VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 053984 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 TAGS: PHUM UNGA SUBJECT: VOTING INSTRUCTIONS: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ELECTION REF: STATE 049110 Classified By: IO Acting DAS Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. This cable contains voting instructions for the May 21 election of Member States to the UN Human Rights Council. ¶2. (U) There are nineteen announced candidates for fifteen seats divided among five regions. The voting is by secret ballot. Votes will be cast by writing on a blank ballot sheet. In order to be elected, candidates must receive at least 97 votes - a majority of votes of the 189 UN General Assembly members. ¶3. (C/NF) The decision to vote in this election is a rare exception to our policy of disengagement with the Human Rights Council. USUN is instructed to be represented at a level below the rank of counselor and seek an opportunity to make clear that our decision to participate in the vote does not represent an endorsement of the Human Rights Council. ¶4. (C/NF) USDEL is instructed to vote as follows: In the first round of voting, and any subsequent rounds of voting that may follow, please write-in the following countries, leaving remaining slots blank: Africa Region: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Zambia Asia: Japan, Republic of Korea, Timor-Leste Eastern Europe: Slovakia, Ukraine Latin American and Caribbean Group: Argentina, Brazil, Chile Western Europe and Other Group: France, UK ¶5. (U) USUN is requested to consult Department if any additional candidates emerge to the announced list as it appears on the UN Secretariat website as of May 12, 2008: Africa Region Candidates (4 slots): Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Zambia Asia Region Candidates (4 slots): Bahrain, Japan, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste Eastern Europe Group (2 slots): Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine Latin American and Caribbean Group (3 slots): Brazil, Chile, Argentina Western Europe and Other Group (2 slots): France, Spain, UK RICE