Cablegate: Iceland: Likely Support for Gaer in Committee Against

VZCZCXRO4626
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRK #0276 2641712
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211712Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3445
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0084
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0045
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000276

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/RHS, L/HRR, DRL, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA IC
SUBJECT: ICELAND: LIKELY SUPPORT FOR GAER IN COMMITTEE AGAINST
TORTURE ELECTION

REFS: A) STATE 107679
B) REYKJAVIK
C) STATE 130973

1. (SBU) On September 20, Post reiterated to the Icelandic Ministry
for Foreign Affairs the importance the USG places on Felice Gaer's
election to the UN Committee Against Torture (Ref C). MFA
Minister-Counsellor for International Organization Affairs Nikulas
Hannigan repeated the position reported Ref B that Iceland favors
Gaer's candidacy but has not yet taken a final decision.

2. (SBU) Comment: In response to Ref C questions, Post notes that
Iceland has a consistent pattern in recent years of supporting U.S.
candidates for UN human rights-related bodies. Post believes
Iceland will vote for Gaer in this case and that a senior-level
phone call will not be necessary to secure this support. Engagement
on the margins of UNGA with Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Solrun
Gisladottir (who will be attending the Secretary's Transatlantic
Dinner on September 26 as well as the Women Leaders' Working Group
Breakfast on September 28) or Permanent Secretary of State Gretar
Mar Sigurdsson would not be counter-productive, however.

KLOPFENSTEIN

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