DEMARCHE DELIVERED: OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH

UNCLAS HANOI 001290 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR IO/UNP (MORRISON),EAP/MLS (BLACKSHAW) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA IS PA LE SY VM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: OPPOSING UNGA RESOLUTIONS WITH ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS REF: STATE 123081 ¶1. (SBU) In a November 24 conversation with MFA IO Division Head Pham Hai Anh Deputy PolCouns expressed U.S. concern over the disproportionate number of unhelpful and biased resolutions criticizing Israel under consideration at the UN General Assembly. Per reftel, DPolCouns urged Vietnam, as a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, to use its influence to reduce the number of such resolutions and, in particular, not to support the three resolutions reaffirming the "Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People," the "Division for Palestinian Rights within the UN Secretariat," and the "Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories." Noting that Vietnam had supported similar resolutions in the past, DPolCouns urged Vietnam's UN Mission to at least abstain or not be present. ¶2. (SBU) Anh promised to pass along the substance of the demarche to the MFA leadership. Anh said that having just returned from a tour at Vietnam's UN Mission, he was well aware of the issue's importance to the United States. Regardless of Vietnam's position on the UNGA resolutions, which Anh conceded, as a personal opinion, were disproportionate in number, Vietnam shared U.S. aspirations for a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. Anh said that he was not prepared to comment on the three specific resolutions, but would raise the issue with his superiors. MICHALAK