C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000639

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/RHS REBECCA JOVIN AND DRL/MLGA LYNN SICADE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN HR
SUBJECT: CROATIA SUPPORTIVE OF US PRIORITIES IN UNGA THIRD
COMMITTEE

REF: SECSTATE 93981

Classified By: Classified By: Poloff Daniel Meges for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).

(C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on USG human rights
priorities for the 2008 UN General Assembly Third Committee
on September 9 to MFA Human Rights Office Director Dubravka
Simonovic. Simonovic confirmed Croatia's continued
opposition to no-action motions and said Croatia supported
this principled position. She also confirmed Croatia's
support for the EU's plan to table resolutions on Burma and
the DPRK. She indicated that Croatia had yet to review the
Canadian resolution regarding Iran. Croatia is opposed to
the resolution sponsored by the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) on "defamation of religions" because their
text is not balanced among all world religions. Simonovic
took note of our position on Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Sudan.
At present, they have little information regarding the
position of most African nations or members of the
Non-Aligned-Movement on supporting or opposing Human Rights
resolutions on these countries. Croatia is also closely
monitoring EU common positions on all these Human Rights
resolutions.
Bradtke