UNGA: ITALY ON HUMAN RIGHTS THEMATIC RESOLUTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001906 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE DRL/MLGA FOR GIANNI PAZ STATE IO/RHS FOR AMY OSTERMEIER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2017 TAGS: EUN PREL UNGA IT SUBJECT: UNGA: ITALY ON HUMAN RIGHTS THEMATIC RESOLUTIONS REF: SECSTATE 122654 Classified By: Acting Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to MFA Office Director for Human Rights Laura Carpini August 31. Poloff pressed for Italian support for transmission of the Human Rights Council report to the UN General Assembly Plenary via the Third Committee and communicated USG concerns about the EU-sponsored death penalty resolution. Poloff followed up with Carpini September 7 after she returned from the coordinating meeting in Brussels. ¶2. (C) Carpini said Italy was concerned that insisting on transmission of the HRC report to the UNGA Plenary through the Third Committee would reduce the stature of the Council. Italy believes the HRC should be a "primary organ" of the United Nations, and that the U.S. proposal would diminish the role of the Council. ¶3. (C) The EU position on the death penalty is clear, said Carpini, and while the exact language of the EU death penalty resolution was still in flux, it would certainly call for a moratorium on the death penalty in all instances. Italian public opinion is also strongly in favor of this position, she said. ¶4. (C) Speaking to poloff after returning from Brussels, Carpini said there was general agreement at the coordinating meeting on sharing the text of the death penalty resolution with the U.S. before tabling it. Carpini registered our concerns about the Special Representative on Violence Against Children and the religious intolerance resolution, but said no decisions had been taken on these matters as of September ¶5. SPOGLI