GERMANY BACKS MALDIVES DRAFT RESOLUTION,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000273 SIPDIS SIPDIS, P, G, EUR, IO, OES, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018 TAGS: KGHG MV PGOV PHUM PREL UNHRC SUBJECT: GERMANY BACKS MALDIVES DRAFT RESOLUTION, ENCOURAGES U.S. TO RECONSIDER ITS POSITION REF: STATE 19889 Classified By: Global Affairs Unit Chief Craig M. Conway for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) On February 28, ECONOFF delivered reftel points to Karsten Sach, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation at the Environment Ministry. Sach is also Germany's lead climate negotiator. Sach passed our request to both Christian Lindemann and Marcus Schroeder, who handle international legal issues at the Environment Ministry. In addition, Sach said the query had also been passed to the German delegation in Geneva along with a request for additional information. According to Reinhard Krapp, the Head of the MFA's Environmental Issues Division, the Environment Ministry's response would depend on the response from Geneva. ¶2. (SBU) On February 29, POLOFF also delivered reftel talking points to Peter Rothen and Susan Fries-Gaier in the Human Rights Division of the UN/Global Issues Office at the German MFA. Fries-Gaier said that because Germany is the "burden-sharer of this resolution within the EU," it has "a more positive assessment" than the USG of the Maldives resolution. Germany does not believe the Maldives resolution negatively interferes with the ongoing discussion on climate change, Fries-Gaier said. She added that the resolution is based on a demand by the UN Secretary General to "sensitize" all UN bodies on the important matter of climate change. Since the relationship between human rights and climate change is "not yet defined," Fries-Gaier said, Germany believes it is "appropriate for the UN Human Rights Council as a UN body to look into this issue." Fries-Gaier commented that the resolution is merely "a first step" towards studying the relationship between human rights and climate change" more thoroughly. She asked that the U.S. consider "a more positive approach" to the resolution. ¶3. (C) Post Comment. Given past differences between Germany and the USG on the overall viability of the UNHRC, and that Germany is the co-sponsor of this resolution, the MFA's response is not surprising. Although Germany concedes the UNHRC has flaws, it remains committed to this body as a forum to raise a variety of multilateral issues -- including, it would seem, climate change. KOENIG