US embassy cable - 04BUENOSAIRES3171

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 003171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, AR, UNGA, DEMARCHE 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 237932 
 
     B. SECSTATE 236869 
 
Classified by Ambassador Lino Gutierrez for reasons 1.4(b) 
and (d). 
 
1.  (U) On November 9, PolOff met with the Foreign Ministry's 
Jorge Luis Gomez, Directorate of International Organisms, and 
Federico Villegas, Office of Human Rights, to seek 
Argentina's support for the resolutions on Belarus, 
Turkmenistan, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Iran.  Villegas noted that 
these were not new issues and said he anticipated Argentina 
voting largely as it has this year in Geneva, and last year 
in New York. Villegas explained that, due to the country's 
recent history with human rights violations, Argentina, in 
principle, is opposed to "no action" motions and has tended 
to vote against them. 
 
2. (U) Belarus:  No change.  Villegas noted that the Belarus 
Foreign Minister had recently been in Buenos Aires and had 
pressed the GOA to vote against the Belarus resolution. 
Villegas stated that Argentina had voted against the no 
action motion in Geneva and had abstained on the substance of 
the resolution itself.  He said Argentina's position would 
likely remain the same, despite the lobbying from Belarus. 
Villegas and Gomez did not have any details on Belarus' 
resolution on the U.S. electoral system. 
 
3.  (U) Turkmenistan:  No change.  Villegas explained that 
Argentina had voted in favor of the resolution on 
Turkmenistan in Geneva and that the GOA position would likely 
remain the same. 
 
4.  (U) Sudan: No change. 
 
5.  (U) Zimbabwe:  No Change.  Villegas said that Argentina 
voted against the no action motion. 
 
6.  (C) Iran:  No Change.  Villegas explained the GOA's 
rationale for its abstention on the Iran resolution in the 
3rd Committee last year and likely action this year.  He 
noted that, while serious human rights issues remain, at 
least some elements of the Iranian government, i.e. the 
executive, had been making efforts to improve the situation, 
but that much of this effort had been blocked by the 
legislature.   Villegas noted that these efforts, such as 
allowing four Special Rapporteurs to visit Iran and extending 
an open invitation to other UN commissions, were a large 
commitment and had to be recognized. 
 
 
 
GUTIERREZ