FINDING A WAY TO CONTINUE UN HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000264 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2013 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AO SUBJECT: FINDING A WAY TO CONTINUE UN HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAMS IN ANGOLA REF: A) LUANDA 0255 B) LUANDA 0248 Classified By: Ambassador Dan Mozena for Reasons 1.5 (B&D). ¶1. (U) This is an action message - see paragraph 7. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: Contrary to what Vice Minister of Foreign Relations Jorge Chicoti told us on March 31 (ref A),the GRA (via a note verbale dated April 1) ordered the Human Rights Office in Angola (HROA) to close out all programs and cease operations by May 31, 2008. The local UN country team, which currently suffers from weak leadership, is now grappling with how/whether to sustain current human rights programs in Angola. Post will keep up pressure on the UN leadership here to find creative ways to sustain these important programs. Perhaps the Department would wish to ask US Mission Geneva to pursue a similar line with the UN there. END SUMMARY ¶3. (SBU) In Geneva, the GRA informed the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) in a curt April 1, 2008 note verbale that the HROA must close out its programs and cease operations by May 31 (text of note verbale e-mailed to AF/S). Although OHCHR Geneva has not yet made a formal statement in response to the GRA decision to close the HRO in Luanda, HROA Head Vegard Bye stated that the note preempted planned negotiations for an orderly transition of the office's programs and activities. A mid-level OHCHR delegation from Geneva will arrive in Angola on April 7th to coordinate the HROA's closure. ¶4. (C) In an April 2nd meeting with the diplomatic community, Bye outlined several possibilities for continued technical cooperation with the GRA on human rights issues. He urged diplomatic missions to increase support for local civil society organizations and to take a more active stance against reported human rights violations. Concerning programmatic functions that might be continued, Bye suggested the UNDP's Governance Unit or the regional office in Pretoria could take on some of the ongoing activities. He also advocated for the assignment of an OHCHR Human Rights Advisor to the Resident Coordinator's office, and/or the creation of a Human Rights Unit within the Resident Coordinator's office. ¶5. (C) Pressure is now on the UN system to make decisions on the future of the various human rights programs. Bye indicated that OHCHR's initial inclination was to take the note verbale as an order to cease all programs, rather than seek an opportunity to continue the programs under the auspices of another part of the UN system. ¶6. (C) In an April 2 telephone call to Ambassador Mozena, Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Jorge Chicoti reiterated that Angola was "not moving away from its commitment to respect human rights." He lauded the "good job" done by the HROA and regretted how the GRA had gone about closing the office, adding that "some in the government seem to have forgotten that the HROA was set up initially at the government's request." Chicoti said now the task is to "make a proper transfer of HROA responsibilities and programs to other partners and stakeholders." In response to Mozena's query, Chicoti said he would work with the OHCHR team visiting Angola next week to find a way to transfer HROA's programs to other entities. ¶7. (C) Comment: The leadership of the UN team in Angola is weak; there has been no Resident Coordinator since March, ¶2007. In this circumstance, Post is concerned that the UN team here will be hard pressed to work out creative means to sustain HROA's important ongoing human rights programs. Post will keep up the pressure here on the UN team to do just that. Perhaps the Department may wish to consider requesting US Mission Geneva to pursue a similar line with the UN there. MOZENA