Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08GENEVA256, OIC POWER PLAY DOMINATES HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL \

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08GENEVA256.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08GENEVA256 2008-04-04 15:26 2011-03-13 00:00 CONFIDENTIAL US Mission Geneva
Appears in these articles:
http://www.letemps.ch/swiss_papers
VZCZCXYZ0011
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0256/01 0951526
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041526Z APR 08
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6298
INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2706
RUEHFR/UNESCO PARIS FR 0008
2008-04-04 15:26:00	08GENEVA256	US Mission Geneva	CONFIDENTIAL	07USMISSIONGENEVA2626	VZCZCXYZ0011\
PP RUEHWEB\
\
DE RUEHGV #0256/01 0951526\
ZNY CCCCC ZZH\
P 041526Z APR 08\
FM USMISSION GENEVA\
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6298\
INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE\
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2706\
RUEHFR/UNESCO PARIS FR 0008\
	C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000256 \
 \
SIPDIS \
 \
SIPDIS \
 \
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018 \
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC
SUBJECT: OIC POWER PLAY DOMINATES HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL \
SEVENTH SESSION \
 \
REF: 07 GENEVA 2626 \
 \
Classified By: Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor.  Reasons: 1.4 (b/d). \
 \
1. (C) SUMMARY:  The seventh session of the Human Rights \
Council, which ran March 3-28 with an April 1 extension, \
highlighted the power of the Organization of the Islamic \
Conference (OIC) in that still evolving body.  The session's \
defining moment came in the closing minutes of its last \
scheduled day of work, when the OIC and its allies rammed \
through amendments that subverted the Freedom of Expression \
resolution.  This culminated relentless OIC efforts \
throughout the session to press its interests, which \
generally undermine the promotion and protection of human \
rights.  The results included, inter alia, the passage of a \
resolution on defamation of religions, and the Council's \
by-now customarily unbalanced approach to Israel.  On the \
positive side, the Council preserved some important country \
mandates, and provided the forum for a discussion of China's \
behavior in Tibet.  The balance sheet, however, continued to \
favor the OIC and its allies.  As several like-minded \
ambassadors agreed in an April 2 meeting with Ambassador \
Tichenor, the seventh session raises deep concerns about the \
Council's future direction and strongly argues for more \
active and more effective coordination among like-minded \
states.  END SUMMARY. \
 \
AN OIC TRIUMPH \
-------------- \
 \
2. (SBU) OIC efforts to amend -- and in effect subvert -- the \
Freedom of Expression resolution had been a dominant subtext \
throughout the Council's seventh regular session.  With \
support from the U.S., the EU and others, Canada, as chief \
sponsor, had sought to fend off an OIC amendment that would \
instruct the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression to \
report on "instances in which the abuse of the right of \
freedom of expression constitutes an act of racial or \
religious discrimination."  The OIC, taking advantage of its \
internal discipline, had held firm throughout.  China, \
apparently angered by criticism during the Council's March 25 \
meeting of its behavior in Tibet, floated its own killer \
amendments two days before the vote.  Canada rejected these \
as having been raised too late in the game. \
 \
3. (U) The decisive action on the freedom of expression \
resolution and its amendments came on the session's last day. \
 We had joined Canada and others in efforts to sway moderate \
OIC members, but these had fallen short.  Meanwhile, Canada \
had sought to find compromise language that would avoid the \
OIC amendment.  When those efforts failed, and with the \
session having been extended beyond its scheduled 6pm closing \
time, the OIC called for a vote on its amendment, which \
passed (27-17-3).  The U.S., Canada, the EU and others \
dropped their co-sponsorship.  With the momentum clearly \
favoring the OIC and its allies, Cuba then pulled an \
unexpected move, proposing an oral amendment underscoring \
"the importance for all forms of media to report and to \
deliver information in a fair and impartial manner."  That \
amendment passed (29-15-3).  Canada and the EU failed in last \
minute procedural efforts to head off the fully amended \
resolution, which then passed (32-0-15). \
 \
4. (C) The Ambassador's April 2 meeting with like-minded \
ambassadors to take stock of the session provided additional \
insights into the dynamics behind the last-minute \
maneuvering.  Canada's ambassador expressed frustration at \
the African Group's solidarity with the OIC.  Madagascar and \
Angola, for instance, had expressed discomfort with the \
amendment in conversations with the Canadians but had \
eventually been pressured into voting for it.  The OIC had \
also exerted immense pressure on others during the end game, \
he reported; Bosnia and Herzegovina, for instance, had been \
pressed hard, although it had ended up voting against the \
amendment.  Both the Canadian and Danish ambassadors \
expressed particular resentment toward China:  though the \
Chinese had ostensibly kept their promise, made on the \
session's last day, not to put forth an oral amendment, they \
had clearly struck a deal for Cuba to do so. \
 \
5. (U) In an April 1 extension of the seventh session to \
allow for closing statements, several OIC members defended \
the newly amended resolution.  Pakistan argued that the OIC \
amendment had done nothing beyond providing an "add-on" that \
made the resolution more "comprehensive and holistic," in \
order to protect the stability of multicultural societies. \
Sri Lanka echoed that theme and expressed hope that the \
decisions on the freedom of expression mandate would not \
leave the Council as a "house divided."  The U.S. was among \
several delegations that sharply criticized the amendments. \
 \
 \
6. (U) The OIC had scored an earlier victory with adoption of \
a resolution on defamation of religions (21-10-14).  It also \
succeeded in rescheduling the Item 7 discussion of the \
Occupied Palestinian Territories to early in the Council \
session in order more quickly to condemn Israel's response to \
rocket attacks from Gaza.  In addition to the resolution \
passed on that occasion, the Council also passed three other \
anti-Israel resolutions.  One of these, on Israeli \
settlements, passed 46-1-0, with only Canada voting against \
it. \
 \
MODEST SUCCESS ON COUNTRY MANDATES, OHCHR UNDER ATTACK \
--------------------------------------------- --------- \
 \
7. (U) In recent months, the OIC and its allies had continued \
their criticism of country mandates, arguing that they had \
become unnecessary particularly given the imminent start of \
the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.  The seventh session \
saw two important casualties:  the mandate of the Democratic \
Republic of the Congo was eliminated, to be replaced with a \
far weaker arrangement for monitoring the situation on the \
ground in the DRC, and the Council passed a weak resolution \
on Sudan.  Nonetheless, two important country mandates, on \
Burma and the DPRK, were adopted (the former by consensus and \
the latter by a vote of 27-7-18). \
 \
8. (SBU) At the session, new appointments were made to fill a \
number of special procedures mandates.  This followed a \
difficult and highly politicized process that drew complaints \
from many delegations about lack of transparency.  In the \
end, two AmCits were selected, both of whose records suggest \
they will not address their mandate responsibilities \
even-handedly; none of the USG nominees for mandates was \
selected.  In the April 1 session, Egypt, Russia, Algeria and \
others sought to undercut the principle under which mandate \
holders are extended, with little review, for a second \
three-year term if they perform well in their first term; the \
EU and others resisted this effort, seeing it as a ploy to \
impose pressure on mandate holders who prove overly \
independent. \
 \
9. (SBU) Meanwhile, a resolution criticizing the Office of \
the High Commissioner for Human Rights for failing to ensure \
balance in its hiring of staff was adopted 34-10-3, playing \
into the hands of those seeking to whittle away at the \
independence of the OHCHR.  By most accounts, we are likely \
to see more such resolutions criticizing the OHCHR in future \
sessions.  High Commissioner Louise Arbour also came under \
attack at various points throughout the session, including in \
the aftermath of the report she presented to the Council, \
during which she also announced that she would step down from \
that post at the end of her term in June. \
 \
TIBET ON THE AGENDA \
------------------- \
 \
10. (C) On the positive side, the Council session proved an \
opportunity to shed light on China's reaction to protests in \
Tibet.  Slovenia (on behalf of the EU), Switzerland and \
Australia joined the U.S. in raising concerns about the \
issue, as did a number of NGOs, generally in harsher terms. \
China's delegation, supported by a few others, repeatedly \
raised procedural objections on the grounds that the \
discussion was taking place under Item 8 (Vienna \
Declaration), which should not address country situations. \
In response to the objections, Council President Costea took \
a middle ground, urging speakers to address the Vienna \
Declaration and its implementation but allowing all but one \
NGO speaker to speak about Tibet.  Switzerland is among \
several countries planning to write Costea to underscore its \
view that country situations may be addressed under Item 8. \
In the view of many, China's repeated objections only played \
into the hands of those criticizing it for seeking to squash \
dialogue on the subject. \
 \
COORDINATION WITH THE EU:  SOMEWHAT IMPROVED \
-------------------------------------------- \
 \
11. (C) As noted reftel, the Council's last session, in \
December, had been plagued by a reluctance of the Portuguese \
EU presidency to coordinate with potential allies, including \
the U.S.  Prior to the seventh session, Ambassador Tichenor, \
supported by other ambassadors, had highlighted to the \
incoming Slovenian presidency in the Council the importance \
of better coordination, and the Slovenians appeared genuinely \
committed to improving matters.  In practice, the EU's record \
in the seventh session proved mixed.  In a number of cases, \
including on coordination with the Latin American regional \
group (GRULAC) on a resolution on the rights of the child, \
 \
the EU continued its weak coordination with other interested \
delegations, and on a number of resolutions, it often failed \
to keep the U.S. and other allied delegations properly \
informed.  In other instances, however, it communicated and \
coordinated well, both through direct contact between \
Slovenian delegates and their counterparts and through EU \
burden-sharing of those responsibilities.  In perhaps the \
best example of coordination, the EU brought the U.S. and \
Australian delegations into its last-minute negotiations with \
ASEAN on the Burma resolution, and later acknowledged that \
this had strengthened its position. \
 \
COMMENT \
------- \
 \
12. (C) Burma was among a number of issues where U.S. \
engagement proved important.  Another was Mexico's resolution \
on counter-terrorism:  while Mexico sought to be \
accommodating, it did so at least in part because the U.S. \
made clear its desire to be actively involved in hammering \
out acceptable language.  Similarly, U.S. engagement both in \
the run-up to the session and during the session itself \
shaped the Maldives' resolution on climate change.  In these \
cases and others, the primary sponsors' willingness to \
cooperate with the U.S. proved fundamental -- and \
encouraging. \
 \
13. (C) Despite a few bright spots, however, the seventh \
session has been deeply troubling.  The OIC appears to have \
further strengthened its internal discipline, and the \
statements of its leading delegations, notably Pakistan and \
Egypt, became more aggressive.  We also have been \
particularly struck by the increasing aggressiveness of the \
Sri Lankan PermRep.  The OIC and its allies also appear to \
have coordinated well in their lobbying on the floor of the \
Council.  Meanwhile, the EU and its allies are not only \
outnumbered but have at times been reluctant to challenge the \
OIC directly.  Several ambassadors expressed deep concern in \
our April 2 stock-taking session, stressing that U.S. \
membership in the Council could be pivotal and arguing that a \
new long-term strategic approach might be needed; Slovenia's \
ambassador said his delegation was drafting a concept paper, \
initially for EU consideration.  From our perspective, it \
will be difficult to reverse the dynamic of an ascendant OIC \
in the Council, making cooperation among states that share \
our human rights goals all the more essential. \
TICHENOR \