RENEWING THE SUDAN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MANDATE AT

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000712 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PHUM PREL BR SUBJECT: RENEWING THE SUDAN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MANDATE AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: SECSTATE 55852 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Brazil has not decided whether to support a resolution on renewing the Sudan Special Rapporteur's mandate, and believes dialogue with Sudan and the African countries in a cooperative spirit must precede the presentation of any draft resolution. Brazil is willing to participate in such an overture and believes any other approach will fail, leading to polarization and a further weakening of the Council. Brazil could support a resolution that stresses cooperation, not condemnation. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Counselor Marcia Adorno, chief of the Human Rights Division at Ministry of External Relations. Adorno recalled that in the recent case of Sri Lanka, European countries introduced a resolution without first approaching the Sri Lankan representatives in Geneva, instead working only in capitals beforehand. This approach is unproductive and should not be repeated with Sudan, she said, emphasizing that the way a resolution is presented is key. It should be done in a cooperative and constructive spirit, and need not and should not involve watering down the content simply because it is being raised with the country in question or a group of interested countries. She said the first step toward renewing the Special Rapporteur's mandate should be dialogue with Sudan and the African countries. She added that it does no good to renew the mandate without a negotiation with Sudan because then the Rapporteur will never be able to enter Sudan. The dialogue should attempt to negotiate the terms of the resolution, and Brazil is willing to participate in that effort, she said. ¶3. (SBU) Asked whether Brazil would support a resolution to renew the mandate, she replied that she had not seen the EU draft and could not state what Brazil's position would be. Brazil is very sensitive to attempts to engage in dialogue with the concerned countries, she noted, and the text should be more oriented toward cooperation than condemnation in order to win Brazil's support. With regard to how best to address the human rights situation in Sudan, Adorno said the same holds true: cooperation, not condemnation, is the best approach. SOBEL