US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE1063

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001063 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, NL, UNHRC-1, EUN 
SUBJECT: CHR 61: DUTCH REJECT POLITICAL MOTIVATION OF 
CUBA'S RESOLUTION ON GUANTANAMO 
 
REF: STATE 69823 
 
Classified By: DCM Daniel R. Russel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
(C)  1.  The Charge met Pieter de Gooijer (MFA, Director for 
European Integration and incoming Deputy Political Director) 
April 17 to discuss reftel points. While the Dutch could live 
with the text of the resolution, de Gooijer said they were 
working to move the EU toward rejecting it because it was 
politically motivated and therefore "unacceptable." 
 
2.  (C)  In a separate discussion the same day, Joris Geevens 
(MFA, Human Rights office) told Poloff that the EU saw this 
as a test case to take a stand against politically motivated 
resolutions and was working toward a common position opposing 
it. Some in the EU strongly opposed the resolution, he said. 
The Dutch and others struggle to distinguish the substance, 
which seems generally acceptable, from the procedural and 
political aspects, which are not. He noted Dutch appreciation 
for the USG's principled position not to pursue a no action 
motion.  He said the Dutch welcomed the USG's Member States 
briefings on the detainee issue in Geneva and U.S. 
willingness to work with the CHR mechanisms looking into 
Guantanamo.  Strategically, he suggested the Non-Alligned 
Movement should be enlisted to convince Cuba that the 
resolution is a bad idea.  Further, he said the final EU 
position "depended on the larger EU partners and their 
positions." 
SOBEL