PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS EVENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 070829 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FLORENCE FOR SAN MARINO MARSEILLE FOR MONACO BARCELONA FOR ANDORRA PORT MORESBY FOR VANUATU VILNIUS FOR MINSK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EUN PHUM PREL KDEM SUBJECT: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS EVENT REF: A. 2008 STATE 63968 ¶B. 2008 STATE 40380 ¶C. 2008 STATE 38600 ¶D. 2007 STATE 147620 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 2. OBJECTIVES -------------- ¶2. (U) Department requests action addressees to approach respective Foreign Ministries to seek support for a prisoners of conscience public affairs event at the United Nations in New York during the final week of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In delivering the demarche, posts should pursue the following key objectives: -- Thank host government for its support of the June 17 declaration and urge continued cooperation on the issue of prisoners of conscience. -- Stress the importance of building on the positive momentum of the declaration by further highlighting the plight of political prisoners worldwide and seeking common solutions to the problem of political imprisonment. -- Note that the U.S. plans to organize an event, to include testimony from former prisoners of conscience and family members and those who work with prisoners of conscience, on the margins of the ECOSOC in New York during the week of July ¶21. More details on individual invitees and exact location will follow in separate communication. -- Encourage host government to lend its support to the event as a means of carrying forward the important achievements of the declaration, including by co-sponsoring the event. For EU Member States STATE 00070829 002 OF 004 -- Underscore that the declaration is the result of many months of discussions with the EU, and we are pleased the EU could co-sponsor the declaration. We had also sought EU co-sponsorship of a public affairs event to follow up on the declaration, but the EU was unable to reach consensus. That is why we are now seeking co-sponsorship of the public affairs event by EU Member States in their national capacity. -- Underline that we strongly believe the public affairs event should be held in New York, where UN membership is universal and where we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year. The event will build on the Prisoners of Conscience Declaration we have just presented in New York. We are also willing to support a second event in Geneva if the EU states request that we do so, but not as a substitute for a New York event. --(If questions arise on member states following EU &Common Position8:) Note that we are not aware of any EU Common Position prohibiting member state participation in a public affairs event and urge EU member states to support this effort. FOR USEU BRUSSELS, LJUBLJANA and PARIS (Human Rights Working Group TROIKA )COHOM): -- Reiterate our appreciation for the close cooperation on the declaration. While we are now asking for bilateral support on the event from member states, underline our continued preference to co-host this event with the European Union. -- For Prague and Warsaw: We appreciate the support your governments have shown in highlighting prisoners of conscience around the world. We would like to work with you closely on this event and would like to share a working non-paper outlining the event quickly with a POC in your government. BACKGROUND -------------- STATE 00070829 003 OF 004 ¶3. (U) The Prisoners of Conscience Public Affairs Event will take place on July 24th from 1:00-2:30 pm during the final week of the ECOSOC session when delegations are present and active in New York. The event will be held at the UN Headquarters, in one of three possible locations. This event follows the finalization of the Declaration on Prisoners Of Conscience, which was officially entered into the UN record as A/62/858 on June 17 with 64 co-sponsors: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mali, Micronesia (Federated States of),Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Vanuatu. ¶4. (SBU) The declaration was the culmination of more than six months of work with the European Union, including joint lobbying for co-signatories in New York. The European Union has, however, been unable to reach consensus on support for a follow-up public affairs event. The U.S. and EU had at an earlier stage discussed holding two public affairs events, one in New York and one in Geneva, but Department understands that this is no longer being considered by the EU. As a result, the U.S. is moving forward with this event and hopes to secure the bilateral support of the co-sponsors of the declaration. ¶5. (U) As had been previously agreed with the EU, the event will likely include a panel of six or seven speakers, including prisoners of conscience or family members of current prisoners from the following countries: Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Syria, and Uzbekistan. Department is coordinating participation with U.S. Embassies in these countries, but welcomes input from addressees as well. Department will also invite one or two prominent former STATE 00070829 004 OF 004 prisoners of conscience to participate in the event and will work with embassies in appropriate countries to secure participation. Building on the positive momentum of the recent declaration, the objective of the event will be to heighten awareness of the situation of prisoners of conscience around the world and to propose strategies the international community can employ to secure the release of current prisoners and assist victims and their families. This event will also set the stage for potential follow-up actions in the form of another event or a possible thematic resolution building on the declaration on the plight of political prisoners around the world at the UNGA Third Committee in the fall. REPORTING DEADLINE - - - - - - - - - 6.(U) Posts are requested to use the SIPDIS caption in their responses and report the results of this demarche by July 9, ¶2008. Please contact IO/RHS Amy Ostermeier (202-647-3901) and DRL/MLGA Danika Walters (202-647-4659) with questions. The declaration can be accessed through the Official Documents of the United Nations website (http://documents.un.org) under document number A/62/858. RICE