DUTCH SHARE CONCERN OVER MALDIVES CLIMATE CHANGE

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000216 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/RHS (RJOVIN) STATE ALSO FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PGI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG PGOV PHUM PREL UNHRC MV NL SUBJECT: DUTCH SHARE CONCERN OVER MALDIVES CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTION REF: STATE 19889 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) Econoff shared on February 28 reftel points concerning USG concerns with the Maldives' draft resolution on climate change and human rights with appropriate Dutch officials at the ministries of Foreign (MFA),Economic, and Environmental Affairs. Joris Geeven, Policy Officer in the MFA's Human Rights Department, was not available to discuss the issue until March 4. He said the GONL shared USG concerns about the resolution and, specifically, its linkage of climate change and human rights issues. The GONL, he noted, was also skeptical about the value of the detailed study proposed in the resolution. Discussions about climate change were better suited to other fora, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, he added. ¶2. (SBU) Geeven said the issue would be raised during EU member state discussions on the margins of the March 3-28 Human Rights Council's (HRC) Seventh Session in Geneva. While the GONL had no plans to block a consensus decision or to ask for a vote on the issue, he said the GONL worried that it might be difficult to turn off such an initiative. He promised to share reftel points with his Dutch colleagues in Geneva and strongly urged the USG delegation there to be in touch with their Dutch counterparts to strategize further on possible next steps. When asked, Econoff assured Geeven that the USG would also raise its concerns with EU member states that have indicated support for the resolution. Schofer