VZCZCXRO5163
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #1280 3031945
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301945Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5308
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 0062
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 8328
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 0025
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0340

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UN PHUM PREL BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL RESPONSE: UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE PRIORITIES 
2009 
 
REF: SECSTATE 109397 
 
¶1.  On October 30, Poloff delivered reftel demarche to 
Nathanael Souza e Silva of the Human Rights Division of the 
Ministry of External Affairs (MRE).  Poloff also provided 
nonpapers on:  no-action motions, Iran, Burma, DPRK and the 
elections resolution. 
 
¶2.  NO-ACTION MOTIONS:  Brazil opposes no-action motions as a 
matter of principle.  Silva said that issues raised in the 
Third Committee that are within its purview should be debated. 
 
¶3.  IRAN:  Brazil traditionally abstains on the Iran 
resolution, Silva said, because of important bilateral ties 
and Iran's cooperation with multilateral human rights 
mechanisms.  He told Poloff that the MRE is under pressure 
from the Brazilian Baha'i community and Brazilian Jewish 
community to be tougher on Iran.  He said that President 
Lula, who is personally disturbed by President Ahmadinehad's 
Holocaust denial, would raise that issue along with 
persecution and harassment of Baha'is during Ahmadinehad's 
impending visit to Brazil.  Poloff stressed the more serious 
abuses in Iran, including torture and summary executions, to 
which Silva replied that these matters are properly handled 
in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) with a univeral periodic 
review (UPR). 
 
¶4.  BURMA:  Brazil will likely vote for the resolution on 
Burma because Burma has refused a UPR, which in Brazil's view 
is the legitimate multilateral mechanism for evaluating the 
human rights situation in a country. 
 
¶5.  DPRK:  Poloff noted that the DPRK is one of the most 
closed societies in the world and has never permitted the UN 
Special Rapporteur to visit the country.  The situation for 
the North Korean people is dire and cannot be ignored by the 
international community.  Silva responded that although 
Brazil had supported resolutions on DPRK in the past, last 
year Brazil abstained because the DPRK had made a "bilateral 
commitment" to undergo a UPR.  Silva said if the DPRK failed 
to prepare a credible report on its human rights situation 
for the HRC, Brazil's vote in the UNGA could change again. 
 
¶6.  DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS:  Silva was surprised that the 
issue of defamation of religions was likely to be raised in 
the Third Committee as he had understood that the matter 
already had been settled by consensus, with the active 
involvement of Egypt, in the last meeting of the HRC.  Silva 
noted that Brazil's view of defamation of religions is in 
line with the U.S. view and that Brazil supported the U.S. 
freedom of expression resolution in the HRC. 
 
¶7.  ELECTIONS RESOLUTION:  Silva said that Brazil would 
support the resolution on free elections. 
 
¶8.  CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD:  Silva believed it 
would be difficult to change the CRC's wording to meet the 
objections of the United States or Somalia.  He said he would 
nevertheless encourage the Brazilian Mission in New York to 
be in touch with the U.S. Mission to see if it is possible to 
find common ground. 
 
¶9.  ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN:  In 
principle Brazil is supportive of all efforts to eliminate 
discriminatory laws against women, Silva said. 
KUBISKE