VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0093 0352206
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 042206Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5771
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO PRIORITY 0126

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC CS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH COSTA RICAN PERMREP 
URBINA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Rice, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  During an initial meeting with Costa Rican 
PermRep Urbina, Ambassador Rice outlined U.S. priorities and 
agreed to work with Costa Rica on important issues such as 
human rights.  Urbina emphasized the need to increase the 
Council's legitimacy by updating its working methods and 
pressed for transparency in Council proceedings.  He said 
Costa Rica had "high expectations" for possible U.S. 
engagement on the International Criminal Court and hoped for 
"fresh, new ideas" from the United States regarding 
disarmament.  Urbina also urged that the United States join 
the Human Rights Council to provide leadership and "much 
needed balance."  End Summary. 
 
Security Council Working Methods 
 
¶2. (C) In a February 2 meeting with Ambassador Rice, 
Ambassador Urbina remarked that Security Council membership 
is like belonging to an "exclusive club" with a "culture of 
secrecy" enforced by the permanent members and the 
Secretariat.  As a member of the Small 5 (S5) group, Costa 
Rica has been pushing the Council to be more transparent in 
its proceedings and to engage troop-contributing countries if 
peace keeping operations are involved, he said.  (Note:  The 
S5 group comprises Switzerland, Jordan, Singapore, 
Liechtenstein and Costa Rica.  They have made a number of 
proposals to improve the working methods of the Council, 
including a greater role for troop contributing countries, 
better access for interested States, improvement of sanctions 
regimes, and voluntary renunciation of the right of veto in 
cases of genocide or other serious human rights violations. 
End Note.)  Security Council culture is contested almost 
everywhere, he said, and the best way to increase its 
legitimacy is to adopt measures to eliminate secrecy and 
broaden participation.  Urbina remarked that Costa Rica is 
looking for someone to "pick up the torch (of working 
methods)" when they depart the Council next year. 
 
International Criminal Court 
 
¶3. (C) Urbina said that Costa Rica is the defacto lead on 
International Criminal Court (ICC) issues in the Council.  He 
sought the Obama Administration's position on the ICC, adding 
that members of the court hoped for a "supportive attitude" 
and Costa Rica had "high expectations" for U.S. engagement on 
the issue.  Ambassador Rice said the Administration has not 
taken a decision on the ICC, and emphasized that the number 
of U.S. personnel serving overseas is a complicating factor. 
She remarked that President Obama is strongly committed to 
justice and will not tolerate impunity. 
 
Disarmament 
 
¶4. (C) Urbina reiterated the importance of disarmament for 
Costa Rica and said he would "build up support" for 
Secretary-General Ban's "five initiatives" on disarmament 
presented at a lunch organized for PermReps by Costa Rica the 
prior week.  (Note:  Ban's five initiatives included:  1) 
urging all NPT parties to undertake negotiations on effective 
measures leading to nuclear disarmament, 2) pressing Security 
Council permanent members to commence discussions on security 
issues in the nuclear disarmament process, 3) bringing the 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force, 4) 
encouraging nuclear states to be accountable and transparent 
regarding activities in pursuit of CTBT goals and, 5) 
inception of complementary measures, including the 
elimination of other types of WMD and a limit on the trade of 
conventional weapons.  End Note.)  Urbina hoped the new 
Administration would offer "fresh, new ideas" on disarmament. 
 Ambassador Rice said that Obama takes seriously disarmament 
and nonproliferation, noting the importance of trying to 
ratify the CTBT. 
 
Human Rights Council 
 
¶5. (C) Acting DPR Ballestero, who accompanied Urbina, opined 
that EU participation in the Human Rights Council (HRC) fails 
to provide the needed "extreme" to counterbalance the current 
direction of the Council.  He urged Ambassador Rice for U.S 
leadership in the Council and said that the United States 
would have many supporters the minute it offered its 
candidacy.  Ambassador Rice acknowledged the difficulties in 
the HRC, noted that no decisions have yet been made on 
whether to rejoin, but assured Urbina that the U.S. will 
provide leadership on human rights. 
Rice