GOM Likely to Vote No on Defamation of Religion

UNCLAS MEXICO 003519 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA PHUM PREL PINR MX SUBJECT: GOM Likely to Vote No on Defamation of Religion REFTEL: STATE 00122641 ¶1. Poloff conveyed USG concerns (per reftel) on the UNGA resolution on "combating defamation of religion" to Elia del Carmen Sosa Nishzaki, Mexican Foreign Ministry Director of Elimination of Discrimination. Though the GOM had abstained from voting on defamation of religion resolutions in previous years, Mexico voted against the resolution in Third Committee this year. Sosa told Poloff that the Foreign Ministry will likely maintain that vote in the plenary. According to Sosa, the GOM changed its vote because it viewed the language as problematic. ¶2. Representatives of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) met with Mexican and Canadian delegations in Mexico City September 9. According to Sosa, Joseph Cassidy, Director of Multilateral and Global Affairs proposed alterations to the text during this meeting. Sosa asserted that Mexico was prepared to help in finding a solution along these lines and recruiting more countries to vote against the resolution next year. PASCUAL