-05-08 17:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Montevideo
Cable title:
URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON BELARUS UNHRC CANDIDACY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0033 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHMN #0440 1281748 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081748Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7151 INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0492 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0073 RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2592 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0482 RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY SANTIAGO 2979 RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//J-5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000440
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/BSC AND IO/FO AMBASSADOR GJREES
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC UY
SUBJECT: URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON BELARUS UNHRC CANDIDACY
REF: STATE 58054
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 000440
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/BSC AND IO/FO AMBASSADOR GJREES
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC UY
SUBJECT: URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON BELARUS UNHRC CANDIDACY
REF: STATE 58054
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (C) On May 8, Charge raised reftel demarche with the MFA's
Secretary General Ambassador Jose Luis Cancela, stressing the
SIPDIS
need to keep human rights violators such as Belarus off the
UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Cancela who appeared keenly
interested in the subject said that Uruguay "had its
reputation on human rights to maintain" and requested written
points to help make the case against Belarus. (Comment:
Cancela seemed to imply that the old-line socialist Foreign
Minister Reinaldo Gargano, might need some convincing on
Belarus. End Comment.)
2. (C) On May 3, Political Counselor discussed reftel
demarche with the MFA's acting Director for Multilateral
Affairs Beatriz Nunez who acknowledged that the GOU had
received a formal request for support from Belarus. She said
that Uruguay had "no problem" in supporting Slovenia.
However, she revealed no preference for a third candidate
with strong democratic credentials that Uruguay might propose
at the May 17 GA elections in New York. Nunez also commented
that the MFA was "well aware" that Belarus was one of the
"world's worst human rights violators along with Burma."
3. (C) On May 2, per instructions reftel, PolCouns consulted
with UK embassy (DCM John Pearson) about the possibility of
presenting a joint demarche to the MFA. Pearson confirmed
that the UK did not want to specifically name Belarus in its
demarche. He then requested that the US Embassy present its
demarche to the MFA first. Pearson also asked that he be
allowed to coordinate the UK demarche with the French
Embassy, since both "are members of the EU." We agreed to
both proposals.
4. (C) Note: On April 24, Special Representative for Social
Issues Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees III raised the issue of
Belarus' UNHRC candidacy with the Deputy Foreign Minister
Maria "Belela" Herrera and other senior MFA officials present
during his meeting with them. Their response at that time was
not fully clear, though Herrera recognized problems with
Belarus' human rights record. End Note.
Nealon
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/BSC AND IO/FO AMBASSADOR GJREES
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC UY
SUBJECT: URUGUAY DEMARCHED ON BELARUS UNHRC CANDIDACY
REF: STATE 58054
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (C) On May 8, Charge raised reftel demarche with the MFA's
Secretary General Ambassador Jose Luis Cancela, stressing the
SIPDIS
need to keep human rights violators such as Belarus off the
UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Cancela who appeared keenly
interested in the subject said that Uruguay "had its
reputation on human rights to maintain" and requested written
points to help make the case against Belarus. (Comment:
Cancela seemed to imply that the old-line socialist Foreign
Minister Reinaldo Gargano, might need some convincing on
Belarus. End Comment.)
2. (C) On May 3, Political Counselor discussed reftel
demarche with the MFA's acting Director for Multilateral
Affairs Beatriz Nunez who acknowledged that the GOU had
received a formal request for support from Belarus. She said
that Uruguay had "no problem" in supporting Slovenia.
However, she revealed no preference for a third candidate
with strong democratic credentials that Uruguay might propose
at the May 17 GA elections in New York. Nunez also commented
that the MFA was "well aware" that Belarus was one of the
"world's worst human rights violators along with Burma."
3. (C) On May 2, per instructions reftel, PolCouns consulted
with UK embassy (DCM John Pearson) about the possibility of
presenting a joint demarche to the MFA. Pearson confirmed
that the UK did not want to specifically name Belarus in its
demarche. He then requested that the US Embassy present its
demarche to the MFA first. Pearson also asked that he be
allowed to coordinate the UK demarche with the French
Embassy, since both "are members of the EU." We agreed to
both proposals.
4. (C) Note: On April 24, Special Representative for Social
Issues Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees III raised the issue of
Belarus' UNHRC candidacy with the Deputy Foreign Minister
Maria "Belela" Herrera and other senior MFA officials present
during his meeting with them. Their response at that time was
not fully clear, though Herrera recognized problems with
Belarus' human rights record. End Note.
Nealon