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DE RUEHC #1183/01 3501612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151605Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN IMMEDIATE 9996
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA IMMEDIATE 5575
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT IMMEDIATE 6191
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA IMMEDIATE 8313
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 4655
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0054
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 5103
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4173

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 131183 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PHUM PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: THANK YOU FROM THE SECRETARY FOR NEA VOTES ON 
UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message for action addresses.  See 
para 6. 
 
¶2. (U) Summary:  NEA posts' outreach to host countries, at 
all levels, paid off November 21 when the UN General 
Assembly's Third Committee adopted three top priority 
resolutions on the human rights situations in North Korea, 
Burma, and Iran.  Because of persistent and persuasive 
outreach by ambassadors and embassy staff, a number of key 
countries changed prior voting patterns and helped us to 
attain a 10-vote winning margin on the most critical and 
close of these votes, the Iran no-action motion.  To 
acknowledge U.S. appreciation for the countries whose vote 
changes made the crucial difference, and to maintain their 
support in the upcoming mid-December UNGA Plenary votes on 
these resolutions, action addressees are requested to 
transmit the letter from Secretary Rice in para 6 below, 
conveying our profound thanks.  End Summary 
 
¶3. (U) Background:  The UNGA Third Committee adopted three 
high-priority resolutions Friday, November 21, on the 
human rights situations in North Korea, Burma, and Iran. 
No-action motions called by Burma and Iran had to be 
overcome as part of the arduous process of winning the 
resolution votes.  The DPRK resolution passed with a vote of 
95 (U.S.) for, 24 against, and 62 abstaining.  The no-action 
motion on Burma lost by a wide margin (54-90 (U.S.)-34), 
while the actual resolution won by an even larger margin (89 
(U.S.)-29-63).  The no-action motion on Iran failed by ten 
votes (71-81 (U.S.)-28), while the resolution itself was 
adopted 70 (U.S.)-51-60.  Given that the Iran no-action 
motion failed by only one vote in 2007 and two votes in 2006, 
this year's tally showed a very concerted and successful 
effort to change the trend lines on the Iran vote. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Certain countries were particularly helpful in 
voting with the United States and the European Union, even 
going against the trend of their regional bloc to do so. 
Other countries assisted by either abstaining or absenting 
themselves from no-action motions that would have prevented 
votes on the substance.  The country-specific resolutions may 
be submitted to the UNGA Plenary for approval as early as 
December 17.  We need to maintain or improve upon the voting 
patterns in the Third Committee votes.  By thanking countries 
for their efforts and reminding them of the upcoming UNGA 
plenary votes, we hope to forestall any backsliding on their 
positions on these resolutions and no-action motions, and 
perhaps persuade some of the more reluctant countries to 
improve further their voting records in the plenary. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The following countries, in differing degrees, made 
efforts that helped to pass the Iran human rights 
resolution in the UNGA Third Committee this year: 
 
--Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen all voted yes last year on the 
Iran no-action motion, but were absent this year.  (They 
all voted against the resolution itself.) 
 
--Morocco voted yes on the no-action motion last year but 
absented itself this year.  In addition, this year it went 
from voting against the substantive resolution to being 
absent. 
 
--Jordan went from being absent to abstaining on the Iran 
no-action motion and did the same on the substantive 
resolution. 
 
--On the DPRK resolution, Jordan moved from voting for the 
resolution in 2007 to abstaining on it this year (other NEA 
countries did not change their votes on the DPRK resolution 
from last year).  On the Burma resolution, NEA countries 
maintained their voting patterns of last year. 
 
¶6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  We ask that action addressees 
transmit the letter below from the Secretary to the 
Foreign Minister or Head of State (whomever Post deems most 
appropriate) to acknowledge the help their country's votes 
provided and to remind them that we are also counting on 
their support in the December plenary votes, which could come 
as early as December 17.  No signed original will follow. 
 
STATE 00131183  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
Dear Mr./Madam Minister: (or other appropriate salutation) 
 
Thank you for government's support on November 21 on the 
human rights resolutions in the United Nations General 
Assembly's Third Committee.  The position your government and 
others took permitted the Third Committee to debate and to 
vote on serious human rights situations.  The adoption of 
these resolutions has signaled the international community's 
concern and resolve on these issues. 
 
These same resolutions will once again be considered at the 
United Nations General Assembly plenary, perhaps as early as 
December 17.  We ask for your continued support in the 
plenary session. 
 
My government and I appreciate your consideration. 
 
Sincerely, 
Condoleezza Rice 
 
End text. 
RICE