Cablegate: Osce: Scheduling the Hdim in 2010

VZCZCXRO2500
OO RUEHAST
DE RUEHC #7279/01 0552236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 242232Z FEB 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 7794
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 4478
RUEHAST/AMCONSUL ALMATY 3102
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 017279

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE: SCHEDULING THE HDIM IN 2010

REF: USOSCE 040

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE: Dept concurs with USOSCE's
recommendation to support holding a routine Human Dimension
Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in 2010. Should there be a
decision in June to hold an OSCE summit, Dept will then
instruct Post to push for a three-week review conference in
Vienna -- with Kazakhstani commitment for an additional
three-day review conference on special topics held in
Kazakhstan. Concerned State offices (EUR/RPM, DRL, SCA/CEN)
along with representatives from the U.S. Helsinki Commission
made these same points with interlocutors from the
Kazakhstani Embassy on February 17. END SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE.

HUMAN DIMENSION MEETINGS
------------------------

2. (SBU) The February 17 meeting started with a discussion
on the technicalities of the OSCE Human Dimension schedule
and the commitments that KZ FM Saudabayev made during his
meetings in Washington February 1-4. The U.S. side was
unambiguous to Kazakhstan that it should plan to hold an HDIM
in Warsaw in 2010, in accordance with normal OSCE modalities.
State reps indicated that the Chairmanship "could not go
wrong" by proceeding on HDIM plans absent a firm summit
decision, but that to delay or hold off on planning a robust
calendar of Human Dimension related events for the year
(which, in the absence of a summit decision, must include an
HDIM) would attract criticism, particularly from NGOs, and
would not reflect the commitment Kazakhstan made to defend
and support work in the third dimension.

3. (SBU) The U.S. side made clear our desire, in the event
that the OSCE were to decide in June to hold a summit in
2010, that the OSCE should follow the model of the 1999 OSCE
Summit in Istanbul. This model calls for a three-week
implementation review conference in Vienna, covering all
three dimensions, with a follow-on three-day review
conference held in Kazakhstan that would focus on topics from
all three dimensions. State reps emphasized we would like to
see that the topics in the human dimension focus on the
fundamental freedoms, specifically freedom of association and
assembly and freedom of the media. State and Helsinki
Commission reps emphasized the importance of the
Chairmanship's holding the review conference in Kazakhstan to
demonstrate leadership and a willingness to be held to the
standards of the organization Kazakhstan leads. The U.S.
side pointed out that at his hearing before the Helsinki
Commission on February 2, KZ FM Saudabayev had agreed to
Co-Chair Alcee Hastings's request should th
ere be a decision on an OSCE summit in 2010, that Kazakhstan
would hold an implementation review conference in Kazakhstan
before. The Kazakhstani interlocutors acknowledged
Saudabayev,s commitment to Co-Chair Hastings.

4. (SBU) Prior to departure, the Kazakhstani EmbOffs
indicated they understood our position on planning to hold a
routine HDIM pending a decision on a summit. They indicated
they also understood our expectation, if there were to be a
summit, that Review Conferences would be scheduled in Vienna
and Kazakhstan prior to the summit. They told us that they
would pass this information back to their mission in Vienna
and to the MFA in Astana. On February 18, Helsinki
Commission representatives provided the Kazakhstani Embassy
additional detailed information about the Istanbul review
conferences separately via email.

TAKING CHARGE AS CHAIRMAN
-------------------------

5. (SBU) State reps also raised the issue of leadership in
the face of some participating States' (mostly Russia and
Turkmenistan) efforts to obstruct Human Dimension-related
activities. State reps urged the Chairmanship to take the
lead to produce a substantive Human Dimension agenda for
2010, notwithstanding such attempts to derail the agenda,
including the so-called "nuclear option;" Kazakhstan's
responsibility as Chairman is to broker and lead the
organization to consensus that is in keeping with our common
commitments. With the March expiration of the term of the
current Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM), the
U.S. side pressed their Kazakhstani interlocutors to move
toward consensus around the clearly favored candidate, or
else to take the steps necessary to extend the current office

STATE 00017279 002 OF 002

holder, so as to avoid a vacancy that would reflect poorly on
Kazakhstan's management of a critical area of Human Dimension
work. In recognition of the consensus candidate, all
countries have withdrawn their c
ompeting candidates for RFOM except Russia.

(U) U.S. SECONDEE TO ASTANA,S OSCE TASK FORCE

6. (U) At the end of the discussion, Kazakhstani PolCouns
asked if the U.S. would consider seconding a U.S. diplomat to
serve as an advisor to the Kazakhstani MFA OSCE taskforce.
The U.S. side undertook to consider the request but asked for
more information and a general position description.
CLINTON

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