Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09SANJOSE651
2009-07-31 14:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy San Jose
Cable title:  

GOCR'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES: SICA, UNSC AND A

Tags:  IO KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL CS 
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VZCZCXRO1315
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSJ #0651/01 2121422
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311422Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1078
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0838
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN JOSE 000651 

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN; IO/RHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IO KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL CS
SUBJECT: GOCR'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES: SICA, UNSC AND A
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SEAT

REF: A. SAN JOSE 498

B. SAN JOSE 622

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN JOSE 000651

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN; IO/RHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IO KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL CS
SUBJECT: GOCR'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES: SICA, UNSC AND A
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SEAT

REF: A. SAN JOSE 498

B. SAN JOSE 622


1. (SBU) Summary: On July 23, Costa Rican MFA Director of
Foreign Policy Alejandro Solano gave a presentation to
representatives of the diplomatic corps on Costa Rica's
foreign policy priorities over the next six months. Solano
focused on Costa Rica's six-month presidency of the Central
American Integration System (SICA),and the last six months
of Costa Rica's term on the United Nations Security Council.
Costa Rica also informed us that they will seek a seat on the
Human Rights Council for the 2011-2014 term, and asked for
USG support in the May 2011 elections. End Summary.

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SICA GOALS
--------------


2. (SBU) Costa Rica's term as president of SICA began on July
1, 2009 and will end on December 31, 2009. Costa Rica hopes
to move forward on five key areas (in the order presented by
Solano) during their presidency:

- European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - the GOCR will
continue working on the FTA with Europe, with the hopes of
making significant progress over the next six months. This
issue is very high on the GOCR's agenda, though it has been
hampered by the ongoing situation in Honduras. The GOCR
hopes to move forward in the negotiations without Honduras
for now, and later allow them to re-join the negotiations
after the restoration of the constitutional order in
Honduras. The GOCR will meet with the other SICA members at
the Tuxtla conference from July 27-29 to propose continuing
the negotiations without Honduras, as a way to push forward
with the FTA.

- Mercosur-SICA relations - The GOCR wants to pursue the
consideration of a larger FTA between the Mercado Sur
(Mercosur) and SICA. While Solano admitted that negotiations
of this type would "take months or years", he said the GOCR
was anxious to begin the process. While there is significant
interest in such an agreement on the part of Mercosur members
(including Brazil and Uruguay, whose presidents have both
visited Costa Rica over the past four months and discussed a
potential trade deal),Costa Rica has yet to formally propose

the idea to other SICA members.

- Capitalize Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica
(BCIE) - Solano said the GOCR will ask the USG for assistance
in examining the capital restrictions and leverage
possibilities of the bank. He also mentioned that South
Korea has expressed a desire to become an extra-regional
member of the BCIE, which would also inject new capital into
the bank.

- Honduras - The GOCR, as president of SICA, will continue to
work towards a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in
Honduras, and urges both sides to accept the San Jose Accords
(Ref B).

- Strengthen the governing of SICA - The GOCR wants to
develop SICA,s potential and increase the ability of SICA to
act as a regional institution. This includes strengthening
the SICA secretariat, continuing efforts to prioritize steps
towards further integration, and ensuring that SICA runs in a
transparent manner.

--------------
UNSC PRIORITIES
--------------


3. (SBU) Costa Rica's current rotation as a non-permanent
member of the UNSC ends December 31, 2009. During their
final months on the UNSC, the GOCR plans to continue to work
on the following issues:

- Disarmament and non-proliferation - The GOCR will continue
to work on disarmament issues throughout its tenure on the
UNSC. They will continue to follow the language developed in
the Presidential Statement during Costa Rica's UNSC
presidency (November 2008) on disarmament and
non-proliferation.

- International Criminal Court (ICC) - The GOCR will continue
to promote the ICC as an effective institution, and believes
that "justice and peace are not incompatible." The GOCR
believes that in pursuing peace the UN shouldn't set aside

SAN JOSE 00000651 002 OF 002


the goal of bringing perpetrators of crimes to justice.
Also, the GOCR will oppose any attempt by the UNSC to suspend
the investigations of the ICC due to any reasons (for
example, in the case of Sudan).

- Human Rights and the War on Terror - The GOCR will continue
to work with European partners (Germany, Belgium, Denmark,
etc) to ensure that a focus is put on respecting human rights
even while pursuing terrorists.

- UNSC Reform - The GOCR is committed to many major reforms
of the UNSC, and supports increasing the transparency of, and
availability of information on, the UNSC. However, the GOCR
does not favor the establishment of new permanent members to
the UNSC. Instead, the GOCR would support longer terms for
rotational positions on the Council (double the current
term),and allowing immediate re-election of non-permanent
members who have just finished a term on the Council.

- Oil for Food - The GOCR wants to continue working to ensure
that Oil for Food reports are filed in a timely manner, and
that new payments are not authorized until reporting is
submitted.

- Haiti Reconstruction - The GOCR will work to ensure the
sustainability of the reconstruction and peace building
project in Haiti over the coming six months.

--------------
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SEAT
--------------


4. (SBU) The GOCR informed us by diplomatic note of their
intention to run for a seat on the United Nation's Human
Rights Council for the term of 2011-2014. Though Costa Rica
has never held a seat on the Council and recognizes some of
the Council's flaws, they have been strong supporters of the
body and had previously urged the USG to seek a seat. The
GOCR has requested USG support for their candidacy, and our
vote in the May 2011 elections. Post transmitted a copy of
the diplomatic to the Department on July 27.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


5. (SBU) The Arias administration, which will leave office in
mid-2010, sees the SICA presidency as a way to push forward
on a number of 'their' issues in the region, chiefly among
these the intra-regional FTAs. Additionally, with the coming
end of their term on the UNSC, the GOCR is both interested in
seeing through a few of their longer-term projects (oil for
food, UNSC reform, human rights issues),as well as seeking
additional avenues for international engagement. A seat on
the Human Rights Council seems to be a good fit both for
Costa Rica and its desire to have a broader international
impact, and for the Council itself, as Costa Rica has a long
history of working on human rights issues. Costa Rica could
serve as a welcome partner with the USG at the HRC, and we
believe their membership should be encouraged.


BRENNAN