RUSSIA TAKING UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000150 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM PINR UNHRC RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA TAKING UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW VERY SERIOUSLY REF: A. 08 STATE 130829 ¶B. 08 STATE 124036 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Alice G. Wells; reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Russian Federation is taking the February 2009 review of the human rights situation here under the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) special mechanism seriously. The Senior Human Rights Adviser at the UN's mission in Moscow told us that last summer he was instrumental in getting the word out to human rights and civil society organizations here about their ability to participate in the process and was satisfied with the estimated 25-30 individuals and groups that had participated by providing questions and input for the "shadow report" being developed by staff at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He added that Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Yakovenko, who will most likely deliver Russia's National Report during the upcoming February 2-13 session, has actively courted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay while preparing for the review. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On January 21 we spoke with Dirk Hebecker, Senior Human Rights Adviser at the UN office in Moscow, to discuss the upcoming review by the UN Human Rights Council of the human rights situation in Russia (ref A). Hebecker, who has been in Moscow almost one year, provided us with a copy of the UN's Framework for Cooperation with the Russian Federation signed in 2007. Pursuant to this agreement, the OHCHR has worked over the past year in the Russian Federation in the areas of the rule of law, promotion of equality and tolerance, and human rights education and information. In addition, the OHCHR has tried to mainstream human rights within the various UN agencies working in Moscow. ¶3. (SBU) Hebecker told us that in August 2008 he worked closely with the UN's Information Center to inform the major human rights organizations in Russia about the UPR special mechanism. As a result of his efforts, according to Hebecker, up to 25 or 30 institutions or individuals active in human rights issues succeeded in contributing questions and information during the initial stages of the review process. Hebecker said that this number could be higher since some may have made their submissions directly to the UN Human Rights Council via its website. Representatives of two of the major human rights organizations in Russia, Memorial and For Human Rights, confirmed to us separately that their organizations had made submissions as part of the review. ¶4. (C) Hebecker said he believed that the GOR is taking this review "very seriously." He added that the individuals working on Russia's National Report are professional and know the UN review procedure well. Hebecker said that the Russians have done a good job when they served as rapporteurs reviewing other countries' human rights situation. He described MFA Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Department Director Oleg Mal'ginov as a "sly fox" and said that Deputy Foreign Minister Yakovenko had assured UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay that "this is not the 90's" when they discussed the current human rights situation in Russia. Hebecker, an East German from Berlin who studied in the Soviet Union, believed that Yakovenko will deliver Russia's National Report during the proceedings in Geneva in February. He said that the three rapporteurs for the Russian review will be the governments of Ghana, Chile and Bahrain. ¶5. (SBU) Hebecker did not know how many Russian human rights and civil society organizations had submitted projects in response to the UN Democracy Fund's (UNDEF) invitation for grant proposals (ref B). In November 2008 we had informed the major human rights organizations in Russia about the UNDEF program and encouraged them to apply. In July 2008 several representatives from these same organizations had suggested that the U.S. consider additional support for the UNDEF program because, given Prime Minister Putin's repeated condemnation of organizations that "sit like jackals in front of Western embassies begging for money," it was "better" for them to receive funding from the UN. They also complained, however, how the UN seemed to give most of its money to "government NGOs" run by members of the Public Chamber. Hebecker also noted that these organizations seemed to be the main recipients of UNDEF largesse. We informed him of our efforts to increase the number of projects submitted by Russian human rights groups and expressed our hope that some of their projects will be funded by UNDEF this year. RUBIN