US embassy cable - 02ROME5802

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005802 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR DRL/MA, IO/SHA, NEA/ENA AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2005 
TAGS: PHUM, LY, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: CHR-59 LIBYAN CHAIRMANSHIP: ITALIANS CONCERNED 
ABOUT PRECEDENT 
 
REF: A) STATE 244156 B) GENEVA 4483 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: LABOR COUNSELOR JOHN BASS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
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1. ITALY UNDERSTANDS U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT CHR-59'S 
EFFECTIVENESS UNDER A LIBYAN CHAIR, BUT IS CONCERNED THAT 
CONTESTING A REGIONAL GROUP'S CONSENSUS CHOICE FOR THE CHAIR 
WILL SET A BAD PRECEDENT FOR THE COMMISSION'S FUTURE 
OPERATION, MFA HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE DIRECTOR CALVETTA TOLD US 
DECEMBER 2.  CALVETTA ARGUED THAT IT WAS "DANGEROUS" TO 
REVISIT THE CHAIRMANSHIP PROCEDURES IN MIDSTREAM; THE 
POTENTIAL BACKLASH AGAINST THE WESTERN GROUP'S CANDIDATE NEXT 
YEAR COULD UNDERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHR-60 IN 2004.  HE 
WONDERED WHETHER THE U.S. AND OTHERS OPPOSED TO LIBYA'S 
CHAIRMANSHIP COULD PURSUE A "DECLARATION" AT THE JANUARY 
COMMISSION MEETING EXPRESSING THEIR DISPLEASURE WITHOUT 
FORCING A VOTE. 
 
2. EU EXPERTS WOULD EXPLORE POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES AT THEIR 
DECEMBER 4 SESSION.  CALVETTA REMINDED US OF ITALY'S EFFORTS 
ENCOURAGING LIBYA TO REJOIN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, 
POINTING TO PM BERLUSCONI'S "SUCCESSFUL" OCTOBER 28 VISIT TO 
TRIPOLI AS ANOTHER USEFUL WAYPOINT.  NONETHELESS, ITALY WOULD 
NOT OPPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE UNDER WHICH THE AFRICAN GROUP WOULD 
RETAIN THE CHAIRMANSHIP FOR CHR-59. 
 
3. LOOKING AHEAD, CALVETTA SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS THE BEST 
LONG-TERM SOLUTION WOULD BE TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR 
CHR CHAIRMANSHIP. FOR EXAMPLE, ANY STATE FOR WHICH A UN 
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR HAD BEEN APPOINTED WOULD BE INELIGIBLE FOR 
CONSIDERATION BY ITS REGIONAL GROUP. 
 
4. MFA LIBYA DESK OFFICER SEPARATELY AGREED THAT ITALY WANTED 
A WELL-RUN COMMISSION, BUT SUGGESTED THE CHAIRMANSHIP MIGHT 
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BE AN APPROPRIATE VEHICLE TO TEST LIBYA'S COMMITMENT TO FULL 
REINTEGRATION INTO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. 
 
5. COMMENT: GIVEN ITS EMPHASIS ON ENGAGING LIBYA, ITS 
LONG-STANDING COMMERCIAL TIES AND PM BERLUSCONI'S RECENT 
VISIT TO TRIPOLI, ITALY WILL NOT LEAD EU EFFORTS TO BLOCK 
LIBYAN CHAIRMANSHIP -- BUT THEY WILL JOIN CONSENSUS.  AFTER 
STEPPING ASIDE TO CLEAR ROOM FOR U.S. MEMBERSHIP IN CHR-59, 
THE MFA HAS SET ITS SIGHTS ON THE 2004 SESSION; IT CLEARLY IS 
CONCERNED ABOUT INTRA-GROUP FIREWORKS THAT COULD SINGE 
WESTERN GROUP CANDIDATES NEXT YEAR. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME05802 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL