YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE PASSAGE OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 117901 TO THE AMBASSADOR OR CHARGE FROM ASSITANT SECRETARIES BOUCHER HOOK AND KRAMER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL SUBJECT: YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE PASSAGE OF THE RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN. REF: STATE 93981 Classified By: David J. Kramer per E.O. 12948 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) Department requests that posts encourage host governments to vote against no-action motions and for the resolutions on Iran, Burma, and DPRK. Votes on these resolutions and on any associated no-action motions are expected later this month in the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Ambassador or Charge is requested to engage at the highest appropriate level, drawing on host country's past voting record and on the background and key priorities outlined below. Adoption of the Iran resolution is Department,s highest Third Committee priority, though the Burma and DPRK resolutions are also very important. End Summary. Objective ¶2. (U) Department requests that posts pursue the following objectives. If post believes this demarche would be counterproductive, Post is requested to so advise Department and not demarche. -- For Embassy Kathmandu: Express the United States, gratitude for abstention across the board in the 2007 session of the General Assembly on country-specific human rights resolutions and on associated motions for no action, and encourage host government to abstain once again. -- For Embassy Kabul: Express gratitude for support on Burma in 2007 and seek support again this year. Encourage host government to be absent on the Iran votes (no-action motion and the resolution itself). -- For Embassy New Delhi: Encourage host government to re-examine its policy of opposition to country specific resolutions. On Bhutan: Encourage host government to continue its abstentions on Iran (on the no-action motion and on the resolution itself). -- For all other SCA Embassies: Your host government has a mixed record. Please see para 8 below. Where possible encourage host governments to abstain or be absent on both Iran votes. -- For all posts: Emphasize that the use of no-action motions is a serious problem for the UNGA that all countries must continue to fight. The U.S. and numerous other countries strongly oppose the use of such motions to prevent discussion of and action on the very human rights issues that the Third Committee is supposed to address. Where possible encourage host governments to vote against or abstain on the no-action motion on Burma and to support or abstain on the substantive resolution. Host governments should also be encouraged to vote in favor of the resolution on DPRK and to oppose a no-action motion in the unlikely event such a motion is offered (it has not been in the past). REPORTING DEADLINE ¶3. (U) The Department requests a response via front channel cable by Wednesday, November 12. Please copy USUN on all responses. Ambassador or Charge is asked to include any thoughts on necessary next steps, such as a call from an Assistant Secretary or a Seventh Floor principal. Posts, thoughts on how to best frame the US argument are welcomed. Ideas on other incentives Post may think useful are also welcomed. BACKGROUND ¶4. (U) The United States agenda for the UNGA Third Committee necessitates concerted, high-level lobbying for every potential vote in order to achieve success. Votes from countries in your region were crucial last year and will be even more important this year. ¶5. (U) The top USG priority is the adoption of a Canadian-led resolution condemning the deteriorating situation of human rights in Iran. Other important initiatives include the EU-led resolutions on the human rights situations in Burma and DPRK. ¶6. (U) Both the Iran and Burma resolutions face certain no-action motions, a procedural maneuver used to stifle debate and voting. It is the firm U.S. position that countries voting in favor of no-action motions on country resolutions are voting to support the violation of human rights in those countries. The U.S. opposes no-action motions in the Third Committee as a matter of principle. ¶7. (U) The 2007 no-action motion on Iran failed by only one vote; we have every reason to believe this will be a more difficult fight this year. Every vote counts. Therefore, we must praise and thank countries that have stood firm and voted &no8 against no action motions, appeal to those who have abstained to vote no, and encourage those who have voted &yes8 in support of the no action motions to at least abstain or be absent. ¶8. (C) In SCA the critical swing countries are Nepal, Afghanistan and Bhutan. A non-inclusive background summary of country voting histories from the 2007 Iran, Burma and DPRK resolutions and no action motions follows: -- On the Iran no-action motion, Bhutan and Nepal abstained. All other SCA countries supported no-action. On substance Bhutan and Nepal abstained, the Maldives were absent. All other SCA countries voted against the Iran resolution. -- Burma: On the Burma no-action motion, Afghanistan opposed. Nepal and Turkmenistan abstained. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, the Maldives and Kyrgyzstan were absent. On substance, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan supported the resolution. Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan abstained. All other SCA countries opposed. --- DPRK: There was no no-action motion in 2007. Uzbekistan voted against the DPRK resolution. India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan abstained. All other SCA posts voted in favor of the DPRK resolution. ¶9. (U) Countries should be encouraged not only to oppose no-action motions, but also to support the substantive resolutions for which these motions are called. Votes will likely be the week of November 24, but could come as early as November 18. (Note: The UNGA Third Committee, which meets for seven weeks each October and November, is comprised of all 192 UN member states.) ¶10. (C) When delivering the demarche, posts are urged to consult UN and/or Bureau of International Organization Affairs (IO) records on past voting practices of host countries. UN voting sheets for all Third Committee resolutions for 2006 and 2007 are available on the IO/RHS unclass intranet website at http://www. io.state.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=public. display&shortcut=4Y5P. ¶11. (C) Posts may also use the non-papers on Iran, Burma and the DPRK found at the Bureau of International Organization,s SBU intranet site as background and if useful as a handout. These are found at the same site as the voting material. Posts may also find additional information on the SIPRANet Intellpedia Wiki site at the International Organizations page at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/ International Organizations Team. ¶12. POINTS OF CONTACT: Please contact DRL/MLGA Lynn Sicade (sicadelm@state.gov, 647-2362 or Alyson Grunder (grunderal@state.gov, 647-4380) with any questions or further information or justification for additional argumentation. RICE