US embassy cable - 02ROME1557

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001557 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, IT, UNHRC-1, HUMAN RIGHTS 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN VIEWS ON CHINA RESOLUTION AT UNCHR 
 
REF: STATE 53847 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON 1.5 (B) (D). 
 
1.  (SBU) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL TALKING POINTS MARCH 21 TO 
MFA OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNSELOR ALBERTO CECCARELLI. 
DRAWING ON POINTS REFTEL, THE AMBASSADOR WROTE MFA SECRETARY 
GENERAL GIUSEPPE BALDOCCI MARCH 22, FOLLOWING-UP WITH A 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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PERSONAL CALL ON BALDOCCI MARCH 26.  WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF 
EACH OF THESE OCCASIONS TO SAY "THANK YOU" TO ITALY FOR THE 
GOI'S DECISION TO POSTPONE ITS CANDIDACY FOR A SEAT ON THE UN 
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (UNCHR).  AMBASSADOR BALDOCCI 
RESPONDED BY TELLING THE AMBASSADOR HE PERSONALLY CONSIDERED 
IT IMPORTANT FOR THE U.S. TO BE A MEMBER OF THE UNCHR. 
 
2.  (C) BALDOCCI SAID THERE ARE "NO EASY ANSWERS" REGARDING 
THE EU'S APPROACH TO A CHINA RESOLUTION.  IN THE PAST, HE 
SAID, THE EU HAS NEITHER PRESENTED NOR CO-SPONSORED A 
RESOLUTION.  WHAT IF, HE ASKED, THERE WERE NO CHINA 
RESOLUTION THIS YEAR?  WOULD THAT NECESSARILY BE A BAD THING? 
 WOULD THE ABSENCE OF A RESOLUTION HELP FURTHER OUR HUMAN 
RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE?  WE COULD HAVE SERIOUS 
DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, HE SAID, THEN ASSESS MATTERS AT YEAR'S 
END.  BALDOCCI SAID THESE QUESTIONS WERE HIS OWN THINKING, 
NOT THOSE OF THE GOI -- WHICH HAS YET TO TAKE A POSITION. 
 
3.  (C) WE WELCOMED BALDOCCI'S INTEREST IN RETHINKING 
"TRADITIONAL" EU POSITIONS AND OFFERED SOME QUESTIONS OF OUR 
OWN.  WERE THERE NO CHINA RESOLUTION PRESENTED AT THE 58TH 
UNCHR, OF WHICH THE U.S. IS NOT A MEMBER, WOULD THE CHINESE 
CONCLUDE THE ONE EVENT (NO RESOLUTION) WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF 
THE OTHER (U.S. OFF THE COMMISSION)?  WHAT WOULD BE THE 
IMPACT INSIDE CHINA?  HOW WOULD CHINESE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS 
INTERPRET THE ABSENCE OF A RESOLUTION?  MIGHT THEY SEE THIS 
AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY "ABANDONING" THEM? 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT: THIS IS THE FIRST OCCASION ON WHICH THE 
CENTER-RIGHT BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY (OR IS 
BEING REQUIRED) TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.  MISSION WILL SEEK 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP TOP GOI OFFICIALS RETHINK "TRADITIONAL" 
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT VIEWS. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME01557 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL