VZCZCXRO7686
OO RUEHAG RUEHAP RUEHDF RUEHDT RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHLA
RUEHLZ RUEHMRE RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #0829/01 1840015
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020018Z JUL 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 070829 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
FLORENCE FOR SAN MARINO 
MARSEILLE FOR MONACO 
BARCELONA FOR ANDORRA 
PORT MORESBY FOR VANUATU 
VILNIUS FOR MINSK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EUN PHUM PREL KDEM
SUBJECT: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS EVENT 
 
REF: A. 2008 STATE 63968 
     ¶B. 2008 STATE 40380 
     ¶C. 2008 STATE 38600 
     ¶D. 2007 STATE 147620 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 2. 
 
OBJECTIVES 
---------- 
 
¶2. (U) Department requests action addressees to approach 
respective Foreign Ministries to seek support for a prisoners 
of conscience public affairs event at the United Nations in 
New York during the final week of the UN Economic and Social 
Council (ECOSOC). In delivering the demarche, posts should 
pursue the following key objectives: 
 
-- Thank host government for its support of the June 17 
declaration and urge continued cooperation on the issue of 
prisoners of conscience. 
 
-- Stress the importance of building on the positive momentum 
of the declaration by further highlighting the plight of 
political prisoners worldwide and seeking common solutions to 
the problem of political imprisonment. 
 
-- Note that the U.S. plans to organize an event, to include 
testimony from former prisoners of conscience and family 
members and those who work with prisoners of conscience, on 
the margins of the ECOSOC in New York during the week of July 
¶21. More details on individual invitees and exact location 
will follow in separate communication. 
 
-- Encourage host government to lend its 
support to the event as a means of carrying forward the 
important achievements of the declaration, including by 
co-sponsoring the event. 
 
For EU Member States 
 
STATE 00070829  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
-- Underscore that the declaration is the result of many 
months of discussions with the EU, and we are pleased the EU 
could co-sponsor the declaration.  We had also sought EU 
co-sponsorship of a public affairs event to follow up on the 
declaration, but the EU was unable to reach consensus.  That 
is why we are now seeking co-sponsorship of the public 
affairs event by EU Member States in their national capacity. 
 
 
-- Underline that we strongly believe the public affairs 
event should be held in New York, where UN membership is 
universal and where we are commemorating the 60th anniversary 
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year. The 
event will build on the Prisoners of Conscience Declaration 
we have just presented in New York.  We are also willing to 
support a second event in Geneva if the EU states request 
that we do so, but not as a substitute for a New York event. 
 
--(If questions arise on member states following EU &Common 
Position8:)  Note that we are not aware of any EU Common 
Position prohibiting member state participation in a public 
affairs event and urge EU member states to support this 
effort. 
 
FOR USEU BRUSSELS, LJUBLJANA and PARIS (Human Rights Working 
Group TROIKA )COHOM): 
 
-- Reiterate our appreciation for the close cooperation on 
the declaration.  While we are now asking for bilateral 
support on the event from member states, underline our 
continued preference to co-host this event with the European 
Union. 
 
-- For Prague and Warsaw:  We appreciate the support your 
governments have shown in highlighting prisoners of 
conscience around the world.  We would like to work with you 
closely on this event and would like to share a working 
non-paper outlining the event quickly with a POC in your 
government. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
STATE 00070829  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) The Prisoners of Conscience Public Affairs Event will 
take place on July 24th from 1:00-2:30 pm during the final 
week of the ECOSOC session when delegations are present and 
active in New York. The event will be held at the UN 
Headquarters, in one of three possible locations. This event 
follows the finalization of the Declaration on Prisoners Of 
Conscience, which was officially entered into the UN record 
as A/62/858 on June 17 with 64 co-sponsors: Albania, Andorra, 
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, 
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, 
Estonia, Finland, France, the former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, 
Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, 
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mali, Micronesia 
(Federated States of), Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, 
the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Palau, Poland, 
Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, 
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Ukraine, the 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the 
United States of America and Vanuatu. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The declaration was the culmination of more than six 
months of work with the European Union, including joint 
lobbying for co-signatories in New York. The European Union 
has, however, been unable to reach consensus on support for a 
follow-up public affairs event. The U.S. and EU had at an 
earlier stage discussed holding two public affairs events, 
one in New York and one in Geneva, but Department understands 
that this is no longer being considered by the EU.  As a 
result, the U.S. is moving forward with this event and hopes 
to secure the bilateral support of the co-sponsors of the 
declaration. 
 
¶5. (U) As had been previously agreed with the EU, the event 
will likely include a panel of six or seven speakers, 
including prisoners of conscience or family members of 
current prisoners from the following countries: Belarus, 
Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Syria, and Uzbekistan. Department is 
coordinating participation with U.S. Embassies in these 
countries, but welcomes input from addressees as well. 
Department will also invite one or two prominent former 
 
STATE 00070829  004 OF 004 
 
 
prisoners of conscience to participate in the event and will 
work with embassies in appropriate countries to secure 
participation. Building on the positive momentum of the 
recent declaration, the objective of the event will be to 
heighten awareness of the situation of prisoners of 
conscience around the world and to propose strategies the 
international community can employ to secure the release of 
current prisoners and assist victims and their families. This 
event will also set the stage for potential follow-up actions 
in the form of another event or a possible thematic 
resolution building on the declaration on the plight of 
political prisoners around the world at the UNGA Third 
Committee in the fall. 
 
 
REPORTING DEADLINE 
- - - - - - - - - 
 
6.(U) Posts are requested to use the SIPDIS caption in their 
responses and report the results of this demarche by July 9, 
¶2008.  Please contact IO/RHS Amy Ostermeier (202-647-3901) 
and DRL/MLGA Danika Walters (202-647-4659) with questions. 
The declaration can be accessed through the Official 
Documents of the United Nations website 
(http://documents.un.org) under document number A/62/858. 
RICE