Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SANTODOMINGO1934
2007-08-16 19:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Santo Domingo
Cable title:
DOMINICANS CALL IN CHARGE ON SECURITY COUNCIL
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHDG #1934 2281924 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 161924Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8975 INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 2091 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 0805 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY 0998 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY 2780 RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO PRIORITY 1132 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 4669 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY 1833 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001934
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA CS DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICANS CALL IN CHARGE ON SECURITY COUNCIL
CANDIDACY
REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 0756
B. STATE 46366
UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001934
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA CS DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICANS CALL IN CHARGE ON SECURITY COUNCIL
CANDIDACY
REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 0756
B. STATE 46366
1. (U) This is an action request; please see para. 5.
2. (U) Background: The Dominican Republic announced its
candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) for the 2008-2009 period prior to the
2006 General Assembly. At the time, they were also
positioning themselves as a possible compromise candidate in
the event of a deadlock between Venezuela and Guatemala.
Prior to today, the last Security Council candidacy demarche
received by Post was in April (Ref A),at which time we
replied that it is the U.S. practice to defer to the views of
the regional groupings (Ref B).
3. (SBU) On August 16, Foreign Minister Morales called the
Charge in to receive a demarche on the Dominican candidacy
for the UNSC. Because of a schedule conflict, the Charge was
received by Deputy Foreign Minister Trullols. Trullols laid
out the Dominican case for UNSC membership:
-- The Dominican Republic has never served on the UNSC and
Costa Rica (their challenger) has served on two occasions.
-- On the last instance that the Dominicans ran, they ceded
to Mexico. It would not be appropriate for them to cede
again, since the Dominicans are one of only a very small
number of founding members of the UN to never have been a
UNSC member.
-- As a founding member of the UN, the Dominican Republic has
been an active and responsible participant in a variety of UN
bodies.
-- If Costa Rica were to be elected, two Central American
countries would be on the Council (Panama is a current
member),but the Caribbean would not be represented.
4. (SBU) Trullols also described the Dominican Republic's
diplomatic offensive to gain a seat on the UNSC. FM Morales
will travel shortly to Europe and then on to Asia to seek the
support of countries in those regions. He also plans to a
visit to Brazil in this near-term, where a number of African
foreign ministers will be gathering for an international
meeting. Trullols recently returned from North Africa, where
he pressed the Dominican candidacy, and will travel soon to
New York to meeting with permanent representatives to the UN,
with a particular emphasis on African states. Alejandra
Liriano, who is also a Deputy Foreign Minister, will visit
CARICOM countries in the coming days. Trullols told the
Charge that the Dominican Republic currently had 25 votes
confirmed and an additional 50 promised.
5. (SBU) Action request: Given that the Dominican diplomatic
push is targeting the entire General Assembly, it is clear
that they do not expect a consensus to emerge within the
Latin America and Caribbean group. Post therefore requests
updated guidance on how to respond to the Dominican request
for U.S. support for their UNSC candidacy.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: While he has not said so explicitly, we
believe FM Morales seeks U.S. support for the Dominican
candidacy as a response to their vote in favor of Guatemala
last year. At the time, Morales made a point of informing
Post that he personally traveled to New York to cast the vote
himself.
(U) This report and additional information can be found on
Embassy Santo Domingo's SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
BULLEN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CAR; USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA CS DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICANS CALL IN CHARGE ON SECURITY COUNCIL
CANDIDACY
REF: A. SANTO DOMINGO 0756
B. STATE 46366
1. (U) This is an action request; please see para. 5.
2. (U) Background: The Dominican Republic announced its
candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) for the 2008-2009 period prior to the
2006 General Assembly. At the time, they were also
positioning themselves as a possible compromise candidate in
the event of a deadlock between Venezuela and Guatemala.
Prior to today, the last Security Council candidacy demarche
received by Post was in April (Ref A),at which time we
replied that it is the U.S. practice to defer to the views of
the regional groupings (Ref B).
3. (SBU) On August 16, Foreign Minister Morales called the
Charge in to receive a demarche on the Dominican candidacy
for the UNSC. Because of a schedule conflict, the Charge was
received by Deputy Foreign Minister Trullols. Trullols laid
out the Dominican case for UNSC membership:
-- The Dominican Republic has never served on the UNSC and
Costa Rica (their challenger) has served on two occasions.
-- On the last instance that the Dominicans ran, they ceded
to Mexico. It would not be appropriate for them to cede
again, since the Dominicans are one of only a very small
number of founding members of the UN to never have been a
UNSC member.
-- As a founding member of the UN, the Dominican Republic has
been an active and responsible participant in a variety of UN
bodies.
-- If Costa Rica were to be elected, two Central American
countries would be on the Council (Panama is a current
member),but the Caribbean would not be represented.
4. (SBU) Trullols also described the Dominican Republic's
diplomatic offensive to gain a seat on the UNSC. FM Morales
will travel shortly to Europe and then on to Asia to seek the
support of countries in those regions. He also plans to a
visit to Brazil in this near-term, where a number of African
foreign ministers will be gathering for an international
meeting. Trullols recently returned from North Africa, where
he pressed the Dominican candidacy, and will travel soon to
New York to meeting with permanent representatives to the UN,
with a particular emphasis on African states. Alejandra
Liriano, who is also a Deputy Foreign Minister, will visit
CARICOM countries in the coming days. Trullols told the
Charge that the Dominican Republic currently had 25 votes
confirmed and an additional 50 promised.
5. (SBU) Action request: Given that the Dominican diplomatic
push is targeting the entire General Assembly, it is clear
that they do not expect a consensus to emerge within the
Latin America and Caribbean group. Post therefore requests
updated guidance on how to respond to the Dominican request
for U.S. support for their UNSC candidacy.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: While he has not said so explicitly, we
believe FM Morales seeks U.S. support for the Dominican
candidacy as a response to their vote in favor of Guatemala
last year. At the time, Morales made a point of informing
Post that he personally traveled to New York to cast the vote
himself.
(U) This report and additional information can be found on
Embassy Santo Domingo's SIPRNET site,
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/
BULLEN