DEMARCHING EU STATES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 147620 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017 TAGS: CU UNGA PHUM SUBJECT: DEMARCHING EU STATES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION ON CUBA Classified By: Assistant Secretary Kristen Silverberg, reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) For the first time in seven years, there is no specific mandate on human rights in Cuba in the United Nations human rights machinery. While the Department and NSC have discussed numerous options for running a Cuba resolution at the UN Third Committee to shine the spotlight on the Cuban regime's abysmal human rights record, Department has chosen instead to use our decision not to run a resolution as an opportunity to urge the EU and/or individual EU member states to partner with the U.S. in pressing the Cuban regime for real change. In addition, the EU continues to support a Cuba-sponsored Embargo resolution at the UNGA which holds the U.S. solely responsible for Cuba's economic hardships. This year the U.S. does not plan to support amendments to the annual Cuba embargo resolution. We urge the EU to drop its support for this resolution. ¶3. (C) The EU itself renewed its 1996 Common Position in June, with a General Affairs and External Relations statement that deplored the human rights situation in Cuba; urged the GOC to unconditionally release all political prisoners; called on the GOC to grant freedom of information; reaffirmed its support for civil society and dissidents; and recognized the right of Cuban citizens to decide their own future. Despite the EU's decision to renew the common position, there remains a contingent within the EU, led by and largely consisting of Spain, which insists the Cuban regime has improved its human rights record. A USG effort to work collaboratively with the EU on Cuba will therefore likely be met with significant resistance from Spain, and possibly other member states. We are seeking in this approach to bind Spain more closely to the EU Common Position - and our policy. ACTION REQUEST - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) EU Member State posts and USEU are requested to draw on the following points to urge respective Foreign Ministries to balance out the loss of the Cuban Special Representative at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and pursue actions to promote democratic transition in Cuba. -- We applaud the EU's decision this summer to renew the Common Position on Cuba. That decision sent a clear message to Havana that the EU would not turn a blind eye to repression of the peaceful opposition movement on the island. -- Nevertheless, the loss of the Cuba Special Representative during the last HRC has eliminated one of the few tools in the UN system to monitor human rights in Cuba. -- The U.S. will not introduce a Cuba resolution at the current UNGA or call for a vote on the HRC package which eliminated the Cuba Special Representative. However, we believe that it is crucial that human rights in Cuba continue to appear on the UN agenda. -- Therefore, instead of seeking a U.S.-sponsored resolution without EU support, we propose the following cooperative approaches and would be interested in coordinating with the EU or individual European member states on any or all of them: -------------- Internal Political Dialogue: Present a joint U.S.-EU demarche to the Secretary General, asking him and his special representatives to seek the release of all political prisoners and offer to establish a dialogue between the GOC and Cuban civil society, including peaceful dissidents and the democratic opposition. As a first step, the UN should establish regular contacts with peaceful dissidents and the democratic opposition. -------------- Reporting by Rapporteurs: Present joint U.S.-EU demarches to the thematic rapporteurs (e.g., arbitrary detention, torture, freedom of expression, human rights defenders, and media freedom),urging the rapporteurs to seek access to and issue reports on Cuba and Cuban government cooperation with their individual mandates, thereby filling STATE 00147620 002 OF 002 the void left by the HRC elimination of the Cuba mandate. -------------- Freedom for Political Prisoners: Organize an event on the anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration (Dec. 10) to call on the release of political prisoners in Cuba, jointly sponsored by the U.S. and the EU, or targeted European nations. The event may also feature NGO leaders from EU member states that work on Cuba. The event would feature family members of political prisoners drawn from the Cuban Diaspora in the U.S., Sweden, Spain, etc. (Note: Potential EU co-hosts could include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Baltics, Netherlands and France. End Note). The U.S. is open to EU views on the best way forward. -------------- General Assembly Resolution: A Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) resolution honoring and highlighting the work of former and current political prisoners. The resolution will not be aimed at or mention a specific country but will focus on the theme of political prisoners. The resolution will call for creation of a new rapporteur to report on the situation of political prisoners around the world. (Note: Specific draft text will be sent septel or via email. End Note.) REPORTING DEADLINE - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (U) Posts are requested to use the SIPDIS caption and report the results of this demarche by October 31, 2007. RICE