OHCHR CONCERNED ABOUT FATE OF ITS OFFICE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000521

SIPDIS

ADDIS ABABA FOR US/AU MISSION

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UG TO
SUBJECT: OHCHR CONCERNED ABOUT FATE OF ITS OFFICE IN
UGANDA, PLEASED AT RENEWAL OF TOGO OFFICE

REF: 07 USUN 834

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission David Gilmour. Reasons:
1.4 (B/D).

ACTION REQUEST - PARA 5.


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) has told us it will be forced to close
its offices in Uganda within about a month unless the GoU
drops its demand for a change in OHCHR activities in the
country. The GoU insists that the OHCHR office drop its role
of reporting on human rights problems in Uganda and only work
on technical assistance, a condition that OHCHR cannot
accept. An OHCHR official noted that several Western
governments are weighing in with Kampala to change its
stance, and asked if the U.S. might do so as well. While
Uganda's position marks a continuation of efforts by some
African governments to whittle away at the country specific
work of Geneva-based human rights institutions, the renewal
of OHCHR's office in Togo marks a more encouraging piece of
news. END SUMMARY.

CHALLENGE TO OHCHR'S UGANDA OFFICE
--------------


2. (C) Scott Campbell, the head of OHCHR's Africa Unit, told
us July 7 that OHCHR will be forced to close its country
office in Uganda within about a month unless the Ugandan
government agrees to an extension of the current Memorandum
of Understanding concerning the role of the office. Whereas
the current MOU, like that for all country offices,
stipulates that the OHCHR report on human rights problems in
Uganda as well as provide technical assistance on human
rights protection, the GoU has insisted that the reporting
function be removed from the MOU. OHCHR country offices
operate according to a standard MOU whose core elements
include a reporting function. Removing that function -- in
effect precluding the office from reporting on human rights
problems in Uganda -- would be a non-starter, Campbell
insisted, and OHCHR would have to close down its office.


3. (C) The challenge to the Uganda office's continued
existence is part of a broader effort, by many African
states, to eliminate or weaken the country-specific human
rights activities of OHCHR and the Human Rights Council. As
a number of African delegations have underscored in Geneva
meetings involving the OHCHR and its former head, High
Commissioner Louise Arbour, they view the plethora of country
offices in less developed countries -- and their dearth in
the developed world -- as part of a pro-Western bias of the
OHCHR. According to Campbell, however, Uganda's decision to
insist on a change in the office's mandate also stems from
Arbour's decision to present a report on Uganda, as well as
on Nepal, to the UNGA Third Committee in October 2007
(reftel). Arbour reportedly failed to coordinate with the
GoU ahead of time, further exacerbating ill feelings. The
Africa Group in Third Committee, joined by Cuba and others,
successfully challenged presentation of that report.


4. (C) Closing the Uganda office would be particularly
unfortunate, Campbell said, because it has been among OHCHR's
more productive operations until now. OHCHR often cites its
offices in Nepal and Colombia as models of success; after
these two, the office in Uganda is the next most successful
undertaking of its kind.


5. (C) ACTION REQUEST: According to Campbell, several West
European governments are weighing in with Kampala to accept
retaining the OHCHR's reporting function in the new MOU.
Campbell believed that a similar message from the U.S.,
perhaps conveyed at high levels in Kampala, might also prove
beneficial. With the office slated to close within about a
month absent a new MOU, Campbell stressed that Kampala would
have to be persuaded quickly to reverse its position.

RENEWAL OF OHCHR'S TOGO OFFICE
--------------


6. (SBU) In contrast to the discouraging news about Uganda,
OHCHR is pleased at the renewal of its MOU for its office in
Togo. The Togo country office has fostered good progress on
human rights, Campbell believed. He hoped that the Togo
office's extension would weigh on Uganda's thinking as well.

As High Commissioner, Campbell added, Arbour had sought to
create positive reinforcement for countries like Togo and
Uganda by praising their cooperation with country offices, a
strategy that he hoped the next High Commissioner would
continue.
STORELLA