THANK YOU FROM THE SECRETARY FOR NEA VOTES ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 131183 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL UNGA SUBJECT: THANK YOU FROM THE SECRETARY FOR NEA VOTES ON UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS ¶1. (U) This is an action message for action addresses. See para 6. ¶2. (U) Summary: NEA posts' outreach to host countries, at all levels, paid off November 21 when the UN General Assembly's Third Committee adopted three top priority resolutions on the human rights situations in North Korea, Burma, and Iran. Because of persistent and persuasive outreach by ambassadors and embassy staff, a number of key countries changed prior voting patterns and helped us to attain a 10-vote winning margin on the most critical and close of these votes, the Iran no-action motion. To acknowledge U.S. appreciation for the countries whose vote changes made the crucial difference, and to maintain their support in the upcoming mid-December UNGA Plenary votes on these resolutions, action addressees are requested to transmit the letter from Secretary Rice in para 6 below, conveying our profound thanks. End Summary ¶3. (U) Background: The UNGA Third Committee adopted three high-priority resolutions Friday, November 21, on the human rights situations in North Korea, Burma, and Iran. No-action motions called by Burma and Iran had to be overcome as part of the arduous process of winning the resolution votes. The DPRK resolution passed with a vote of 95 (U.S.) for, 24 against, and 62 abstaining. The no-action motion on Burma lost by a wide margin (54-90 (U.S.)-34), while the actual resolution won by an even larger margin (89 (U.S.)-29-63). The no-action motion on Iran failed by ten votes (71-81 (U.S.)-28),while the resolution itself was adopted 70 (U.S.)-51-60. Given that the Iran no-action motion failed by only one vote in 2007 and two votes in 2006, this year's tally showed a very concerted and successful effort to change the trend lines on the Iran vote. ¶4. (SBU) Certain countries were particularly helpful in voting with the United States and the European Union, even going against the trend of their regional bloc to do so. Other countries assisted by either abstaining or absenting themselves from no-action motions that would have prevented votes on the substance. The country-specific resolutions may be submitted to the UNGA Plenary for approval as early as December 17. We need to maintain or improve upon the voting patterns in the Third Committee votes. By thanking countries for their efforts and reminding them of the upcoming UNGA plenary votes, we hope to forestall any backsliding on their positions on these resolutions and no-action motions, and perhaps persuade some of the more reluctant countries to improve further their voting records in the plenary. ¶5. (SBU) The following countries, in differing degrees, made efforts that helped to pass the Iran human rights resolution in the UNGA Third Committee this year: --Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen all voted yes last year on the Iran no-action motion, but were absent this year. (They all voted against the resolution itself.) --Morocco voted yes on the no-action motion last year but absented itself this year. In addition, this year it went from voting against the substantive resolution to being absent. --Jordan went from being absent to abstaining on the Iran no-action motion and did the same on the substantive resolution. --On the DPRK resolution, Jordan moved from voting for the resolution in 2007 to abstaining on it this year (other NEA countries did not change their votes on the DPRK resolution from last year). On the Burma resolution, NEA countries maintained their voting patterns of last year. ¶6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: We ask that action addressees transmit the letter below from the Secretary to the Foreign Minister or Head of State (whomever Post deems most appropriate) to acknowledge the help their country's votes provided and to remind them that we are also counting on their support in the December plenary votes, which could come as early as December 17. No signed original will follow. STATE 00131183 002 OF 002 BEGIN TEXT: Dear Mr./Madam Minister: (or other appropriate salutation) Thank you for government's support on November 21 on the human rights resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly's Third Committee. The position your government and others took permitted the Third Committee to debate and to vote on serious human rights situations. The adoption of these resolutions has signaled the international community's concern and resolve on these issues. These same resolutions will once again be considered at the United Nations General Assembly plenary, perhaps as early as December 17. We ask for your continued support in the plenary session. My government and I appreciate your consideration. Sincerely, Condoleezza Rice End text. RICE