CZECHS TORN ON ISSUE OF COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SPECIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000509 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS EUR/NCE, DRL/MLGA FOR LAURA JORDAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL EUN EZ SUBJECT: CZECHS TORN ON ISSUE OF COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS REF: STATE 60672 Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) MFA Human Rights Department official Jan Kaminek informed Poloff on May 9 that the Czech government has not yet decided how it will vote on the issue of UNHRC country-specific mandates for Cuba and Belarus. Kaminek said the decision will be made by Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg next week. ¶2. (C/NF) Kaminek explained the difficult choice facing the Czechs: the upcoming vote is for a package of reforms. To vote for the package is to (1) join the consensus of 45 countries, and (2) adopt much-needed reforms for the UNHRC, reforms on which the Czechs have worked diligently over the past year. The price for consensus and reform, however, is the elimination of the country-specific mandates for Cuba and Belarus. To vote against the reform package is to essentially destroy the UNHRC. ¶3. (C/NF) Kaminek said these mandates, while important, are only symbols. They have no teeth. Special rapporteurs cannot enter either Cuba or Belarus, and their recommendations carry no weight. With a heavy heart, Kaminek informed Poloff that the Human Rights Department will therefore recommend voting for the package. In the view of the HR Department, the importance of symbols is far outweighed by the importance of the reforms (which, he pointed out, have special procedures that do/do have teeth, such as the Universal Periodic Review and the Complaint Mechanism). He could not guess what FM Schwarzenberg's final decision will be on the issue. GRABER