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PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHJI #0186/01 1461527
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261527Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1347
INFO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0001
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0391
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0087
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 0082
RUEHIC/OIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8364
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0047
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0083
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0187

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000186 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IO, IO/UNP, NEA/ARP, NEA/ELA, EUR/SCE; INFO DRL, G/TIP, 
IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2014 
TAGS: EG KISL KO PREL RP SA SY OIC OFDP OVIP
SUBJECT: READ-OUT ON OIC MINISTERIAL IN DAMASCUS:  SUPPORT 
FOR KOSOVO, STALL ON HUMAN RIGHTS, SPOT FOR SYG AT POTUS 
SPEECH IN CAIRO 
 
REF: A. JEDDAH 0175 
     ¶B. JEDDAH 0173 
     ¶C. JEDDAH 0172 
     ¶D. JEDDAH 0166 
     ¶E. JEDDAH 0165 
     ¶F. JEDDAH 0163 
 
JEDDAH 00000186  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In May 25 conversation with Jeddah poloff, 
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) adviser Ufuk 
Gokcen reviewed developments at the May 23-25 OIC Ministerial 
in Damascus, which included passage of a "modest" Kosovo 
resolution along with a watered-down version of a proposal to 
establish a human rights commission within the OIC. A 
decision on admitting non-member states to OIC observer 
status was deferred. With OIC continuing to press for SYG 
Ihsanoglu to attend POTUS speech in Cairo, post requests 
Department guidance; see comment/action request para 8.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
¶2. (C) KOSOVO RESOLUTION PASSES: A resolution supporting 
Kosovo was passed by the Organization of the Islamic 
Conference(OIC) Council of Ministers meeting according to OIC 
adviser Ufuk Gokcen.  The resolution, expected to face 
opposition from Egypt (ref C) and possibly Algeria, in the 
end was reportedly approved with minor alterations.  Gokcen 
opined that the proposal is still "very modest, very 
minimal," but is in essence the text transmitted to 
Department (ref F). Post has not seen the final copy, but 
there is a possibility it may be posted after a few days on 
the OIC website.  Apparently Egypt put up almost no 
resistance in the "special committee" addressing the 
resolution and there was little debate. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) FINAL COMMUNIQUE: The Damascus Ministerial wrap-up 
currently on the OIC website underscores "the centrality" of 
the Jerusalem issue, rejecting "Israel's attempts to judaize 
and conduct aggressive acts against Islamic holy sites in 
Al-Quds" while adopting the Damascus Declaration "boosting 
Islamic solidarity in the face of current political and 
economic developments." As for normalizing member states' 
relations with Israel, "the Secretary General commented that 
Israel ought to abide by international resolutions and 
restitute (sic) Arab territories under its occupation." 
 
 
¶4. (C) KOSOVARS NOT IN ATTENDANCE: Despite a push by the OIC 
Secretariat and Albania to have Kosovo attend the Council of 
Ministers meeting (ref D), the Syrian government clearly did 
not issue an invitation. However, Serbia, another 
non-member/non-observer state was allowed to attend -- 
provoking the ire of the Albanian delegation which threatened 
to withdraw from the conference. To ease the tension, the OIC 
secretariat removed the Serbian name-plate and asked that 
they be seated in the mezzanine further back from the main 
action. 
 
¶5. (C) STALL ON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION:  A detailed draft 
plan for establishing a human rights commission within the 
OIC appears not/not to have passed in its original form. 
Instead OIC ministers approved a watered-down version calling 
for an additional "experts meeting" and setting a "deadline" 
of the 2010 Ministerial in Tajikistan to approve a proposal 
outlining the specifics of the commission.  Gokcen noted that 
experts from the Geneva-based Human Rights Commission 
attended the OIC Ministerial and were effective in relieving 
some of the Iranian pressure regarding the resolution (ref 
B). With resistance from quarters within the OIC and 
considering the organization's inability to move forward 
except by broad consensus, the SYG seems to have preferred to 
"punt" for the time being. 
 
¶6. (C) NON-MEMBER OBSERVERS:  The Philippines sent a large 
 
JEDDAH 00000186  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
delegation to the conference in hope of gaining observer 
status (ref C). Indonesia fought hard on the neighbor's 
behalf, as did, surprisingly, Pakistan -- which was expected 
to fear a similar overture by India. In the end no resolution 
was passed on non-member observer status, but it was agreed 
that an "expert meeting" would be convened in Jeddah to 
establish the criteria by which non-member states might 
become observers.  The issue was said to be "one of the most 
heated" at the Damascus conference, with the Philippines 
delegation reported to have left "somewhat upset at the 
results." 
 
¶7. (C) POTUS IN CAIRO: Gokcen pressed again OIC's strong wish 
in having SYG Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu invited to venue for 
upcoming POTUS speech to Muslim world in Cairo in early June. 
(ref A). 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT/ACTION REQUEST FOR NEA/ARP AND IO:  With 
regard to OIC's persistent pressing for an invitation to the 
upcoming POTUS speech in Cairo (ref A), post would appreciate 
Department guidance on responding.  If there is an 
expectation that OIC will get a green light on its request, 
post would be pleased to convey same.  Otherwise, we 
recommend informing OIC -- when they ask again through us or 
their office in New York -- that the decision on attendance 
at a Cairo venue is generally that of the hosts, in this case 
the Egyptians, whom the OIC may be fairly well-positioned -- 
through its Political Affairs DG Amb Mahdy Fathalla -- to 
lobby on its own.  END COMMENT. 
QUINN