US embassy cable - 05VIENNA840

UNCLAS VIENNA 000840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP, DRL, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, AU, UNHRC-1, EUN 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN RESPONSE TO UNHCR 61 DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 42847 B) SECSTATE 41971 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: EconPolOff delivered ref a demarche on 
March 11 to Engelbert Theuermann, head of the Austrian MFA's 
Human Rights Bureau (with responsibility for the CHR). 
Theuermann reported that he had attended an EU Human Rights 
working group meeting the previous day which had discussed 
common positions and strategies.  He expected the EU Foreign 
Ministers (GAERC) formally to adopt an agenda of human rights 
priorities for the CHR at its session on March 16. 
Theuermann provided the following overview of current 
Austrian and EU strategies: 
 
2.  (SBU) CUBA: Theuermann said that the EU was waiting for 
the exact text of the resolution and details regarding 
sponsorship.  He indicated that Austria had taken no final 
decision yet, but thought it likely that Austria would follow 
its historical pattern of not co-sponsoring, but then voting 
in favor of a Cuba resolution. 
 
3.  (SBU)  BELARUS: Theuermann said that the EU's decision to 
co-table the Belarus resolution (ref b) was part of an effort 
to maximize the effectiveness of its Neighborhood Policy by 
encouraging development of democratic institutions and 
practices in Belarus. 
 
4.  (SBU) ISRAEL AND THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT:  Theuermann 
said that the EU shared U.S. views on the potential for 
progress in the region  He concurred that the CHR must 
therefore carefully consider the timing of any proposed 
Middle East resolutions. 
 
5.  (SBU) DPRK:  Theuermann told us the EU has a strong 
interest in DPRK developments and had decided to sponsor a 
resolution.  The EU sees Japan as playing a key role and 
hopes Japan will co-sponsor and actively lobby for the 
resolution. 
 
6.  (SBU) SUDAN - Theuermann said the EU wanted to highlight 
the Sudan situation within CHR.  EU member states would 
engage actively on a Sudan resolution. 
 
7.  (SBU) ZIMBABWE:  Theuermann said that there had been a 
lively discussion among EU human rights representatives 
regarding the approach to take on country resolutions that 
historically had been unsuccessful (such as those on Chechnya 
and Zimbabwe).  The EU had decided that it was "not useful" 
again to propose a resolution on Zimbabwe.  This would only 
antagonize the African Group, whose support for a Sudan 
resolution was critical.  The EU also thought another attempt 
might be counterproductive, since Mugabe would use this as 
raw material for anti-Western and anti-CHR propaganda. 
 
8.  (SBU) CHECHNYA:  Theuermann said the EU had taken no 
final decision yet on Chechnya.  The EU still hoped to 
receive clear commitments from Russia in the context of the 
EU-Russia human rights dialogue. 
 
9.  (SBU) AUSTRIAN PRIORITIES:  Austria will work to maintain 
all references to anti-Semitism contained in the 2003 CHR 
resolution on religious intolerance.  The GoA also supports 
EU sponsorship of a resolution on Internally Displaced 
Persons (IDPs) and the rights and responsibilities of 
indigenous minorities. 
Brown