US embassy cable - 05LIMA3331

UNCLAS LIMA 003331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
I/O FOR SASHA MIRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PE, UNCHR-1, UNGA 
SUBJECT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL:  GAINING SUPPORT FOR USG 
PROPOSAL (PERU) 
 
REF: A. STATE 140192 
 
     B. LIMA 2748 
     C. STATE 114051 
     D. LIMA 1233 
 
1.  Poloff delivered the demarche on gaining support for the 
USG proposal to create a UN Human Rights Council to replace 
the UN Human Rights Commission to Carlos Roman, the Foreign 
Ministry's Director of Human Rights, on 8/2.  Roman said Peru 
supported the principles behind the U.S. initiative, but was 
not/not prepared to commit to the proposal that states under 
Security Council sanctions be prohibited from membership in 
the Council. 
 
2.  With respect to Peru's position on the creation of a UN 
Human Rights Council, Roman gave Poloff a slightly 
abbreviated version of the non-paper he provided to 
A/Polcouns in June (full text translated in Ref B).  That 
non-paper notes that Peru favors the efforts of the Lausanne 
Group, led by Switzerland, and seeks to reconcile the 
Lausanne Group's position with the proposal for an 
independent commission of experts advanced by Peru in March 
(Ref D) to create two bodies to replace the UNCHR:  a Human 
Rights Council and an Oversight Commission, made up of 
independent experts, elected through a system ensuring 
balanced geographical representation. 
 
3.  COMMENT:  The GOP supports the replacement of the UNCHR 
with a new UN Human Rights Council, but remains hopeful that 
its own initiative to create an independent group of experts 
can still be worked into the final formula.  Peru also 
remains non-committal on our proposal to exclude countries 
under Security Council sanction from membership in the new UN 
Human Rights Council.  We do not/not see the GOP as being 
insistent on either issue, however, and can expect the 
Peruvians to follow emerging consensus on both the final 
composition of the body/bodies that replace the UNCHR, as 
well as on the eligibility criteria for membership on the UN 
Human Rights Council.  END COMMENT. 
STRUBLE