CZECH GENEVA PERMREP ON HUMAN RIGHTS GOALS DURING

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000993

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM EU UNHRC EC
SUBJECT: CZECH GENEVA PERMREP ON HUMAN RIGHTS GOALS DURING
EU PRESIDENCY

REF: GENEVA

Classified By: DCM Mark C. Storella for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: During its EU presidency, the Czech
Mission will try to hold the EU to hard red lines on Middle
East and freedom of expression issues for the Durban Review
Conference outcome document. Absent an EU consensus, the
Czechs would consider not participating if offensive language
remains. The Czechs do not yet have any specific plans to
press immediate review of the Human Rights Council. End
Summary.


2. (C) Czech PermRep Tomas Husak told DCM November 18 that
dealing effectively with the Durban Review Conference would
be a priority for the Czech EU presidency beginning January

1. Husak expressed concern that the preparations for an
outcome document had gone in a bad direction, particularly in
terms of an unbalanced focus on Palestinian-Israeli issues
and bad language on freedom of expression and "religious
defamation." Husak wanted to hold EU states to firm red
lines, but expected that many EU member states would make
their red lines "elastic." The Czech Republic is close to
the UK on the issue (see RefTel) and would consider not
participating in the RevCon if the document seemed too
offensive and there was no EU consensus. He personally
(please protect) hoped the efforts slated for January to
rationalize the existing text failed so that the choice would
be easier. He believed some other EU states might consider
not participating if offensive language remained, but
declined to say which ones.


3. (C) We noted the President's call for an immediate
review of the Human rights Council and urged the Czech
presidency to get the ball rolling within the EU. Husak said
the Czech EU presidency would want to work to make the Human
Rights Council more effective, but that the Czechs had no
specific plans regarding Council reform at this stage. DCM
urged that the EU consider ways to advance early Council
reform and noted that improvements in the Council's
performance would be the best way to ensure that the U.S.
would be able to play a bigger role.


4. (C) Husak said that, in general, Prague planned to make
economic issues and European competitiveness the main themes
of its EU presidency. The Czechs would let France continue
to take the lead on some issues that France had championed
during its presidency, including the Mediterranean Alliance.
He noted that his own staff would be more than doubled from
18 to 22 members to support all the organizational burdens
his mission would face in Geneva as EU president.


5. (C) Comment: The Czech mission has not been very active
on human rights issues in Geneva. While PermRep Husak is
personally dedicated to human rights principles, his mission
does not yet seem well organized to advance an effective
human rights agenda during its EU presidency. End Comment.
TICHENOR