VZCZCXRO8894
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHAR #1154 3081549
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041549Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8431
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0199
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0433
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 0012

UNCLAS ACCRA 001154 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, IO/HR (KRUCHOWSKI), IO/UNP (MORRISON), 
NEA/IPA (GIAUQUE) 
USUN FOR GERMAIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER KPAL IS GH
SUBJECT: GHANA RESPONSE TO GOLDSTONE REPORT DEMARCHE 
 
REF: STATE 112828 
 
¶1. (SBU) PolChief delivered reftel demarche November 4 to MFA 
Director for Multilateral Affairs Beatrice Brobbey, 
expressing the USG's serious concern regarding the Goldstone 
Report, and urging Ghana to support the U.S. position on the 
resolution likely to be proposed by the Arab Group and the 
OIC during the November 4 discussion in the General Assembly. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Brobbey said she would convey our views to the MFA 
leadership and the Ghanaian delegation in New York, and 
indicated that a final decision whether to support or oppose 
a resolution would likely be made by Ghana's team in New York 
(Note: The Ghanaian MFA is still working out of temporary 
quarters in Accra's International Conference Center due to 
the October 23 fire that destroyed most of the ministry. 
Brobbey is working in a shared office with a cellphone, no 
land-line telephone and no computer.  Accordingly, the MFA's 
ability to communicate with Ghana's diplomatic missions 
appears to remain constrained. End Note).  She said that the 
General Assembly debate would influence Ghana's position, but 
that it would also take into account the positions of other 
members of the G-77, the African Union, and ECOWAS if such a 
position is "consistent with Ghana's values."  Brobbey noted 
that Ghana takes a strong line in support of human rights, 
and remains deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. 
 
¶3. (SBU) PolChief noted that the USG is also concerned by the 
situation in Gaza, but that the Goldstone report presented a 
one-sided account of the crisis without mentioning Hamas, and 
that the Arab/OIC resolution may attempt to inappropriately 
refer the Goldstone allegations to the Security Council, an 
International Tribunal, or the International Criminal Court, 
despite the fact that the Israeli government is investigating 
the allegations.  Brobbey indicated that the GOG would look 
carefully at our concerns regarding process shortcomings in 
the potential Arab/OIC resolution. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Our sense from this conversation is that 
the USG may have more success with the Ghanaian delegation in 
New York if it focuses on process shortcomings in the 
Goldstone Report's recommendations rather than the report's 
substance. End Comment. 
TEITELBAUM