ICELAND: LIKELY SUPPORT FOR GAER IN COMMITTEE AGAINST

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000276 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/RHS, L/HRR, DRL, EUR/NB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA IC SUBJECT: ICELAND: LIKELY SUPPORT FOR GAER IN COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE ELECTION REFS: A) STATE 107679 B) REYKJAVIK C) STATE 130973 ¶1. (SBU) On September 20, Post reiterated to the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs the importance the USG places on Felice Gaer's election to the UN Committee Against Torture (Ref C). MFA Minister-Counsellor for International Organization Affairs Nikulas Hannigan repeated the position reported Ref B that Iceland favors Gaer's candidacy but has not yet taken a final decision. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: In response to Ref C questions, Post notes that Iceland has a consistent pattern in recent years of supporting U.S. candidates for UN human rights-related bodies. Post believes Iceland will vote for Gaer in this case and that a senior-level phone call will not be necessary to secure this support. Engagement on the margins of UNGA with Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir (who will be attending the Secretary's Transatlantic Dinner on September 26 as well as the Women Leaders' Working Group Breakfast on September 28) or Permanent Secretary of State Gretar Mar Sigurdsson would not be counter-productive, however. KLOPFENSTEIN