VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #0575 0712129
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 122129Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6529
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0359
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0105
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6520
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2441
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 0489
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1498
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 2036
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS QUITO 000575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL AORC SNAR UN CO EC
SUBJECT: GOE REACTION TO HRC OBJECTIVES 
 
REF: STATE 26833 
 
¶1.  (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel points on March 9 to 
Lourdes Puma Puma, MFA Director General for multilateral 
affairs.  Puma confirmed that Ecuadorian Foreign Minister 
Maria Fernanda Espinoza will attend the opening sessions of 
the Human Rights Council, as well as the disarmament 
commission. 
 
Response to USG Priorities 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Burma:  The GOE agrees in principal with USG 
position on Burma.  The GOE hopes that swift action is taken. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Sudan:  The GOE continues to support the 
Assessment Mission's visit to Sudan and will support any 
proposals in the Human Rights Council that are designed to 
help those who are suffering in Sudan.  Puma expressed her 
hope that the Mission's reports would be unbiased and fair. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Country Specific Mandates:  Puma described this 
set of issues as complex and did not commit the GOE.  She 
said the GOE links the Country Specific Mandates directly to 
the overall institution building of the Council.  The GOE 
does not want to see the Council politicized (as it believes 
the Human Rights Commission was) and wants to be certain that 
each Country Specific Mandate is dealt with fairly and 
thoroughly.  The GOE hopes to reach consensus on this issue 
with its Latin American neighbors.  FM Espinosa will touch on 
this topic in her remarks. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Israel:  The GOE feels strongly that Israel must 
be treated fairly and given a reasonable hearing at the Human 
Rights Council.  Puma was sympathetic to the view that past 
Commission action was stacked against Israel, but asserted 
the GOE position that there have been human rights violations 
committed by both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 
The GOE will reserve its judgment on the matter for the time 
being. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Protection of Freedom of Expression:  Highlighting 
the freedom of the press in Ecuador, Puma stated that Ecuador 
will always work to protect freedom of expression throughout 
the world.  In general, the GOE does not except the 
defamation of religion.  The GOE is committed to preserving 
freedom of speech, so long as an individual's speech does not 
violate another person's rights. 
 
GOE Priorities 
-------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The GOE will highlight its positions in favor of 
Council institutional reform, particularly the establishment 
of a transparent work plan and on country specific mandates. 
FM Espinosa and the GOE delegation will also raise the issue 
of Colombia's aerial coca fumigation along the border with 
Ecuador as a violation of the human rights of affected 
Ecuadorians. 
JEWELL