ICELAND: VERY SUPPORTIVE OF RESOLUTION AGAINST USE OF RAPE

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000292 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/RHS (LUM),DRL, EUR/NB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA IC SUBJECT: ICELAND: VERY SUPPORTIVE OF RESOLUTION AGAINST USE OF RAPE AS INSTRUMENT OF STATE POLICY REF: STATE 135255 ¶1. (SBU) Pol Chief passed reftel draft resolution to Ingibjorg Davidsdottir, Counsellor for Human Rights at the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 26 September, and followed up to present reftel talking points on 1 October. Davidsdottir reported that the draft resolution looked like something that Iceland could easily support and would likely move to co-sponsor. She took on board Pol Chief's cautions regarding amendments that would clearly block U.S. sponsorship for the resolution. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Iceland is a near-certain supporter and/or co-sponsor of the resolution, particularly in the context of comments to the press by the Foreign Minister during her visit to UNGA. In those statements, the Minister lauded the Secretary's Women Leaders' Working Group and the useful discussion there regarding organized mass rapes and their use as an instrument of state policy. VAN VOORST