VZCZCXRO1315
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSJ #0651/01 2121422
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311422Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1078
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0838

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN JOSE 000651 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN; IO/RHS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IO KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL CS
SUBJECT: GOCR'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES: SICA, UNSC AND A 
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SEAT 
 
REF: A. SAN JOSE 498 
     ¶B. SAN JOSE 622 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary: On July 23, Costa Rican MFA Director of 
Foreign Policy Alejandro Solano gave a presentation to 
representatives of the diplomatic corps on Costa Rica's 
foreign policy priorities over the next six months.  Solano 
focused on Costa Rica's six-month presidency of the Central 
American Integration System (SICA), and the last six months 
of Costa Rica's term on the United Nations Security Council. 
Costa Rica also informed us that they will seek a seat on the 
Human Rights Council for the 2011-2014 term, and asked for 
USG support in the May 2011 elections. End Summary. 
 
---------- 
SICA GOALS 
---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Costa Rica's term as president of SICA began on July 
1, 2009 and will end on December 31, 2009.  Costa Rica hopes 
to move forward on five key areas (in the order presented by 
Solano) during their presidency: 
 
- European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - the GOCR will 
continue working on the FTA with Europe, with the hopes of 
making significant progress over the next six months.  This 
issue is very high on the GOCR's agenda, though it has been 
hampered by the ongoing situation in Honduras.  The GOCR 
hopes to move forward in the negotiations without Honduras 
for now, and later allow them to re-join the negotiations 
after the restoration of the constitutional order in 
Honduras.  The GOCR will meet with the other SICA members at 
the Tuxtla conference from July 27-29 to propose continuing 
the negotiations without Honduras, as a way to push forward 
with the FTA. 
 
- Mercosur-SICA relations - The GOCR wants to pursue the 
consideration of a larger FTA between the Mercado Sur 
(Mercosur) and SICA.  While Solano admitted that negotiations 
of this type would "take months or years", he said the GOCR 
was anxious to begin the process.  While there is significant 
interest in such an agreement on the part of Mercosur members 
(including Brazil and Uruguay, whose presidents have both 
visited Costa Rica over the past four months and discussed a 
potential trade deal), Costa Rica has yet to formally propose 
the idea to other SICA members. 
 
- Capitalize Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica 
(BCIE) - Solano said the GOCR will ask the USG for assistance 
in examining the capital restrictions and leverage 
possibilities of the bank.  He also mentioned that South 
Korea has expressed a desire to become an extra-regional 
member of the BCIE, which would also inject new capital into 
the bank. 
 
- Honduras - The GOCR, as president of SICA, will continue to 
work towards a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in 
Honduras, and urges both sides to accept the San Jose Accords 
(Ref B). 
 
- Strengthen the governing of SICA - The GOCR wants to 
develop SICA,s potential and increase the ability of SICA to 
act as a regional institution.  This includes strengthening 
the SICA secretariat, continuing efforts to prioritize steps 
towards further integration, and ensuring that SICA runs in a 
transparent manner. 
 
--------------- 
UNSC PRIORITIES 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Costa Rica's current rotation as a non-permanent 
member of the UNSC ends December 31, 2009.  During their 
final months on the UNSC, the GOCR plans to continue to work 
on the following issues: 
 
- Disarmament and non-proliferation -  The GOCR will continue 
to work on disarmament issues throughout its tenure on the 
UNSC.  They will continue to follow the language developed in 
the Presidential Statement during Costa Rica's UNSC 
presidency (November 2008) on disarmament and 
non-proliferation. 
 
- International Criminal Court (ICC) - The GOCR will continue 
to promote the ICC as an effective institution, and believes 
that "justice and peace are not incompatible."  The GOCR 
believes that in pursuing peace the UN shouldn't set aside 
 
SAN JOSE 00000651  002 OF 002 
 
 
the goal of bringing perpetrators of crimes to justice. 
Also, the GOCR will oppose any attempt by the UNSC to suspend 
the investigations of the ICC due to any reasons (for 
example, in the case of Sudan). 
 
- Human Rights and the War on Terror - The GOCR will continue 
to work with European partners (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, 
etc) to ensure that a focus is put on respecting human rights 
even while pursuing terrorists. 
 
- UNSC Reform - The GOCR is committed to many major reforms 
of the UNSC, and supports increasing the transparency of, and 
availability of information on, the UNSC.  However, the GOCR 
does not favor the establishment of new permanent members to 
the UNSC.  Instead, the GOCR would support longer terms for 
rotational positions on the Council (double the current 
term), and allowing immediate re-election of non-permanent 
members who have just finished a term on the Council. 
 
- Oil for Food - The GOCR wants to continue working to ensure 
that Oil for Food reports are filed in a timely manner, and 
that new payments are not authorized until reporting is 
submitted. 
 
- Haiti Reconstruction  - The GOCR will work to ensure the 
sustainability of the reconstruction and peace building 
project in Haiti over the coming six months. 
 
------------------------- 
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SEAT 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The GOCR informed us by diplomatic note of their 
intention to run for a seat on the United Nation's Human 
Rights Council for the term of 2011-2014.  Though Costa Rica 
has never held a seat on the Council and recognizes some of 
the Council's flaws, they have been strong supporters of the 
body and had previously urged the USG to seek a seat.  The 
GOCR has requested USG support for their candidacy, and our 
vote in the May 2011 elections.  Post transmitted a copy of 
the diplomatic to the Department on July 27. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Arias administration, which will leave office in 
mid-2010, sees the SICA presidency as a way to push forward 
on a number of 'their' issues in the region, chiefly among 
these the intra-regional FTAs.  Additionally, with the coming 
end of their term on the UNSC, the GOCR is both interested in 
seeing through a few of their longer-term projects (oil for 
food, UNSC reform, human rights issues), as well as seeking 
additional avenues for international engagement.  A seat on 
the Human Rights Council seems to be a good fit both for 
Costa Rica and its desire to have a broader international 
impact, and for the Council itself, as Costa Rica has a long 
history of working on human rights issues.  Costa Rica could 
serve as a welcome partner with the USG at the HRC, and we 
believe their membership should be encouraged. 
 
 
BRENNAN