DEMARCHE DELIVERED: USG AND THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000501 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, IO/UNP, DRL/MLGA LSICADE AND IO/RHS AOSTERMEIER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM UN CS SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: USG AND THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 61034 ¶1. On June 10, we delivered reftel points to Viviana Tinoco, MFA Human Rights Officer. Tinoco told us that Costa Rica affiliated as only an observer to the HRC upon its 2006 inception since Costa Rica's efforts and resources were then already focused on winning a UNSC seat. She had not heard about the U.S. decision to stop participating in the HRC, evinced little reaction when we informed her, and said that the GOCR has no substantive response to our demarche. ¶2. Tinoco did say that due to earlier criticism of the HRC's "politicized" activities, Costa Rica planned to join other countries to establish a peer-based Universal Periodic Review of the HRC's activities and of the human rights situations in other countries. ¶3. On June 12, PolCouns followed up with Antonio Alarcon, Chief of Staff to FM Bruno Stagno. Alarcon had already been briefed by Tinoco, and offered a similarly supportive but non-substantive response. He promised to inform the FM (currently visiting India) of the USG position. CIANCHETTE