ECUADOR DEMARCHE RESPONSE: 62ND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002204 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016 TAGS: PREL UNGA EC BR SUBJECT: ECUADOR DEMARCHE RESPONSE: 62ND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY REF: STATE 130775 Classified By: DCM Jefferson Brown for reasons 1.4 (B&D) ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered relevant points on U.S. UNGA priorities to MFA's Multilateral Affairs Directorate on September 21, 2007. He was not able to obtain a response until September 25 because Lourdes Puma, MFA Director General of Multilateral Affairs, was on travel. ¶2. (C) Climate Change. Puma said that President Correa had spoken on September 24 on the issue of climate change, focusing his comments on the responsibility of developed countries to assist the developing world for contamination caused in the economic success of the developed countries. His objective was to raise support for Correa's initiative to avoid drilling in the ITT oil fields in the Amazon in exchange for financial donations from the developed world. She said that she was unaware of any concrete offers of assistance so far. Puma apologized for not being aware of the Major Economies Initiative on Energy Security and Climate Change. PolOff provided a copy of the "Fact Sheet: A New International Climate Change Framework" available on the Whitehouse.gov website. Puma cautioned that she was doubtful that Ecuador would support this initiative as the USG's positions on climate change have previously differed from the Kyoto Protocol and the G-8, which Ecuador supports. ¶3. (C) Human Rights and Human Dignity. Puma noted that Ecuador supports the Third Committee in the UNGA, but did not clarify Ecuador's position regarding the Human Rights Council. She affirmed that Ecuador normally supports all initiatives that protect the rights of women and children and would likely support the resolution on "Condemning the Use of Rape as an Instrument of State Policy," adding that rape is one of the worst violations of human rights. ¶4. (C) UN Reform. Puma affirmed that Ecuador is in favor of general UN reform, said that she could not confirm support of the U.S. initiatives, but that she would study them. Puma asserted that Ecuador strongly supports Brazil's bid to a permanent seat on the UNSC, although without veto rights, clarifying that Ecuador does not believe that additional members should be given veto power. She called Brazil a close ally of Ecuador and the best choice in Latin America for such a seat, but recognized that Mexico and Argentina are opposed to this. She added that Ecuador generally supports the G-4 (Brazil, India, Germany and Japan) in their bids for a permanent UNSC seat, explaining Ecuador believes that the UNSC lacks appropriate representation. ¶5. (C) Lebanon. While expressing her understanding of the need to support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Puma questioned the budget established by the SYG and said that Ecuador's resources are thin, so financial support may be difficult. See also SEPTEL in response to STATE 129919. JEWELL