US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI3430

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 003430 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/SHA - SMEHRA,S/UNR - JGERAN AND USUN FOR 
MZACK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, IN, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: GOI "STEAMROLLERED" INTO VOTING FOR UNCHR WORKING 
GROUP, WILL RECONSIDER THE ISSUE 
 
REF: STATE 82967 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) Responding to Reftel demarche, MEA Joint Secretary 
(UN Economic and Social) Manjeev Puri told PolCouns on May 5 
that India was "steamrollered" into voting for the resolution 
to create a UNCHR Working Group to consider reform proposals. 
 The resolution sponsors forced a vote on the last day, when 
the delegates wanted to finish all business and depart, and 
India went along.  India would like to exercise a moderating 
influence on the debate, Puri said, noting that the GOI 
should be able to "take a better approach" when the issue 
arises in the ECOSOC "now that there is time" to consider it 
more fully. 
 
2.  (C) On May 6, MEA Deputy Secretary (UN Economic and 
Social) Gopal Baglay clarified to Poloff that the Indian 
delegation saw the text of the resolution only the day before 
the vote, and agreed that there was little consideration 
given to the Indian vote. 
 
3.  (U) We will need to remain engaged with New Delhi as this 
issue comes to a head again, but the GOI is now on notice 
regarding our views. 
BLAKE