UNGA 3RD COMMITTEE 2008 HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES --

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001412

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/RHS R JOVIN, DRL/MLGA L SICADE AND EUR/WE K
SHARPE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN EU BE
SUBJECT: UNGA 3RD COMMITTEE 2008 HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES --
BELGIAN MFA RESPONSES TO OUR DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 95334

Classified By: POL/ECON ACTING Elizabeth Ewing for reasons 1.4(b) and (
d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Speaking both as the Human Rights person at
the Belgian MFA and as a participant in the EU Working Group
on Human Rights meeting of September 4-5, Francine Chainye
told Poloff Judith Heimann:
--There were no surprises in our demarche talking points
(reftel) except for Belarus (see para 2, below).
--The GoB is on "precisely the same wavelength" on the evils
of No-Action Motions and will be working with other friendly
countries to fight them.
--The GOB favors using the UNGA Third Committee whenever
possible.
--The GOB is "100 percent in agreement" with us in opposing
the efforts to limit freedom of expression and opinion. See
para (6) for a request for an advance text on what we would
propose as a resolution on this.
--The GoB is also determined to try to maintain the mandate
of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Sudan
--and asked our help in preventing the loss of mandate for
the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burundi. In this
connection, she specifically asks our help in demarching the
Burundians. (see para 5, below).
END SUMMARY


2. (C) BELARUS: Given the fact that legislative elections
there will take place September 28th, the MFA is very
surprised that we don't want to push for a resolution to push
them to behave correctly. ACTION REQUESTED: She wonders
would it be possible for the USG to reconsider its position
if the election process in Belarus turns out not to be a step
forward? She said none of the EU countries are planning to
present a Belarus resolution but Belgium (and possibly the
EU) would like the USG to do so if Belarus does not make more
progress than it has to date. The GoB (and the EU's) reason
for not presenting one themselves is that, with DPRK and
Burma resolutions, they believe that maxes out their capacity
for presenting resolutions at one UNGA Third Committee
meeting.


3. (C) IRAN: Chinaiye said that, unlike DPRK and Burma, which
present few political risks, the Iran resolution is always
risky. She recalls the "enormous amount of lobbying" that
was needed to avoid a no-motion action on Iran last year and
that it nonetheless almost passed. Still, the GoB is
prepared to put in the effort again this year.


4. (C) ZIMBABWE: Given the solidarity of the Africa bloc, the
MFA sees little point in trying to push for a resolution this
time, particularly while the two rivals for political power
are engaged in a dialogue.


5. (C) BURUNDI: Chinaiye raised the fear of losing the
Special Rapporteur mandate, given that the Burundians want it
to end and the DRC has already lost its rapporteur. The GoB
is anxious, because the Burundi situation is fragile and
could easily get worse. ACTION REQUESTED: The new Belgian
ambassador will have just arrived in Bujumbura tomorrow and
won't have his letters of credence yet. Therefore she
wonders if the Burundian minister will be going to Washington
before going on to the UNGA and if the State Department might
be able to demarche her on the need to keep that special
rapporteur.


6. (C) THEMATIC RESOLUTIONS: Chainye said the GoB and the EU
Working Group are in "100 percent agreement" on the serious
threat to freedom of expression and belief that our reftel
refers to. ACTION REQUESTED: She would welcome getting an
advance copy of our draft text on this matter in order to
help align the EU statements on the matter. On the OIC's
Defamation of Religions, the GoB and the EU plan to counter
this resolution with the EU's own Religious Tolerance
resolution, which will be presented to the Third Committee.

BUSH

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