(C) UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: DENMARK HAS TO WAIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 000535 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/HR:CNEVILLE, EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREL KDEM DA SUBJECT: (C) UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: DENMARK HAS TO WAIT ITS TURN REF: STATE 120835 Classified By: (U) Ambassador Laurie S. Fulton; reason 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) In response to reftel, post assesses that Denmark would be a suitable - if independent-minded - candidate for the UN Human Rights Council. However, when the Ambassador discreetly broached the subject with MFA number two Claus Grube, he replied that his country will have to wait its turn, as it recently lost (by one vote) to Norway for selection as Nordic candidate. ¶2. (C) Grube noted that Denmark monitors the work of the UN HRC very closely through the EU and Norway, and made its influence felt recently on two resolutions of importance to the USG: freedom of expression and the Goldstone Report. He acknowledged that our two countries had not seen eye-to-eye on either of those resolutions, but argued that this means Denmark is a stable partner with whom we can be sure of where we stand. FULTON