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DE RUEHBR #1225 2562027
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 122027Z SEP 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2442
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0271
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1556

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001225 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN
SUBJECT: BRAZIL: UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE 2008 
HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 93981 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 95334 
     ¶C. 07 BRASILIA 2081 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR STEPHEN LISTON, REASONS 1.4 b and d 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Brazil will continue to prefer addressing 
human rights issues in the UN Human Rights Council, continues 
to oppose country-specific resolutions, will support the EU's 
Religious Tolerance resolution in lieu of a Defamation of 
Religion resolution, and did not give a response on no action 
resolutions.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Poloff delivered demarche (refs A, B) to Marcel 
Biato, deputy to the presidential foreign policy adviser, and 
Counselor Marcia Adorno, head of Human Rights office at the 
Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE) separately on September 
¶10.  Adorno gave the official Brazilian reply. 
 
Country Resolutions: "Not Effective" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶3.  (C)  Adorno noted that Brazil prefers to address human 
rights issues in the UN Human Rights Council, not the Third 
Committee, and reiterated Brazil's policy of not supporting 
country specific resolutions.  She said Brazil supports 
giving "more autonomy" to the HRC, and does not support the 
Third Committee "reevaluating and reopening" the work already 
done in the HRC.  She said Brazil voted for Burma and DPRK 
country resolutions only because of the extreme situations 
there, but Brazil believes country resolutions are not 
effective.  A more effective way to deal with human rights 
violators is to engage them as "partners" to get them to 
cooperate, which is why Brazil places great importance on the 
Universal Periodic Review, she said.  She said it is unlikely 
Brazil would work with other governments in support of a 
country resolution on Zimbabwe.  She did not say how Brazil 
would vote on country resolutions on Iran, DPRK, or Sudan, 
and expressed agreement with our position on Belarus.  Adorno 
did not offer any substantive response on no action motions; 
last year Brazil told us that although it sometimes supports 
their 
use, the GOB would vote against no action votes in the UNGA 
Third committee (ref C). 
 
Defamation of Religion 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (C)  Brazil opposes the Defamation of Religions 
resolution, and will support the EU's Religious Intolerance 
resolution, Adorno said.  She noted that for Brazil, 
religious freedom is an individual, not community, right 
similar to freedom of expression and conscience, and all 
individuals have a right to express their views on religion. 
Adorno said Brazil most recently voted for the Defamation of 
Religions resolution because it included an amendment to 
renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of 
expression.  Adorno added that Brazil would like to see the 
UN Dialogue of Civilizations used to promote religious 
tolerance. 
 
Prisoners of Conscience 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (C)  Brazil did not sign the Declaration on Prisoners of 
Conscience because the text was closed to any changes, and 
Brazil would not be able to sign it unless the text were 
reopened, Adorno said.  She did not think Brazil would 
support any effort to highlight the Declaration. 
SOBEL