DEMARCHE ON COMPROMISE RESOLUTION ON RAPE

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 001126 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO--LUM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC KWMN PHUM SOCI UNGA TD SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON COMPROMISE RESOLUTION ON RAPE REF: A. STATE 155063 ¶B. PORT OF SPAIN 1119 ¶C. PORT OF SPAIN 1009 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) Pol Chief met with Jerome Joseph in the Multilateral Affairs Division of the MFA and urged him to have the GOTT instruct its delegation at the United Nations to co-sponsor the resolution condemning rape and to vote against any amendments, and to vote for adoption of the resolution without amendments (ref a). Mr. Joseph said he would relay the points to Multilateral Affairs Director Susan Gordon, who was not available at the time of the demarche. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Though always difficult to get the GOTT to commit in advance of a vote, it is doubly so now with the government in flux after the November 5 elections. The new Ministers, including the Foreign Minister named November 8, are at a &team building8 retreat and unavailable. Many of their senior staff members are being tasked with briefing papers and other preparatory activities and are letting normal work fall by the wayside. Having now raised this issue three times (including refs b and c and this demarche), though, we are confident the GOTT knows our position. We will continue to follow up with the MFA and report any further substantive responses. AUSTIN