US embassy cable - 05SANSALVADOR2027

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 002027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ES, UNGA 
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM (CCIT) DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A. STATE 127272 
     B. STATE 128008 
     C. SAN SALVADOR 1975 
     D. NEW YORK 1508 
 
1. (SBU) Poloff provided Ref A talking points to Special 
Advisor to the Foreign Minister Ambassador Marisol Argueta de 
Barillas and to MFA Director of Multilateral Affairs Mario 
Rivera on June 8.  During a July 13 follow-up meeting with 
Poloff, Rivera stated that the CCIT topic had been briefly 
discussed at a July 11 meeting of the GOES's working group on 
UN Reform, which is led by Ambassador de Barillas.  Rivera 
stated that El Salvador sees the 14th Convention as an 
important complementary convention to the existing 13 and 
believes that it should be passed as soon as possible and in 
the broadest form possible.  He stated that El Salvador's 
PermRep to the UN Gallardo de Hernandez was aware of the 
proposed changes to Article 18 and the push to generate 
support for the passing of the convention this fall. 
 
2. (SBU) Rivera added however, that reform of the Commission 
on Human Rights, the creation of the Democracy Fund, the 
establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission and the push for 
management and administrative reforms are also important to 
El Salvador.  He also restated the Salvadoran sentiment 
reported in Ref C that the reforms should be approached in an 
integral way, and that El Salvador does not want UNSC reform 
to be rushed, or to displace other important topics in the 
lead-up to the UNGA this fall. 
 
3. (SBU) COMMENT.  While El Salvador supports the passing of 
the CCIT, can be counted on to vote for the CCIT, and is a 
strong supporter of the global war on terrorism and 
international conventions to suppress terrorism, USUN New 
York reports that GOES PermRep Gallardo Hernandez has 
indicated that, at least in the context of the UNGA this 
fall, a terrorism convention is not the highest priority item 
for El Salvador (Ref D).  This, combined with Rivera's 
indication that other topics are of equal or greater 
importance indicate that El Salvador will not likely expend a 
great deal of effort to push other countries to support the 
CCIT.  END COMMENT. 
Silverman