BOSNIA SEEKS GUIDANCE ON PURSUING UNHRC CANDIDACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 000528 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/PGI, IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2012 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC SI BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA SEEKS GUIDANCE ON PURSUING UNHRC CANDIDACY REF: A. LJUBLJANA 124 ¶B. STATE 21984 ¶C. SARAJEVO 438 Classified By: DCM Judith B. Cefkin. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action message. Please see action request, paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) On March 7, the DCM and BiH Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj discussed Bosnia's potential bid for one of the two Eastern European Group (EEG) seats on the UN HUMAN RIGHTS Council (REF. B and C). Alkalaj said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told him directly that if Bosnia announced its candidacy for one of the two EEG slots, Slovenia would withdraw its candidacy (REF A). ¶3. (C) Alkalaj said BiH had earlier given its support to Slovenia and did not want to upset friendly bilateral relations. He noted that if Bosnia wanted to mount a campaign for a UNHRC seat, it would need to send a representative to the March 12 foreign ministers meeting in Geneva. He asked for U.S. guidance on whether to dispatch his Deputy Minister. DCM told Alkalaj the USG did not intend to derail the Slovenian candidacy, and promised to report Alkalaj's concerns to Washington. ¶4. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Post believes that we should not push Bosnia to send a representative to the Geneva meeting to declare its candidacy for one of the EEG seats unless we are able to convince Slovenia that Bosnia's bid does not endanger Slovenia's candidacy. However, if we do want Bosnia to pursue a seat, we need to advise Alkalaj of that fact as soon as possible. We request Department guidance by March 9 as to what to tell Minister Alkalaj with respect to the March 12 meeting in Geneva. MCELHANEY