Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS1487
2009-11-03 15:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
BELGIUM GENERALLY WILLING TO SUPPORT UN RESOLUTION
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHBS #1487/01 3071558 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 031558Z NOV 09 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9640 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0312 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 1115
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001487
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND IO/HR:PKRUCHOWSKI, IO/UNP:AMORRISON
AND NEA/IPA:JGIAUQUE
USUN FOR EGERMAIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER KPAL IS BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM GENERALLY WILLING TO SUPPORT UN RESOLUTION
ON GOLDSTONE REPORT
REF: STATE 112828
Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason, reason 1.4(b
) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001487
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND IO/HR:PKRUCHOWSKI, IO/UNP:AMORRISON
AND NEA/IPA:JGIAUQUE
USUN FOR EGERMAIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER KPAL IS BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM GENERALLY WILLING TO SUPPORT UN RESOLUTION
ON GOLDSTONE REPORT
REF: STATE 112828
Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason, reason 1.4(b
) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Belgium believes the UNGA resolution
sponsored by the Arab Group is acceptable with few changes.
However, the text it is working from contains few of the
ideas presented reftel that the USG finds objectionable. The
GOB supports the resolution's call for domestic
investigations and believes that some sort of "quality check"
on Israeli and Palestinian domestic investigations is
required. At this time, the GOB does not support sending the
matter to the UNSC, or to any international tribunal. End
Summary.
2. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche regarding United
States views on a possible UN General Assembly resolution
relating to the Goldstone report to Arnout Pauwels, desk
officer for Israel and Palestine, in the Belgian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Pauwels told poloff that he was actively
engaged on the issue of the Goldstone report resolution,
along with colleagues from the MFA's human rights section and
its UN department. On the morning of November 3, when poloff
delivered reftel demarche, Pauwels was in possession of a
draft of a resolution sponsored by the Arab Group and others.
Pauwels provided a copy of the text of the resolution to
poloff, which did not contain many of the ideas which the USG
finds problematic. Pauwels said that with a limited number
of changes, Belgium and its EU partners are prepared to
support the resolution in that form.
3. (C) In general, Pauwels said, Belgium does not believe the
Goldstone report should be ignored, and actually believes it
needs to be considered carefully in order to move the broader
Israel-Palestinian dispute toward resolution. Belgium
supports the resolution's call for investigations and further
believes that it is reasonable to call for outside review of
whether the investigations actually do take place and whether
they have results.
4. (C) Regarding the specific text of the resolution the
Belgian MFA has before it, Pauwels said that Belgium does not
support a resolution that "endorses" the report of the UN
Human Rights Council in its Twelfth Special Session on
October 15-16. Belgium abstained from the action of the
UNHRC on the Goldstone Report. Also, the UNHRC report is not
available to Belgium, at least in its entirety, and the GOB
does not feel it can endorse a report it has not seen.
5. (C) Belgium is not ready "at this time" to support a call
for sending of the report to the Security Council. It would
prefer to have it returned to the UNHRC. However, if a
consensus develops to send the report to the UNSC, Belgium
will not block it.
6. (C) The GOB believes that the language in the preamble,
whereby the UNGA is "gravely concerned" by human rights
violations committed during the Israeli military operations
in the Gaza Strip, needs to be more balanced.
7. (C) The GOB is not in favor of calling for ICC or ICJ
review, an International Tribunal, or exercise of
jurisdiction of other national courts over GOI actions
alleged in the Goldstone report. Moreover, Belgium does not
support"straight line to the Hn the Goldstone report however, that Israeli (`nian)
internal investiga should be subject to "a quaity check." It is, however, up
to the IsraelQs to prove that their investigations are
aQequate, he said. He added that there are concerns about a
conflict between military and civilan procedures that may
introduce problems intQ Israeli internal investigations.
8. (C) TheGOB supports the request to the Secretary General
to report to the General Assembly on implmentation of the
resolution. It also supportQ the mention of a time limit for
the SecretarQ General's report. Pauwels did not comment on
the idea of imposing a time limit on Israeli or Palestinian
domestic investigations themselves.
9. (C) Comment: The position on the resolution Pauwels
presented seems to be carefully considered and reasonably
firm. However it is based on a resolution that is
considerably different from that expected reftel. Post is
prepared to take further action at a higher level if
requested by Department, based on the information provided
above.
GUTMAN
.
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND IO/HR:PKRUCHOWSKI, IO/UNP:AMORRISON
AND NEA/IPA:JGIAUQUE
USUN FOR EGERMAIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER KPAL IS BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM GENERALLY WILLING TO SUPPORT UN RESOLUTION
ON GOLDSTONE REPORT
REF: STATE 112828
Classified By: Political Economic Counselor Richard Eason, reason 1.4(b
) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Belgium believes the UNGA resolution
sponsored by the Arab Group is acceptable with few changes.
However, the text it is working from contains few of the
ideas presented reftel that the USG finds objectionable. The
GOB supports the resolution's call for domestic
investigations and believes that some sort of "quality check"
on Israeli and Palestinian domestic investigations is
required. At this time, the GOB does not support sending the
matter to the UNSC, or to any international tribunal. End
Summary.
2. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche regarding United
States views on a possible UN General Assembly resolution
relating to the Goldstone report to Arnout Pauwels, desk
officer for Israel and Palestine, in the Belgian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Pauwels told poloff that he was actively
engaged on the issue of the Goldstone report resolution,
along with colleagues from the MFA's human rights section and
its UN department. On the morning of November 3, when poloff
delivered reftel demarche, Pauwels was in possession of a
draft of a resolution sponsored by the Arab Group and others.
Pauwels provided a copy of the text of the resolution to
poloff, which did not contain many of the ideas which the USG
finds problematic. Pauwels said that with a limited number
of changes, Belgium and its EU partners are prepared to
support the resolution in that form.
3. (C) In general, Pauwels said, Belgium does not believe the
Goldstone report should be ignored, and actually believes it
needs to be considered carefully in order to move the broader
Israel-Palestinian dispute toward resolution. Belgium
supports the resolution's call for investigations and further
believes that it is reasonable to call for outside review of
whether the investigations actually do take place and whether
they have results.
4. (C) Regarding the specific text of the resolution the
Belgian MFA has before it, Pauwels said that Belgium does not
support a resolution that "endorses" the report of the UN
Human Rights Council in its Twelfth Special Session on
October 15-16. Belgium abstained from the action of the
UNHRC on the Goldstone Report. Also, the UNHRC report is not
available to Belgium, at least in its entirety, and the GOB
does not feel it can endorse a report it has not seen.
5. (C) Belgium is not ready "at this time" to support a call
for sending of the report to the Security Council. It would
prefer to have it returned to the UNHRC. However, if a
consensus develops to send the report to the UNSC, Belgium
will not block it.
6. (C) The GOB believes that the language in the preamble,
whereby the UNGA is "gravely concerned" by human rights
violations committed during the Israeli military operations
in the Gaza Strip, needs to be more balanced.
7. (C) The GOB is not in favor of calling for ICC or ICJ
review, an International Tribunal, or exercise of
jurisdiction of other national courts over GOI actions
alleged in the Goldstone report. Moreover, Belgium does not
support"straight line to the Hn the Goldstone report however, that Israeli (`nian)
internal investiga should be subject to "a quaity check." It is, however, up
to the IsraelQs to prove that their investigations are
aQequate, he said. He added that there are concerns about a
conflict between military and civilan procedures that may
introduce problems intQ Israeli internal investigations.
8. (C) TheGOB supports the request to the Secretary General
to report to the General Assembly on implmentation of the
resolution. It also supportQ the mention of a time limit for
the SecretarQ General's report. Pauwels did not comment on
the idea of imposing a time limit on Israeli or Palestinian
domestic investigations themselves.
9. (C) Comment: The position on the resolution Pauwels
presented seems to be carefully considered and reasonably
firm. However it is based on a resolution that is
considerably different from that expected reftel. Post is
prepared to take further action at a higher level if
requested by Department, based on the information provided
above.
GUTMAN
.