US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO438

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO, DRL 
 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:           DECL:  03/11/14 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, CE, UNHRC-1 
SUBJECT:  UNHRC:  Ambassador reviews U.S. priorities at 
upcoming session with Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 402; (B) State 41252 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) As requested Ref B, Ambassador discussed 
upcoming UNHRC session with Foreign Secretary Bernard 
Goonetilleke on March 11.  Goonetilleke is the number 
two in the Foreign Ministry and highest-ranking career 
official.  (Embassy had previously presented similar 
material to MFA's Director General for UN, Human Rights, 
and Multilateral Affairs -- see Ref A.)  Ambassador 
noted that we were trying to make the UNHRC a more 
effective and credible organization, described U.S. 
goals for the UNHRC session, and asked Goonetilleke what 
Sri Lanka's goals were. 
 
2.  (C) Goonetilleke candidly replied that the GSL had 
not focused on these issues thus far, and was "mainly 
reactive" to them, developing its positions as issues 
came up.  He noted that our delegations had 
traditionally cooperated well in Geneva, while also 
noting that there would of course be issues where we 
differed.  He did say that Foreign Minister Tyronne 
Fernando would attend the high-level portion of the 
session. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  Sri Lanka's actions in the UNHRC are 
traditionally driven by a variety of (sometimes 
conflicting) factors:  desire to be close to the U.S., 
sympathy for smaller nations with big neighbors (e.g., 
Cuba), and old-think in the MFA combined with desire not 
to alienate traditional NAM buddies (e.g., Iran.) or 
powerful neighbors (e.g., China).  We can probably get 
Sri Lankan cooperation on some of our issues, but almost 
certainly not on all.  Keys will be: 
--working with Sri Lankan delegation in Geneva, and 
--approaching Foreign Secretary here on key issues where 
Sri Lanka feels it has some maneuverability. 
END COMMENT. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD