VZCZCXRO0894
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0426 0962007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 062007Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4007
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 7481
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 6171
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7725
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0911
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9346
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7541
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3844
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0065
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1568
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0301

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000426 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL WELCOMES USG CANDIDACY FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS 
COUNCIL 
 
REF: SECSTATE 31175 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Brazil is pleased that the US will seek a 
seat on the UN Human Rights Council (reftel), but the 
director of the Human Rights Division in the Ministry of 
Exterior relations could not state whether Brazil will vote 
for the U.S.  End summary. 
 
Pleased U.S. Is Coming Back 
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¶2.  (SBU)  Counselor Marcia Adorno, director of the Division 
of Human Rights in the Ministry of External Relations, told 
poloff that Brazil was pleased at the U.S.'s intention to 
return to the HRC and was certain our intention would be 
well-received at senior levels in the Ministry.  She said 
Brazil's vote would be decided at a more senior level.  She 
added that our presence on the Council would be helpful to 
its work. 
 
More Brazilian Representation in Geneva 
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¶3.  (SBU) Adorno noted that Brazil recently increased its 
staffing in Geneva from two to five or six diplomats working 
on human rights, and installed a new ambassador to the UN in 
Geneva.  (Note: This is Maria Nazareth Farani Azevedo, one 
half of a Foreign Ministry power couple, who was Foreign 
Minister Amorim's chief of staff before being named to 
Brazil's UN Mission in Geneva.  Her husband, Roberto Azevedo, 
is Brazil's PermRep to the WTO.  End note.)  Brazil is trying 
to be more proactive on human rights, Adorno said, and cited 
the examples of voluntary contributions to the work of the 
High Commissioner for Human Rights and Brazil's offers to 
help countries wishing to improve their human rights records, 
such as Burkina Faso, Haiti, and Guinea Bissau. 
 
Brazil's Mantra:  Cooperation, not Confrontation 
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¶4.  (SBU)  Adorno repeated Brazil's standing policy of 
generally opposing country resolutions, while preferring a 
policy of cooperation as the most productive way to engage 
offending states.  She said countries need to "improve 
negotiation" with those states and take a "more cooperative 
approach to violators."  The Brazilian goal is to "bring a 
more constructive view" to the way countries engage on human 
rights.  Asked what steps Brazil had taken or might take to 
engage North Korea or Burma, Adorno dodged the issue and said 
Brazil was waiting to see how cooperative North Korea would 
be with the Council and how it will receive its upcoming 
Universal Periodic Review. (Note: Scheduled for November 
30-December 11, 2009.  End note.) She claimed that the 
cooperative approach recently bore fruit when, shortly after 
the Special Rapporteur presented the report on Cuba, Cuba 
signed the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 
Rights.  Adorno said, "This was a clear sign that the 
Government of Cuba seemed to want a more constructive 
approach, and Brazil doesn't see country resolutions as 
achieving positive results." 
KUBISKE