Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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09BRUSSELS1016 | 2009-07-24 11:02:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Brussels |
VZCZCXRO5224 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #1016/01 2051102 ZNY CCCCC ZZH(CCY ADXA0531F MSI3913 540A) P 241102Z JUL 09 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9248 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1098 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0290 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001016 |
1. (U) Summary. With the U.S. a new member, and Belgium now president of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the time for coordination and consensus building is now, according to Belgian MFA human rights officer Nathalie Rondeux. Rondeux opposes wholesale changes to the UNHRC system during the 2011 review, as this could jeopardize recent positive achievements. End Summary. Cooperation Requested -------------------------- 2. (U) Poloffs met with MFA human rights deputy counselor and out-going EU negotiator in the UNHRC, Nathalie Rondeux, on July 17. Rondeux has developed significant expertise during her eight years as EU negotiator. She believes that significant opportunities exist for the U.S. and Belgium to work together in the Council. Rondeux said that Belgian position are very close to U.S. positions, although not identical. There will be many opportunities to wordsmith agreements to achieve common goals. One area is the 2011 review of UNHRC. Increased cooperation can yield positive results and re-focus the UNHRC on bad actors rather than bad processes. She urged better coordination at all levels. She believes a nuanced approach yields better outcomes than drastic procedural changes, because this would provoke some countries into requesting more concessions and result in a loss of ground that has been clawed back over the last 18 months. Differences Exist Between U.S. and Belgian Positions -------------------------- -------------------------- 3. (C) Rondeux continued that evidently all countries have differences of opinion. By and large the U.S. and Belgium are well-aligned, despite some differences in opinion on freedom of expression and children's and women's rights. She stated that the U.S. is often able to take stronger positions than Belgium, thanks to its influence in the international "lobbying machinery". At the same time, the U.S. has a mixed reputation on human rights, which has diminished its influence in the UNHRC. The UN Human Rights Commission (predecessor to the Council) viewed Guantanamo prison as a step in the wrong direction. Out of solidarity with the U.S., the EU was silent on this issue, which caused the Council to lose credibility. Belgium stilr not signing the end treading soQtly in the 2011 review of the way the UNHCR wrks. Belgium's Aims -------------------------- 5. (C) Rondeux believes that there will be no chage in the Belgian approach to human rights orits priorities under new Foreign Minister Yves Leterme, and both he and the career staff are committed to achieving the GOB's goals. Belgium wants the UNHRC to be autonomous and independent of other UN agencies. It wants the UNHRC to be able to take up issues, like Darfur, during times of crisis and not only during periodic reviews. Rondeux feels these goals could best be achieved by first cautiously building a strong coalition of like-minded states and then tackling the heavyweight issues. In the short term, the EU and the U.S. experts should work on these issues before the September meetings. The EU would then discuss them internally in November. The earliest opportunity to influence the UNHCR would be at the beginning BRUSSELS 00001016 002.2 OF 002 of 2010 after both substance and style have been coordinated. 6. (C) Consensus would also have to be built outside of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG). Rondeux said the U.S. and Belgium can attract the support of certain countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Latin American countries that might be pre-disposed to helping (depending on the issues) are Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile and Guatemala. Brazil is often less helpful, not wanting to appear too close to the WEOG and closer to the BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China. Potential Asian allies are South Korea, Japan, Philippines and India, again depending on the issues. African countries are also important, with Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal and often Nigeria willing to help. Rondeux was clear that sometimes countries will take a different position than expected because of internal political reasons and there can be differences between capitals and the UNHRC in Geneva. She cited Cuba as a consistently bad actor. However, now that the Council no longer focuses specifically on Cuba, Belgium finds Cuba's stance less aggressive on some topics such as the death penalty and gay rights. Nevertheless, Cuba remains a significant adversary and is able to wield significant influence due to its diplomats' detailed knowledge of UN procedures. Belgium's' Two Durban Experiences -------------------------- 7. (C) Rondeux explained that Belgium's approach in the UNHRC has always been to stay in the room and fight from the inside. Rondeux was at both Durban meetings - in 2001 and 2009. In 2001, the contentious issues were reparations to former colonies and events in the Middle East (the first intifada). Belgium was then president of the EU and despite its best efforts the Durban communiqu was "imperfect". During the Durban Review Conference in 2009, religious issues came more to the fore, and there was increasing pressure to put religious rights above personal rights. That effort did not succeed and ultimately Rondeux was able to persuade 25 of the 27 EU member states to adopt appropriate language, with only Italy and the Netherlands holding out. In Rondeux's view, giving priority to religious rights would severely weaken individual rights. In her opinion, negotiation is more difficult once the U.S. leaves the room because there are fewer like-minded countries to argue the points. She mentioned that language condemning anti-Semitism provoked a push for similar language from the Muslim and Christian lobbies. She thinks the current norms adequately cover religious hate speech. BUSH |