UNGA HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES DEMARCHE DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000678 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/RHS REBECCA JOVIN, DRL/MLGA LYNN SICADE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL UN BF SUBJECT: UNGA HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 93981 ¶B. NASSAU 657 ¶C. NASSAU 644 Classified By: Charge Zuniga-Brown for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PolChief delivered demarche points on UN General Assembly Third Committee human rights priorities (ref A)to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Under Secretary and Head of International Relations Division, Marilyn Zonicle September 22, completing an introductory round of MFA meetings that urged continued Bahamian support for U.S. priorities at the UNGA on human rights (reftel B, C). Ms. Zonicle, who will accompany Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Brent Symonette to New York for the UNGA session, took note of the points but made no direct reply. To PolChief's query on the GCOB's pattern of voting with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the UNGA, Ms. Zonicle replied that The Bahamas did not regularly attend NAM meetings, aside from occasional summits, and took an "independent" stance at the UN, including not acknowledging the NAM statement in their remarks. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The GCOB's voting coincidence on the main resolutions at the UN in 2007 continued the positive trend noted already in 2006 under the previous government, when The Bahamas also supported country-specific resolutions on human rights. Room for improvement remains. In 2006, The Bahamas did not vote with the U.S. on the resolution combating defamation of religions and disagreed on 6 important votes of 13 (with one abstention) in 2007. ZUNIGA-BROWN