Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10BRUSSELS230
2010-02-26 15:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

BELGIUM WILL ABSTAIN IN UPCOMING UNGA VOTE ON

Tags:  PHUM UNGA UNHRC BE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9789
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #0230 0571506
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261506Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0058
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1127
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0324
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000230

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA AND IO/HR:CMUSSER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020
TAGS: PHUM UNGA UNHRC BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM WILL ABSTAIN IN UPCOMING UNGA VOTE ON
GOLDSTONE REPORT

REF: A. STATE 15722

B. BRUSSELS 1587

Classified By: Acting Polec Counselor Robert Kiene for reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d)

(C) On February 24, poloff and polintern delivered ref A
demarche to Lieke Biesemans, attach for human rights at the
Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Biesemans said
Belgium will abstain in the February 26 vote by the UN
General Assembly (UNGA) on a Palestinian-drafted resolution
based on the Goldstone Report. Domestic accountability by
both Israelis and Palestinians for human rights abuses is a
crucial issue to Belgium, she said, and both parties should
continue their investigations. Biesemans said Belgium does
not currently see a unified EU position on the Goldstone
Report vote. She said Belgium wants any further discussion
on the report to take place in Geneva, not New York. She
acknowledged this will be difficutl because Belgium and the
U.S. are in a minority on this issue.

GUTMAN
.