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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002204
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016
TAGS: PREL UNGA EC BR
SUBJECT: ECUADOR DEMARCHE RESPONSE: 62ND UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
REF: STATE 130775
Classified By: DCM Jefferson Brown for reasons 1.4 (B)
1. (SBU) Poloff delivered relevant points on U.S. UNGA
priorities to MFA's Multilateral Affairs Directorate on
September 21, 2007. He was not able to obtain a response
until September 25 because Lourdes Puma, MFA Director General
of Multilateral Affairs, was on travel.
2. (C) Climate Change. Puma said that President Correa had
spoken on September 24 on the issue of climate change,
focusing his comments on the responsibility of developed
countries to assist the developing world for contamination
caused in the economic success of the developed countries.
His objective was to raise support for Correa's initiative to
avoid drilling in the ITT oil fields in the Amazon in
exchange for financial donations from the developed world.
She said that she was unaware of any concrete offers of
assistance so far. Puma apologized for not being aware of
the Major Economies Initiative on Energy Security and Climate
Change. PolOff provided a copy of the "Fact Sheet: A New
International Climate Change Framework" available on the
Whitehouse.gov website. Puma cautioned that she was doubtful
that Ecuador would support this initiative as the USG's
positions on climate change have previously differed from the
Kyoto Protocol and the G-8, which Ecuador supports.
3. (C) Human Rights and Human Dignity. Puma noted that
Ecuador supports the Third Committee in the UNGA, but did not
clarify Ecuador's position regarding the Human Rights
Council. She affirmed that Ecuador normally supports all
initiatives that protect the rights of women and children and
would likely support the resolution on "Condemning the Use of
Rape as an Instrument of State Policy," adding that rape is
one of the worst violations of human rights.
4. (C) UN Reform. Puma affirmed that Ecuador is in favor of
general UN reform, said that she could not confirm support of
the U.S. initiatives, but that she would study them. Puma
asserted that Ecuador strongly supports Brazil's bid to a
permanent seat on the UNSC, although without veto rights,
clarifying that Ecuador does not believe that additional
members should be given veto power. She called Brazil a
close ally of Ecuador and the best choice in Latin America
for such a seat, but recognized that Mexico and Argentina are
opposed to this. She added that Ecuador generally supports
the G-4 (Brazil, India, Germany and Japan) in their bids for
a permanent UNSC seat, explaining Ecuador believes that the
UNSC lacks appropriate representation.
5. (C) Lebanon. While expressing her understanding of the
need to support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Puma
questioned the budget established by the SYG and said that
Ecuador's resources are thin, so financial support may be
difficult. See also SEPTEL in response to STATE 129919.
JEWELL