VZCZCXRO9789
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHBS #0230 0571506
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261506Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0058
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1127
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0324

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000230 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA AND IO/HR:CMUSSER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2020 
TAGS: PHUM UNGA UNHRC BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM WILL ABSTAIN IN UPCOMING UNGA VOTE ON 
GOLDSTONE REPORT 
 
REF: A. STATE 15722 
     ¶B. BRUSSELS 1587 
 
Classified By: Acting Polec Counselor Robert Kiene for reasons 1.4(b) a 
nd (d) 
 
(C)  On February 24, poloff and polintern delivered ref A 
demarche to Lieke Biesemans, attach for human rights at the 
Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).  Biesemans said 
Belgium will abstain in the February 26 vote by the UN 
General Assembly (UNGA) on a Palestinian-drafted resolution 
based on the Goldstone Report.  Domestic accountability by 
both Israelis and Palestinians for human rights abuses is a 
crucial issue to Belgium, she said, and both parties should 
continue their investigations.  Biesemans said Belgium does 
not currently see a unified EU position on the Goldstone 
Report vote.  She said Belgium wants any further discussion 
on the report to take place in Geneva, not New York.  She 
acknowledged this will be difficutl because Belgium and the 
U.S. are in a minority on this issue. 
 
GUTMAN 
.