US embassy cable - 02ROME1818

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001818 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, IT, EUN, UNICEF, UN 
SUBJECT: SICHAN SIV ROME MEETINGS CONCERNING UNGASS ON 
CHILDREN 
 
REF: STATE 66892 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLMINCOUN TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
1.  (SBU) ACCOMPANIED BY POLOFFS, AMBASSADOR TO THE UN 
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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL SICHAN SIV AND L/HRR MICHAEL 
DENNIS MET 4/10 WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRIES OF 
LABOR/WELFARE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO DISCUSS ISSUES BEFORE 
THE 5/8-10 UN SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN (REF).  BOTH OF 
THEIR LABOR/WELFARE MINISTRY INTERLOCUTORS (UNDERSECRETARY 
GRAZIA SESTINI AND DIPLOMATIC COUNSELOR ALBERTO COLELLA) WILL 
BE MEMBERS OF THE ITALIAN DELEGATION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION. 
OF THEIR MFA INTERLOCUTORS -- CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO, RAFAELE DI 
LUTIO, EMANUELE PIGNATELLI -- THE LATTER WILL BE THE SENIOR 
MFA OFFICIAL IN THE DELEGATION. 
 
2.  (C) AMBASSADOR SIV SAID THAT, WHILE THE U.S. CAN ACCEPT 
THAT THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONTAINS 
STANDARDS OF IMPORTANCE, IT COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT THE 
CONVENTION ESTABLISHED THE STANDARD FOR ACTIONS CONCERNING 
THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN.  HE SAID THE U.S. SENATE IS 
CONSIDERING RATIFICATION OF THE CONVENTION'S TWO OPTIONAL 
PROTOCOLS, AND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HOPED TO SECURE ADVICE 
AND CONSENT TO RATIFICATION BEFORE THE START OF THE SPECIAL 
SESSION.  HE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT VARIOUS SENATORS HAD 
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE CONVENTION ITSELF.  REFERRING TO 
THE SESSION'S OUTCOME DOCUMENT, AMBASSADOR SIV SAID THE USG 
CANNOT ACCEPT THE PHRASE "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES" SINCE 
OTHER DELEGATIONS HAVE ASSERTED THAT THIS REFERS TO ABORTION. 
 ON THE OTHER HAND, HE NOTED, "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE" IS 
FINE, IF NOT LINKED TO THE PREVIOUS UN CONFERENCE OUTCOME 
DOCUMENTS FROM CAIRO ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT AND FROM 
BEIJING ON WOMEN.  AMBASSADOR SIV WELCOMED LANGUAGE IN THE 
3/18 TEXT PROPOSED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PREPARATORY 
COMMITTEE AS A GOOD BASIS FOR NEGOTIATION.  MR. DENNIS 
FURTHER CLARIFIED SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT THE U.S. WOULD NEED 
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TO THE DRAFT TEXT CONCERNING REFERENCES TO THE CONVENTION ON 
THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, CHILDREN IN 
ARMED CONFLICT AND ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD 
PROSTITUTION, AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 
 
3.  (C) WHILE OFFICIALS AT BOTH MINISTRIES WERE FORTHCOMING, 
LABOR/WELFARE UNDERSECRETARY SESTINI SAID UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT 
ITALY SHARES U.S. VIEWS ON ABORTION AND WOULD SUPPORT OUR 
OPPOSITION TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES."  UNDERSECRETARY 
SESTINI NOTED A DIFFERENCE WITH U.S. VIEWS REGARDING HEALTH. 
WHEREAS U.S. LAW GUARANTEES CITIZENS "ACCESS" TO REPRODUCTIVE 
HEALTH CARE, THE ITALIAN CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES CITIZENS A 
"RIGHT" TO HEALTH.  THE GOI DELEGATION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION 
ACCORDINGLY WILL SEEK LANGUAGE ON THIS POINT THAT IS 
COMPATIBLE WITH NATIONAL LAW. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT: AS AN ELECTED SENATOR (AND MEMBER OF THE 
SAME FORZA ITALIA PARTY AS PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI), 
UNDERSECRETARY SESTINI'S SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. POSITION ON 
ABORTION CAN BE CONSIDERED DEFINITIVE OF GOI VIEWS.  THE 
ITALIAN DELEGATION TO THE SPECIAL SESSION IS TO BE HEADED BY 
LABOR/WELFARE MINISTER ROBERTO MARONI.  SHOULD DOMESTIC 
EVENTS PRECLUDE MARONI FROM ATTENDING, HOWEVER, SENATOR 
SESTINI IS LIKELY TO HEAD THE DELEGATION IN HIS PLACE. 
 
5.  (C) OTHER ISSUES: AMB. SIV THANKED DEPUTY POLITICAL 
DIRECTOR BISOGNIERO FOR ITALY'S DECISION TO POSTPONE ITS 
CANDIDACY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, OPENING THE PATH 
FOR THE U.S. TO RETURN.  BISOGNIERO NOTED THAT IT WAS 
IMPORTANT TO PRIME MINISTER (AND ACTING FM) BERLUSCONI THAT 
THE U.S. RETURN.  HE HOPED THE U.S. WOULD URGE THOSE 
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COUNTRIES THAT STILL HAD OBJECTIONS TO THE ICELANDIC PROPOSAL 
FOR WEOG ROTATION TO "CALM DOWN" AND ACCEPT THE PLAN. 
BISOGNIERO ALSO HANDED OVER A NOTE VERBALE REQUESTING THE 
U.S. TO SUPPORT THE ITALIAN CANDIDACY FOR THE COMMISSION FOR 
THE PREVENTION OF CRIME AND PENAL JUSTICE IN THE ELECTIONS IN 
ECOSOC 4/29-30. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2002ROME01818 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL