Cablegate: Bosnia: Usg Priorities for March Unhrc Session

VZCZCXRO3143
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHVJ #0186 0561341
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251341Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1463
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0003

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000186

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/SCE FOR FOOKS, JUKIC, HYLAND;
NSC FOR HOVENIER;
MISSION GENEVA FOR MANSFIELD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: USG PRIORITIES FOR MARCH UNHRC SESSION

REF: SECSTATE 16236

1. (SBU) Per reftel, on February 25, post delivered para five
talking points to Bosnian MFA Head of Department for Human
Rights, Amb. Milenko Misic, who was preparing to depart for
Geneva to participate as a member of the Bosnian delegation
at the upcoming UNHRC session.

2. (SBU) Delegation Composition: Misic advised that the
delegation would be headed by FM Sven Alkalaj, who was
already en route to Geneva, and would also include Amb.
Branimir Mandic, Director of Multilateral Affairs. Misic
opined that Alkalaj would be the key decision-maker on all
points raised in reftel, and committed to passing our
position to FM Alkalaj and Amb. Mandic upon joining them in
Geneva. Poloff concurred with Misic that coordination
between BiH and U.S. delegations in Geneva would be
advisable, and Misic said BiH welcomed such coordination.

3. (SBU) Substantive points: Post raised all specific
intiatives planned for the UNHRC session in reftel. Poloff
recalled for Amb. Misic the January 27 meeting between Amb.
Mandic and Mission Geneva Legal Advisor Mansfield on the
"defamation of religions" issue, noting the importance of
this issue, and our hope that early engagement would make
Bosnia's joining the U.S. position more possible. Poloff
underlined the importance of UNHRC dealing productively and
responsibly with country-specific situations, including
issues related to the DPRK, Burma, Iran, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, and the Goldstone report.

4. (SBU) Misic had no substantive reply at the time of
demarche, but committed to engaging with U.S. delegation
members in Geneva.
ENGLISH

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