VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0480 1312038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 112038Z MAY 09 ZDK
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6517

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000480 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL
SUBJECT: USUN MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMISSION OF JURISTS 
 
 SUBJECT:  USUN MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMISSION OF JURISTS 
 
¶1.  This is an action request.  See paragraph 7. 
 
¶2.  Ambassador Wolff met May 5 with two members of the 
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Eminent Jurists 
Panel (EJP), Mary Robinson and Robert Goldman.  The 
eight-member EJP recently completed a report titled 
"Assessing Damage, Urging Action" on terrorism, 
counter-terrorism and human rights. The EPJ's mandate was to 
examine the compatibility of laws, policies and practices 
adopted to counter terrorism with the rule of law, 
international human rights law and, where applicable, 
international humanitarian law (the laws of war).   The panel 
members urged the United States to support inclusion of human 
rights issues in the counter-terrorism work of UN organs. 
 
¶3. Robinson (Ireland), President of Realizing Rights: the 
Ethical Globalization Initiative, former UN High Commissioner 
for Human Rights and former President of Ireland, and Goldman 
(USA), former UN Independent Expert on the protection of 
human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering 
terrorism were joined by Wilder Tayler (Uruguay), the Acting 
Secretary General for the ICJ, and two of the ICJ's staff 
members, Lukas Machon and Gerald Staberock. 
 
¶4.  Goldman and Robinson asserted that the Bush 
Administration's eight year "war on terror" significantly 
eroded international human rights principles.  They also 
claimed that many countries follow the U.S. lead and that it 
is up to the United States to return to those principles so 
that others will do so as well.  Acknowledging that the Obama 
Administration has taken steps to restore human rights and 
due process with respect to countering terrorism, they said 
they are greatly concerned that many other states are not as 
adept as the United States in changing the focus of their 
counter-terrorism efforts to include human rights. 
 
¶5.  One way to address this problem, Robinson said, was to 
engage the UN in making sure that fundamental aspects of 
human rights are part of all UN counter-terrorism work.  To 
begin this process she suggested that the Security Council 
hold an Arria-style meeting on the issue in the beginning of 
September under the U.S. Presidency of the Security Council. 
Although Robinson and Goldman said that other Council members 
such as Austria, Mexico and the United Kingdom would be 
prepared to hold such a meeting, she maintained that if the 
United States held the meeting during its Presidency of the 
Council, a greater effect would be realized. 
 
¶6.  Ambassador Wolff discussed some of the report's 
assumptions and conclusions.   He said we would look into the 
idea of the request for the Arria-style meeting in September, 
although he cautioned that September would be a difficult 
month for us to schedule events. 
 
¶7.  Comment: Robinson and Goldman were tenacious in regard to 
their request for the Arria-style meeting.  It appears that 
if the United States does not hold this meeting in September, 
pressure will be put on another Council member to do so. End 
Comment.  USUN requests the Department's consideration on 
whether an Arria-Style meeting on countering terrorism and 
human rights should be held during the United States 
Presidency of the Security Council in September. 
 
 
 
 
Rice