DANES WEIGH WITHDRAWAL FROM DURBAN II

UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000093 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM UNHRC DA SUBJECT: DANES WEIGH WITHDRAWAL FROM DURBAN II REF: STATE 14201 ¶1. (SBU) Denmark welcomes our good-faith effort to rescue the Durban Review Conference, but agrees that an acceptable outcome remains unlikely, Kira Smith Sindbjerg of the Danish MFA's Human Rights Department informed us in response to reftel demarche. Among Denmark's top priorities is opposing any language advocating limits to freedom of expression, Sindbjerg reported, remarking that the issue remains closely followed by the Danish opposition and media in the wake of the 2006 Mohammed cartoons crisis. While allowing that the Geneva working group had begun in an improved atmosphere and that the session may be extended, Sindbjerg doubted that there would be sufficient progress to permit Denmark's attendance at the April conference. ¶2. (SBU) Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller will probably wait until after a mid-March meeting of Nordic and African leaders to announce that Denmark will not attend Durban II, Sindbjerg said, reporting that Moller would like to continue to lobby African counterparts on the issue for as long as possible. Sindbjerg allowed that an earlier announcement of non-attendance by the Netherlands or the UK -- seen as likely barring unexpected progress this week and next -- could force Denmark to move sooner. MCCULLEY