ROKG COMMENTS ON U.S. GOALS FOR FOURTH HRC SESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000673 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/RHS AND DRL/MLGA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNHRC KS SUBJECT: ROKG COMMENTS ON U.S. GOALS FOR FOURTH HRC SESSION REF: STATE 197809 Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) On March 5, poloff delivered reftel points on U.S. priorities at the Human Right Council fourth session to Kim Pil-woo, Deputy Director of MOFAT Human Rights and Social Affairs Division and requested ROKG views. On March 7, Kim responded with an initial assessment, adding that MOFAT was still consulting with its Mission in Geneva on next steps. Generally speaking, Kim thought the USG goals were clear and ambitious. ¶2. (C) Commenting on the five USG goals, Kim noted that a call for a Special Session on Burma (Goal One) would require support from one-third of HRC member countries and would need to be initiated by a HRC member country. He asked if the United States, which was not a HRC member country, had identified a member country to introduce the call for a Special Session on Burma. On Sudan (Goal Two),Kim said that Seoul agreed with Washington on the need to condemn the GOS for its refusal to allow the Sudan Assessment Mission to visit, adding that the ROKG intended to make a similar statement at the HRC. The ROKG, however, had not yet determined whether to support a follow-up resolution calling on the GOS to grant entry to the team. On the survival of country-specific mandates (Goal Three),Kim stated that Seoul supported their maintenance. On blocking permanent agenda items on Israel (Goal Four) and protecting freedom of expression (Goal Five),Kim said that that MOFAT needed time to consult with its Mission in Geneva. Specifically, Seoul would be interested to see draft U.S. amendments to an anticipated OIC defamation resolution, he said. VERSHBOW