RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000371

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/MLGA GIANNI PAZ
DEPT ALSO FOR IO/RHS AMY OSTERMEIER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PJUS PREL SOCI GT
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
DPRK MANDATE RENEWAL

REF: STATE 29458


1. Poloff delivered reftel talking points to Luis Carranza,
Director of Multilateral Policy at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, seeking GOG support for DPRK mandate extension and
support for the other country-specific mandates that are up
for renewal. Carranza said that Guatemala would not oppose
the DPRK mandate renewal, but that if there is no consensus
it would abstain on the vote with an explanation of
abstention.


2. Carranza said that Guatemala is concerned about the human
rights situation in North Korea, but believes that the best
way to address the problem is through the UN Human Rights
Council's Universal Periodic Review. From its own
experiences during the internal conflict, Guatemala believes
that countries' human rights situations can improve if
countries support voluntary peer mechanisms, such as the
Universal Periodic Review. Carranza said that Guatemala,
like many other Latin American countries, prefers voluntary
review, which gives countries the opportunity to report on
their own human rights situation, to special rapporteurs.


3. Carranza noted that the current composition of the UN
Human Rights Council is dominated by countries with
questionable human rights records, and that the special
rapporteur system is effective only to the extent that
countries cooperate with the rapporteurs. Carranza stated,
however, that Guatemala would support investigations, in
accordance with international standards, by a special
rapporteur, independent investigator, or special commission
in situations of flagrant violations of human rights, such as
in Darfur. However, even in those situations, he said,
political motives would have to be carefully analyzed.
Derham