Cablegate: Juscanz Focuses On Next Human Rights Council

VZCZCXRO5196
RR RUEHAT
DE RUEHGV #2658 2930516
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200516Z OCT 06
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1447
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1648
INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 5891
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 1956
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2374

UNCLAS GENEVA 002658

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/RHS, DRL/MLA, L/HRR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: JUSCANZ FOCUSES ON NEXT HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
SESSION

1. (U) JUSCANZ members met October 18 to review outcomes (or
lack thereof) of the second session of the Human Rights
Council (9/18-10/6) and to discuss enhancing coordination on
issues coming before the next HRC session (11/27-12/8). The
view, broadly shared in the group, is that President Luis
Alfonso de Alba's approach to running the Council made a
difficult and complicated situation more so. His preference
for consulting small groups behind closed doors and for
frequently changing which rules are used and how they are
applied resulted in confusion and even greater distrust than
is already the norm in the UN human rights body. Agreement
was reached that JUSCANZ, ideally in cooperation with other
like-minded delegations, would advise de Alba of States'
requests for clarity and consistency in the application of
rules of procedures, whether he chose to use the rules of
UNGA committees or the ECOSOC rules that had governed the
Commission on Human Rights. While not disagreeing with the
group's decision, Norwegian Permanent Representative Wegger
Strommem said that de Alba's management of the Council was a
deliberate tactical decision to avoid what in de Alba's view
would have been a disastrous outcome -- divisive votes on key
issues such as Sudan/Darfur. He added, however, that the
political realities of the Council were beginning to sink in
and de Alba understood he could no longer avoid contentious
issues.

2. (SBU) Australia, current JUSCANZ coordinator, circulated
a proposed timetable and agenda to focus discussions within
JUSCANZ and to facilitate outreach to other delegations. The
proposal received broad agreement from other JUSCANZ members,
who see the need to move beyond general position statements
to concrete work on universal periodic review (UPR), mandate
review, and modalities/work methods for the Council. JUSCANZ
will hold weekly meetings to address the outstanding issues
as well as meetings with select members of other regional and
political groups. Outreach to other delegations is intended
to counter what is seen as a disadvantage in the Western
Group -- the European Union's (EU) reluctance to coordinate
substantive issues within the group (septel). JUSCANZ is
aiming to foster Council-related discussions across regional
lines and to explore commonalities that may lead to joint
efforts within the Council. Canada will organize an October
23 lunch with select GRULAC countries. The U.S. Mission will
set up a meeting with select sub-Saharan African countries in
early November. USDEL will also host a JUSCANZ meeting
November 8 with Israel as a guest.

3. (SBU) COMMENT: While regional group solidarity is an
especially valued trait in the African Group, other groups
are hampered by serious differences. JUSCANZ's hope to
exploit those differences to find partners across regional
lines is likely the best way to advance shared priorities.
It is also a way to contain, at least in part, the power of
groups like the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). END
COMMENT.
TICHENOR

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