AUSTRALIAN PRIORITIES FOR UNGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 000861

SENSITIVE
NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: PREL UNGA AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN PRIORITIES FOR UNGA

Classified By: Edgard Kagan, POL/ECON Counselor for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C/NF) SUMMARY Australia's UNGA priorities are
promoting its bid for a 2013-2014 Security Council seat,
climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, as
well as UN financial and budgetary issues. Australia is
delighted with the U.S. initiative to have a UNSC discussion
on disarmament and hopes the United States will be able to at
least abstain rather than vote against the first committee
resolution on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) (which
it is co-sponsoring). The GOA is concerned about the impact
of the results and recommendations of the Goldstone report.
END SUMMARY

2. (C/NF) On September 17, poleconcouns and POLOFF met with
Craig Maclachlan, Assistant Secretary, International
Organisations Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT) to discuss the upcoming UNGA. Maclachlan stated that
the GOA is looking forward to the UNGA as an opportunity to
promote its UNSC bid for 2013-2014 as well as to push for
progress on climate change. PM Rudd will be a
co-chair/facilitator for a climate change event. Maclachlan
expressed concern that China's hardline position on climate
change finance at the G20 Sherpa meeting last week was a
problem, and may have a chilling effect on discussion of
climate change issues on the margins of the UNGA.

3. (C/NF) The GOA is encouraged by the U.S. initiative to
have a UNSC discussion on disarmament. Maclachlan stated
that the current Australian government is more
pro-disarmament than the previous government and is very
encouraged by the U.S stance on the CTBT. Noting that it is
Australia,s turn to sponsor the annual draft resolution in
the First Committee on the CTBT, Maclachlan said that the GOA
hopes the U.S. will abstain even if it is not possible to
vote "yes." He argued that this would likely increase North
Korea's isolation on this issue.

4. (C/NF) FM Smith has a personal interest in the
"Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) and will be eager to
promote the issue. Australia has been developing links with
some African states who have shown an interest in promoting
R2P. The GOA is concerned that some may seek to use the
Durban conference as a wedge in the discussion on human
rights.

5. (C/NF) The GOA is also concerned about the conclusions
and recommendations that may be forthcoming from the
Goldstone report. Australia has stated they will support a
proper investigation, and will be looking closely at the
outcomes. However, they need time to review the issues,
conclusions and recommendations, as outlined in the report,
but they say there may be problems as a result of the report.
They believe there is a clear need to find a resolution to
the conflict.

6. (C/NF) Maclachlan stated that he personally understood
the reasoning behind the inclusion of Fiji to the
Secretary,s meeting with the Pacific Island leaders. While
it may have created some tensions within those in government,
Maclachlan said he understood the U.S. had a slightly
different policy than Australia towards engagement with Fiji
Qdifferent policy than Australia towards engagement with Fiji
and he understood the U.S. desire to signal that our concerns
are with the regime and not the Fijian people.
CLUNE