VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHE #0076 0581400
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 271400Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASDC 4841
INO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0390
RUCNT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0107

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958 DECL: 02/28/2019 
TAGS: PHUM PREL FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: POSTURE TOWARDS THE DURBAN REVIEW 
CONFERENCE 
 
REF: A. STATE 18282 
     ¶B. STATE 14201 
     ¶C. 08 STATE 60306 
 
Classified By: CDA Michael Butler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) PolOff delivered subject talking points to Charlotta 
Spolander and Kirsti Pohjankukka in the Finnish MFA Unit for 
Human Rights Policy on February 27.  Spolander said that the 
Human Rights Council (HRC) will continue planning for the 
Durban Review Conference.  Spolander said GoF welcomes US 
engagement and remarked "you've been missed."  She expects 
some UN regional groups may try to link self-serving 
resolutions and statements to the Durban Review Conference. 
 
¶2. (C) Spolander expressed surprise at what the GoF sees as 
an aggressive stance by South Africa and fear they may weaken 
the conference with difficult proposals.  She commented that 
Egypt was formerly their headache, but South Africa has 
polarized the climate by making it EU versus South Africa. 
In this regard, she sees the US as having a constructive role 
in bilaterally discovering what South Africa's aims are. 
Spolander further said that the general rhetoric has become 
repetitive and the positions entrenched and the GoF is 
concerned over the state of negotiations:  "It is daunting to 
have a 350 paragraph document where 100 paragraphs added in 
January and February are mostly unacceptable due to the 
strength of the language used."  She said that the US and the 
EU share the freedom of expression concerns.  She also noted 
that while 20 to 30 paragraphs cover migration, little covers 
vulnerable groups such as women and children. 
 
BUTLER