US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA3102

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003102 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/UNP FOR WEINBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CO, UNSC 
SUBJECT: GOC CONCERNED ABOUT UN DRAFT RESOLUTION ON 
CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Milton K. Drucker, Reasons: 1.4 B & D. 
 
1.  (C) Charge was called to the Foreign Ministry on March 26 
by Acting Minister Jaime Giron to discuss the GOC's 
reservations about two aspects of the UNSC Draft Resolution 
on Children and Armed Conflict.  Referring to the 
resolution's operative paragraph 7bis, Giron expressed 
concern about the use of the term "parties" in reference to 
the FARC and ELN guerrilla groups and the AUC paramilitary 
group, stating that the term implied that Colombian 
narco-terrorist groups were "parties to a conflict" rather 
than merely being illegal armed groups without political 
support.  Secondly, referring to operative paragraph 3, Giron 
worried that Colombia could become a "UN Security Council 
agenda item."  Giron pointed out that the citation on 
Colombia was different than most of the other countries in 
Annex II of the Secretary General's Report on Children and 
Armed Conflict.  We understand Colombian Ambassador Moreno 
also phoned A/S Holmes with the same concerns. 
 
2.  (C) Action request:  Post would like to assist the GOC 
particularly on the wording issue.  The USG has named the 
FARC, ELN, and AUC terrorist organizations and we are 
sympathetic to Colombian concerns on the language of the 
draft resolution. 
DRUCKER