C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003245
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR-AGS -- SAINT-ANDRE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KTIA, UNHRC-1, UN, AU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHES TO AUSTRIA: COUNTRY SPECIFIC HUMAN
RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS AT THE UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE
REF: A. STATE 182267
B. STATE 183547
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Gregory E. Phillips. Reasons: 1
.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) Charge delivered ref (a) demarche on November 6 to
Engelbert Theuermann, the Austrian MFA's assistant
secretary-level Human Rights Director. Charge delivered ref
SIPDIS
(b) points to Theuermann upon receipt on November 7.
2. (C) Theuermann said Austria shared U.S. views on the
country specific resolutions. He noted that all EU
countries, including Austria, would co-sponsor the
resolutions on Iran, Burma, North Korea and Belarus. On
Uzbekistan, he said Austria was a co-sponsor, and had
strongly pushed the view that the EU as a whole should
co-sponsor the Uzbekistan resolution. He confirmed, however,
that some EU member states were waiting for the outcome of
the November 8 Cooperation Council meeting before agreeing to
co-sponsor the resolution. He said he "hoped" that all EU
member states would join as co-sponsors after the November 8
meeting.
3. (C) Theuermann said the EU had agreed to lobby for the
four resolutions its members were co-sponsoring, and
hopefully would do so for the fifth. He said he believed
strong U.S. engagement was crucial for the success of the
lobbying effort.
4. (C) Austria supported the notion that Burma could be the
subject both of a Third Committee resolution and a UN
Security Council resolution.
5. (C) Regarding retaliatory resolutions, Theuermann said
Austria agreed with U.S. views. Likewise, he confirmed that
Austria opposed no-action resolutions, and was lobbying
against them..
Phillips