US embassy cable - 03ROME1168

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR IO, IO/SHA. DRL, DRL/MLA, SA/PAB AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, IT, UNHRC-1, AFGHANISTAN, HUMAN RIGHTS 
SUBJECT: CHR-59: ITALIANS SUPPORT VIRTUALLY ALL U.S. 
OBJECTIVES, PROPOSE AFGHANISTAN LANGUAGE 
 
REF: A. A)ROME 1144 
 
     B. B) STATE 64728 
     C. C) 02 STATE 215870 

CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1. (U) ITALY LARGELY SUPPORTS U.S. OBJECTIVES AND PLANS FOR 
SPECIFIC COUNTRY RESOLUTIONS AT CHR-59, MFA HUMAN RIGHTS 
OFFICE DIRECTOR CALVETTA TOLD US MARCH 19.  RESPONDING TO OUR 
MARCH 13 DEMARCHE (CALVETTA WAS UNAVAILABLE PRIOR TO THE 
19TH), CALVETTA SAID THE MFA WAS PLEASED WITH THE EXPANDED 
U.S.-EU HUMAN RIGHTS CONSULTATIONS.  HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES 
HOPED WE COULD CONTINUE THEM DURING ITALY,S EU PRESIDENCY IN 
THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR TO IMPROVE COORDINATION ON HUMAN 
RIGHTS ISSUES AT THE 2003 UNGA. 
 
2. (C) CALVETTA INDICATED ITALY AND ITS FELLOW MEMBER-STATES 
GENERALLY SHARED OUR VIEWS ON THE SPECIFIC COUNTRY 
RESOLUTIONS (ITALIAN VIEWS ON SPECIAL UNGA/CHR SESSIONS 
DETAILED IN REF A); IT STRONGLY SUPPORTED RESOLUTIONS INTER 
ALIA ON CUBA, DPRK, BELARUS, TURKMENISTAN AND ZIMBABWE.  IRAN 
REMAINED THE EXCEPTION; THE GAERC HAD DECIDED MARCH 18 NOT TO 
PURSUE/RUN AN IRAN RESOLUTION.  CALVETTA REHEARSED FAMILIAR 
ARGUMENTS THAT THE LURE OF A TCA AGREEMENT WITH THE EU COULD 
STILL ENCOURAGE IMPROVED IRANIAN PERFORMANCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, 
STARTING WITH ADHERENCE TO THE EU BENCHMARKS.   IRAN,S 
COMPLICATED POLITICAL SCENE, WITH AYATOLLAHS (SIC) REVIEWING 
DRAFT PARLIAMENTARY LEGISLATION, MEANT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE 
WOULD BE A SLOW PROCESS.  CONSEQUENTLY, THE EU JUDGED IT 
NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TIME ) PERHAPS A YEAR ) TO 
EVALUATE IRAN,S ACTUAL COMMITMENT TO THE BENCHMARKS.   WE 
NOTED THE STEADY DETERIORATION IN IRAN,S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD 
AND CLIMATE, EVEN WITH THE PROSPECT OF THE TCA, AS CLEAR 
EVIDENCE THAT INCENTIVES ALONE WERE INSUFFICIENT.  CALVETTA 
    SAID THE MFA HOPED THAT, IN THE WAKE OF THE GAERC'S DECISION, 
THE U.S. WOULD NOT FORCE THE ISSUE BY PROPOSING A RESOLUTION 
ON IRAN THAT WAS CERTAIN TO BE DEFEATED. 
 
3. (C) CALVETTA CONFIRMED THAT ITALY WAS DRAFTING LANGUAGE ON 
AFGHANISTAN, TO BE PRESENTED AS AN ITEM NINE RESOLUTION.  HE 
PROMISED TO SHARE THE DRAFT LANGUAGE ONCE IT WAS FINE-TUNED 
(AND DID SO AM MARCH 20; WE ARE E-MAILING THE TEXT TO IO, 
DRL, SA AND GENEVA).   ON CHINA, CALVETTA INDICATED THE EU 
HAD AGREED TO SUPPORT A CHINA RESOLUTION IF THE U.S. DECIDED 
TO PRESENT ONE. 
 
4. (SBU) TURNING TO THEMATIC ISSUES, CALVETTA NOTED THAT 
RECENT U.S.-EU CONSULTATIONS HAD FAILED TO SETTLE ON 
MUTUALLY-ACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE ON SUCH DIVISIVE ISSUES AS THE 
DEATH PENALTY, CHILD-SOLDIERS AND THE ICC.  AFTER A FEW 
MINUTES, JOUSTING OVER OUR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS, CALVETTA 
ASKED THAT THE U.S. MAKE GREATER USE OF STATEMENTS AND 
EXPLANATION-OF-VOTES, RATHER THAN FORMAL CALLS FOR VOTES, TO 
OBJECT TO EU LANGUAGE ON THESE TOPICS.  SUCH A TACTIC WOULD 
IMPROVE THE COHESION BOTH THE U.S. AND EU WERE TRYING TO 
CULTIVATE FOR THIS YEAR,S CHR SESSION.  WE PUSHED BACK ALONG 
LINES OF REF C, NOTING THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER FOR US TO 
DO SO IF THEMATIC LANGUAGE WAS NOT SCATTERED LIBERALLY 
THROUGHOUT A SUCCESSION OF RESOLUTIONS. 
 
5. (C) CALVETTA REAFFIRMED THAT ITALY WOULD BE MOUNTING A 
STRONG EFFORT FOR A SEAT ON CHR-60, REMINDING US THAT ITALY 
HAD STEPPED ASIDE THIS YEAR TO FACILITATE THE U.S. RETURN TO 
THE COMMISSION.  WE REASSURED CALVETTA THAT WASHINGTON HAD 
NOT FORGOTTEN ITALY,S GESTURE AND OBSERVED THAT CHR-60 
    ELECTIONS WERE STILL TWO MONTHS OFF, WITHOUT OFFERING ANY 
SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF U.S. SUPPORT FOR 
ITALY,S CANDIDACY.  (COMMENT:  WE EXPECT MORE FREQUENT 
REMINDERS ) AT HIGHER LEVELS ) OF ITALY,S GESTURE AS THE 
CHR-60 ELECTIONS NEAR.) 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01168 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL