VZCZCXYZ0011
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #2832 3212113
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 172113Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5714
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0351
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0101
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6200
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2181
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ NOV 0233
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1173
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 1455
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS QUITO 002832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UN BO EC
SUBJECT: UN: ECUADOR FOR BALANCE IN BEIT HANOUN 
RESOLUTIONS, REGIONAL CONSENSUS ON OTHERS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 188244 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The GOE will vote in favor of the Beit 
Hanoun resolutions in NY and Geneva, in favor of the Burma 
country resolution, against Iran's retaliatory Canada 
resolution, and seeks to shift GRULAC consensus from 
abstention on Belarus' retaliatory resolutions against the 
U.S. to a 'no' vote.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) PolChief conveyed RefTel points to MFA U/S for 
Multilateral Affairs Gonzalo Salvador on November 16.  After 
hearing our arguments, Salvador said the GOE would vote in 
favor of the UNGA November 17 Emergency Special Session 
resolution condemning the incident in Beit Hanoun.  The GOE 
had voted in favor of a similar resolution at the 
Extraordinary Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On November 17, Salvador sent us two statements by 
Ecuador's representative to the Third Special Session of the 
Human Rights Council in Geneva e-mailed to WHA/AND).  Both 
were dated November 15.  The first is entitled "Intervention 
by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil in Geneva, 
Ambassador Sergio Florencio."  The document is a joint 
statement by Brazil and Ecuador, expressing concern for "the 
growing spiral of violence in the Palestinian Occupied 
Territories reflected in the rising death toll from Israeli 
operations in Northern Gaza and the recent disproportionate 
military actions in Beit Hanoun."  The statement includes 
some balance, rejecting as "unacceptable the use of violence 
by either side" and favoring "dialogue and peaceful solution 
of conflicts" and recommending "an appeal to all parties to 
self-restraint and to return to the peace process."  Both 
countries call upon Israel to investigate responsibility for 
the Beit Hanoun incident, and urge "the Palestinians to take 
the critically important step of stopping rocket attacks by 
militants, and on both sides to return to talks."  Possible 
steps toward reconciliation "could begin with the release of 
the Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit.  Another important step in 
the direction of peace in the region would be the 
establishment of a Palestinian Government of national unity." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The other document is entitled "Intervention of 
Alternate Representative of Ecuador Galo Larenas, Explaining 
Ecuador's Vote in Support of the Resolution On the Israeli 
Military Attack at Beit Hanoun."  The document asserts that 
the GOE would vote in favor of the resolution.  After 
expressing concern about civilian casualties there, it does 
the same for "Israeli victims caused by missiles shot from 
the Palestinian sector."  The GOE seconded the Brazilian 
statement calling for a "cessation of these actions, on both 
sides, and return of the parties to the negotiating table." 
The statement also congratulates Israel for actions taken (to 
investigate responsibility for the incident). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On other pending UN human rights resolutions, 
Ambassador Salvador on November 16 told us the GOE would 
likely vote in favor of the Burma resolution, and against 
Iran's retaliatory resolution against Canada.  On November 
17, Salvador said he had instructed Ecuador's Alternate 
Representative at the UN, Ambassador Rodrigo Riofio, to "seek 
to procure or join regional consensus, if it is against 
Belarus' retaliatory resolution against the human rights 
situation in the U.S."  The GOE would coordinate these 
efforts with Chile, Brazil and Peru.  If consensus is not 
reached, the GOE would abstain. 
JEWELL