AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH COSTA RICAN PERMREP

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000093 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC CS SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH COSTA RICAN PERMREP URBINA Classified By: Ambassador Rice, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: During an initial meeting with Costa Rican PermRep Urbina, Ambassador Rice outlined U.S. priorities and agreed to work with Costa Rica on important issues such as human rights. Urbina emphasized the need to increase the Council's legitimacy by updating its working methods and pressed for transparency in Council proceedings. He said Costa Rica had "high expectations" for possible U.S. engagement on the International Criminal Court and hoped for "fresh, new ideas" from the United States regarding disarmament. Urbina also urged that the United States join the Human Rights Council to provide leadership and "much needed balance." End Summary. Security Council Working Methods ¶2. (C) In a February 2 meeting with Ambassador Rice, Ambassador Urbina remarked that Security Council membership is like belonging to an "exclusive club" with a "culture of secrecy" enforced by the permanent members and the Secretariat. As a member of the Small 5 (S5) group, Costa Rica has been pushing the Council to be more transparent in its proceedings and to engage troop-contributing countries if peace keeping operations are involved, he said. (Note: The S5 group comprises Switzerland, Jordan, Singapore, Liechtenstein and Costa Rica. They have made a number of proposals to improve the working methods of the Council, including a greater role for troop contributing countries, better access for interested States, improvement of sanctions regimes, and voluntary renunciation of the right of veto in cases of genocide or other serious human rights violations. End Note.) Security Council culture is contested almost everywhere, he said, and the best way to increase its legitimacy is to adopt measures to eliminate secrecy and broaden participation. Urbina remarked that Costa Rica is looking for someone to "pick up the torch (of working methods)" when they depart the Council next year. International Criminal Court ¶3. (C) Urbina said that Costa Rica is the defacto lead on International Criminal Court (ICC) issues in the Council. He sought the Obama Administration's position on the ICC, adding that members of the court hoped for a "supportive attitude" and Costa Rica had "high expectations" for U.S. engagement on the issue. Ambassador Rice said the Administration has not taken a decision on the ICC, and emphasized that the number of U.S. personnel serving overseas is a complicating factor. She remarked that President Obama is strongly committed to justice and will not tolerate impunity. Disarmament ¶4. (C) Urbina reiterated the importance of disarmament for Costa Rica and said he would "build up support" for Secretary-General Ban's "five initiatives" on disarmament presented at a lunch organized for PermReps by Costa Rica the prior week. (Note: Ban's five initiatives included: 1) urging all NPT parties to undertake negotiations on effective measures leading to nuclear disarmament, 2) pressing Security Council permanent members to commence discussions on security issues in the nuclear disarmament process, 3) bringing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force, 4) encouraging nuclear states to be accountable and transparent regarding activities in pursuit of CTBT goals and, 5) inception of complementary measures, including the elimination of other types of WMD and a limit on the trade of conventional weapons. End Note.) Urbina hoped the new Administration would offer "fresh, new ideas" on disarmament. Ambassador Rice said that Obama takes seriously disarmament and nonproliferation, noting the importance of trying to ratify the CTBT. Human Rights Council ¶5. (C) Acting DPR Ballestero, who accompanied Urbina, opined that EU participation in the Human Rights Council (HRC) fails to provide the needed "extreme" to counterbalance the current direction of the Council. He urged Ambassador Rice for U.S leadership in the Council and said that the United States would have many supporters the minute it offered its candidacy. Ambassador Rice acknowledged the difficulties in the HRC, noted that no decisions have yet been made on whether to rejoin, but assured Urbina that the U.S. will provide leadership on human rights. Rice