Cablegate: Italy Sees Hrc Lebanon Session As Unproductive

VZCZCXRO7001
OO RUEHAT
DE RUEHRO #2258 2221507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101507Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5594
INFO RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 1634
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 7503
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 1738

UNCLAS ROME 002258

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IS LE MOPS PHUM PREL PTER IT
SUBJECT: ITALY SEES HRC LEBANON SESSION AS UNPRODUCTIVE

REF: STATE 130145

1. (SBU) August 9 Poloff delivered reftel points to MFA
Acting Office Director for Human Rights Francesco De Stefani,
stressing that a UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Special
Session on Lebanon would be a distraction that could
undermine UN Security Council (UNSC) efforts to bring about a
cessation of hostilities. Poloff urged the GOI to oppose the
Special Session. De Stefani responded August 10, noting the
GOI shared U.S. concerns and viewed a UN HRC session on
Lebanon as unhelpful. Pointing out that Italy was not
currently a member of the HRC, De Stefani said the GOI would
nevertheless work with its EU partners to register European
concerns with the Special Session.

2. (SBU) August 10 Sebastiano Cardi, MFA Directorate General
for Political Multilateral Affairs, told A/Pol MC that Italy
agreed the UN HRC Special Session was not helpful, but that
the GOI believed it would be difficult to stop it without a
breakthrough at the UNSC. According to Cardi, the draft HRC
resolution was "bad" and he hoped the EU countries on the
council would vote against it, as they had on the last draft
resolution on the Palestinian situation. He noted that the
GOI was actively engaging on the issue within the EU.
SPOGLI

© Scoop Media