VZCZCXRO6359
OO RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0892 1040555
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130555Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3565
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 000892 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A 
STATE FOR IO/RHS DOUGLAS ROHN AND REBECCA JOVIN 
STATE FOR DRL AMY SCHMISSEUR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM AF
SUBJECT: MFA'S DEMARCHE ON AFGHANISTAN'S UNOHCHR CANDIDATE 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) MFA Minister Spanta called in Charg to inform him 
that Afghanistan wants Dr. Sima Samar, currently Chair of the 
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), to 
be considered as candidate for the UN Office of the High 
Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR).  Spanta used his 
meeting with Assistant Secretary Boucher on April 12 to 
reiterate his appeal for U.S. support for Samar's candidacy. 
The Foreign Minister highlighted to both the Charg and 
Assistant Secretary Boucher that Samar being selected would 
be good for Afghanistan, good for human rights, good for the 
UN, and good for the West.  He told the Charg he was meeting 
with all other missions to ask for support for her candidacy. 
 Charg and Assistant Secretary Boucher assured Spanta that 
the U.S. would give serious consideration to her candidacy. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Spanta underlined his strong personal support for 
her candidacy, noting she is "Muslim, female, pro-democracy, 
and a friend of the West."  He summarized Samar's 
qualifications.  She is a trained physician who fled to 
Pakistan after her husband was killed by the Soviets during 
their occupation of Afghanistan.  Following 17 years in 
exile, where she ran a regional NGO, Samar served as 
Vice-President during the Interim Administration of 
Afghanistan and was elected Vice-Chair of the Loya Jirga 
Assembly.  She was Afghanistan's first Minister of Women's 
Affairs before President Karzai asked her to Head the AIHRC. 
She has since worked as UN Special Rapporteur on the 
Situation in Sudan. 
 
¶3. (SBU) SRSG Kai Eide was also approached by Spanta and, 
according to Deputy SRSG, gave the Foreign Minister a 
positive response.  UNAMA has been a strong supporter of 
Samar's candidacy from the beginning.  They say her work as 
the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights 
for Sudan (since August 2005) has been very effective despite 
trying circumstances.  UNAMA's only secondary concern is who 
would replace her as head of the AIHRC.  But, as they note, 
several of the younger AIHRC commissioners are viewed as very 
good candidates of very high calibre for the position. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) As head of the AIHRC, Samar has proven herself to 
be both a strong advocate of human rights and a savvy 
political operator.  She has continued to be an effective 
voice for human rights in Afghanistan, even in the face of 
sometimes vicious opposition from opponents, including 
warlords with deplorable human rights records who are now 
entrenched in Parliament.  While these opponents would be 
happy to see her outside of Afghanistan, her being named as 
Commissioner would represent a commitment by Afghanistan to 
human rights that would reinforce the efforts of the AIHRC 
here. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Samar's bio, which was passed to us by the MFA, has 
been sent to the Desk via email. 
DELL