BRAZIL: DEMARCHE REPONSE ON SUPPORTING NGO

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000864 SIPDIS USUN'S BRIAN YOUNG AND IO/RHS'S COLLEEN NEVILLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: DEMARCHE REPONSE ON SUPPORTING NGO INVOLVEMENT AT THE UNITED NATIONS REF: STATE 068551 ¶1. (U) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Secretaries Mariana Flores da Cunha Bierrenbach Benevides and Bruna Vieira de Paula of the Human Rights Division within the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations' (MRE) Department of Human Rights and Social Themes. Secretary Vieira indicated that with regards to Brazil's posture on Brazilian NGO Associacao Brasileira de Gays, Lesbicas e Transgeneros (ABGLT),Brazil will continue to support the concession of consultative status for the NGO, as it has done "since the beginning." The issue, according to Vieira, should come to a vote on the 27 July during the ECOSOC's session in Geneva, and Brazil is undertaking efforts in various capitals, as well as New York and Geneva, in order to gain support for the approval of consultative status. Vieira added that Brazil would like to "count on the support of the United States" in this effort. ¶2. (U) With regards to consultative status for the U.S. NGOs, DCP and DCWMF, Secretary Flores indicated that they had already informed Brazil's Permanent Mission to the UN to support granting consultative status to DCP. With regards to DCWMF, Brazil still had not made a decision. SOBEL