DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002393 SIPDIS IO/UNP FOR REBECCA GOLDENBERG E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2019 TAGS: KPKO PHUM PREL CG KWWMN IO RS SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: URGING SECURITY COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING 1820 RESOLUTION SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT REF: STATE 096047 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Susan M. Elliott for reason s: 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Embassy Moscow delivered reftel points to Nikita Zhukov, Deputy Director of the MFA's Department of International Organizations, and First Secretary Galina Khvan of the Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights. Second Secretary Anna Evstigneeva of the International Organizations Department also attended the discussion. ¶2. (C) Khvan confirmed the GOR's interest in the issue and commented that they were also discussing it in New York. She claimed that Russia supported the idea of bringing more attention and accountability to the issue but was simultaneously concerned about an overlap of mandates between the Special Representative and the Gender Architecture. Khvan also stated Russia's concerns about funding for the Special Representative position. Similarly, Zhukov asked about the responsibilities of the Special Representative in relation to the Special Advisor for Gender Issues. In particular, Zhukov stated that the GOR saw a problem with the proposed resolution's paragraph 7, which discussed the Task Force of Experts. Contending that the mandate for the Task Force as stated was too technical, Zhukov said the draft resolution should instead call for a Task Force of Experts and provide some general guidance but allow the Secretary General to establish the details of its work. He claimed that implementing the resolution as now written would intrude on inter-secretariat work. Beyrle