US embassy cable - 04MADRID3232

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2014 
TAGS: OPDC, PHUM, PREL, SP 
SUBJECT: MORATINOS AGREES WITH US POSITION FOR WEOG 
ROTATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 
 
REF: A. REF A: STATE 172297 
     B. REF B: MADRID 03080 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Kathleen Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4 
 (b) and (d). 
 
 1.  (C)  Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos 
agrees with US efforts to reach a rotation agreement within 
WEOG to occupy the posts assigned in the Human Rights 
Commission.  Poloff received the text of Moratinos' response 
to Secretary of State Colin Powell's August 11 letter (Ref A) 
from Gonzalo Alvarez Garrido, Acting MFA Deputy Director 
General for UN Affairs, on August 26. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Begin Text of Letter. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Dear Rt. Hon. Colin Powell, Secretary of State, 
United States of America. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Thank you for your letter of August 11; I have 
made note of your request to continue working on the rotation 
agreement in the WEOG in relation to the Human Rights 
Commission, which we will consider with the greatest 
interest.  I hope that this is another of the many United 
Nations fields in which Spain can work efficiently with the 
United States. 
 
5.  (SBU)  I agree with you on the need to reach a rotation 
agreement within the WEOG, to occupy the posts assigned in 
the Human Rights Commission.  As you point out in your 
letter, this agreement would allow WEOG members to 
concentrate better on the defense and promotion of Human 
Rights and Democracy in the HRC.  Like you, I think the work 
done by Canada and Holland provides a point of departure for 
negotiation which we also wish to foment, to reach an 
understanding which is satisfactory to all.  In this sense, I 
am grateful for the United States' willingness to cede 
another year in the arrangement under the plan proposed by 
Canada and Holland. 
 
6.  (SBU)  In previous negotiations, Spain already expressed 
its concern about the number of years assigned particularly 
when, in the past, this country was clearly underrepresented 
in the HRC.  To reach a satisfactory agreement, all of us, 
large and less large, will have to act flexibly, making 
sacrifices in order to come to compromise solutions. 
 
7.  (SBU)  Spain, certainly along with the other members of 
the European Union, is absolutely willing to work and 
coordinate on this matter with the United States in New York, 
and with all WEOG partners, on the basis of the reflections 
so far produced by Canada and the Netherlands. 
 
8.  (SBU)  I have given instructions to our Mission in New 
York to continue in contact with your representative--which I 
understand has already happened in this matter--and with 
other WEOG members, to reach an agreement as soon as possible. 
 
9.  (SBU)  Sincerely, Miguel Angel Moratinos. 
 
10.  (SBU)  End Text of Letter. 
 
11.  (C)  Comment:  Spain has favored WEOG rotation reform 
for the HRC in the past, although they had problems with the 
years allocated to Spain in the membership matrix proposed by 
Canada and the Netherlands.  For example, the proposed matrix 
allocated Spain 11 years of membership in a 20-year cycle, 
while Canada, a country with 10 million fewer people than 
Spain, was allocated 14 years of membership during the 
20-year cycle.  The GOS's willingness to show flexibility and 
make sacrifices to achieve a compromise in a timely fashion 
is an encouraging development. 
 
MANZANARES