US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO783

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000783 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
AF/S FOR HTREGER 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KUNR, MZ, UNGA, UNCHR-1 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE - REFORMING THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS 
COMMISSION 
 
REF: STATE 114051 
 
1. (SBU) On June 21 emboff delivered demarche and talking 
points to Faruque Faquira, Chief of Department for United 
Nations issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Faquira 
was familiar with the issue at hand and had recently been 
briefed by his Ministry on the U.S. consultations with the 
Africa Group, as discussed in reftel. Faquira also mentioned 
that he and others in his department had been in contact with 
other African delegations in recent days to get a better 
understanding on what the GRM,s position should be on this 
issue. He declined to say if any non-African governments had 
contacted the GRM about the UNCHR in recent days. 
 
2. (SBU) Faquira said that Mozambique,s principal concern 
about the UN Commission on Human Rights is that it tends to 
"politicize" human rights by only focusing on a handful of 
countries that have already been "tried and found guilty in 
the court of public opinion." He added that the Commission 
had not shown enough interest in economic and social concerns 
of developing countries. (Comment: Each of these comments can 
be seen as a reference to Zimbabwe and Mozambique,s unease 
about further isolating a country whose economic collapse has 
greatly affected the economy of central Mozambique. When 
asked about Zimbabwe, however, Faquira switched the topic to 
Sudan. End Comment.) Faquira said that the GRM had no 
philosophical questions with reforming the present Human 
Rights Commission - which Mozambique also views as inadequate 
- by remaking it into a smaller and more proactive Human 
Rights Council. Mozambique would only be supportive of such 
a move, however, if the aforementioned concerns were met in a 
substantive manner, and as long as Africa and other 
undeveloped nations retained a strong position in the 
organization's structure and membership. 
 
3. (SBU) Emboff responded by emphasizing USG talking points 
on the Council's mandate, structure, and membership. Faquira 
seemed particularly impressed with the proposed structure and 
membership for a 20-nation Council, which he said was a more 
favorable proposal than what he was expecting. He was less 
clear about the talking points on the Council's mandate, but 
offered no criticisms. Emboff also outlined the "additional 
clarifying points" on economic and social rights, which 
Faquira seemed to view as a step in the right direction but 
not ideal. 
Wysham