UK WELCOMES SEXUAL VIOLENCE DEBATE, BUT LEVEL OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001566 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM AORC KWMN UN UNSC UK SUBJECT: UK WELCOMES SEXUAL VIOLENCE DEBATE, BUT LEVEL OF ATTENDANCE UNCERTAIN REF: STATE 059132 Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Richard Mills, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) On June 4, PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Michael Cotterall of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO),who is the Head of the Peacekeeping Unit of the International Organizations Bureau. Cotterall said HMG is looking forward to working with the USG on the issue of Sexual Violence in Situations of Armed Conflict, that the FCO hopes to build on existing protocols, and has high expectations that establishing concrete steps to deal with the violence against women and children in conflict situations is achievable. ¶2. (C/NF) Cotterall said that while this is an important issue for HMG, no one at the FCO has been designated to attend the Thematic Debate. The Foreign Secretary will "most likely" be attending a European Council meeting scheduled for the same day, nor are senior ministers available. Cotterall said that HMG was trying hard to arrange senior level participation but had yet to secure it. Those to be apporached about attending are the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, and the Government's leader in the House of Lords, Baroness Ashton. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom LeBaron