VZCZCXRO2500
OO RUEHAST
DE RUEHC #7279/01 0552236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 242232Z FEB 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 7794
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 4478
RUEHAST/AMCONSUL ALMATY 3102
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 017279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL OSCE KZ
SUBJECT: OSCE: SCHEDULING THE HDIM IN 2010 
 
REF: USOSCE 040 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE:  Dept concurs with USOSCE's 
recommendation to support holding a routine Human Dimension 
Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in 2010.  Should there be a 
decision in June to hold an OSCE summit, Dept will then 
instruct Post to push for a three-week review conference in 
Vienna -- with Kazakhstani commitment for an additional 
three-day review conference on special topics held in 
Kazakhstan.  Concerned State offices (EUR/RPM, DRL, SCA/CEN) 
along with representatives from the U.S. Helsinki Commission 
made these same points with interlocutors from the 
Kazakhstani Embassy on February 17.  END SUMMARY AND GUIDANCE. 
 
HUMAN DIMENSION MEETINGS 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The February 17 meeting started with a discussion 
on the technicalities of the OSCE Human Dimension schedule 
and the commitments that KZ FM Saudabayev made during his 
meetings in Washington February 1-4.  The U.S. side was 
unambiguous to Kazakhstan that it should plan to hold an HDIM 
in Warsaw in 2010, in accordance with normal OSCE modalities. 
 State reps indicated that the Chairmanship "could not go 
wrong" by proceeding on HDIM plans absent a firm summit 
decision, but that to delay or hold off on planning a robust 
calendar of Human Dimension related events for the year 
(which, in the absence of a summit decision, must include an 
HDIM) would attract criticism, particularly from NGOs, and 
would not reflect the commitment Kazakhstan made to defend 
and support work in the third dimension. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The U.S. side made clear our desire, in the event 
that the OSCE were to decide in June to hold a summit in 
2010, that the OSCE should follow the model of the 1999 OSCE 
Summit in Istanbul.  This model calls for a three-week 
implementation review conference in Vienna, covering all 
three dimensions, with a follow-on three-day review 
conference held in Kazakhstan that would focus on topics from 
all three dimensions.  State reps emphasized we would like to 
see that the topics in the human dimension focus on the 
fundamental freedoms, specifically freedom of association and 
assembly and freedom of the media.  State and Helsinki 
Commission reps emphasized the importance of the 
Chairmanship's holding the review conference in Kazakhstan to 
demonstrate leadership and a willingness to be held to the 
standards of the organization Kazakhstan leads.  The U.S. 
side pointed out that at his hearing before the Helsinki 
Commission on February 2, KZ FM Saudabayev had agreed to 
Co-Chair Alcee Hastings's request should th 
ere be a decision on an OSCE summit in 2010, that Kazakhstan 
would hold an implementation review conference in Kazakhstan 
before.  The Kazakhstani interlocutors acknowledged 
Saudabayev,s commitment to Co-Chair Hastings. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Prior to departure, the Kazakhstani EmbOffs 
indicated they understood our position on planning to hold a 
routine HDIM pending a decision on a summit.  They indicated 
they also understood our expectation, if there were to be a 
summit, that Review Conferences would be scheduled in Vienna 
and Kazakhstan prior to the summit.  They told us that they 
would pass this information back to their mission in Vienna 
and to the MFA in Astana.  On February 18, Helsinki 
Commission representatives provided the Kazakhstani Embassy 
additional detailed information about the Istanbul review 
conferences separately via email. 
 
TAKING CHARGE AS CHAIRMAN 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.    (SBU) State reps also raised the issue of leadership in 
the face of some participating States' (mostly Russia and 
Turkmenistan) efforts to obstruct Human Dimension-related 
activities.  State reps urged the Chairmanship to take the 
lead to produce a substantive Human Dimension agenda for 
2010, notwithstanding such attempts to derail the agenda, 
including the so-called "nuclear option;" Kazakhstan's 
responsibility as Chairman is to broker and lead the 
organization to consensus that is in keeping with our common 
commitments.  With the March expiration of the term of the 
current Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM), the 
U.S. side pressed their Kazakhstani interlocutors to move 
toward consensus around the clearly favored candidate, or 
else to take the steps necessary to extend the current office 
 
STATE 00017279  002 OF 002 
 
 
holder, so as to avoid a vacancy that would reflect poorly on 
Kazakhstan's management of a critical area of Human Dimension 
work.  In recognition of the consensus candidate, all 
countries have withdrawn their c 
ompeting candidates for RFOM except Russia. 
 
(U) U.S. SECONDEE TO ASTANA,S OSCE TASK FORCE 
 
¶6.  (U) At the end of the discussion, Kazakhstani PolCouns 
asked if the U.S. would consider seconding a U.S. diplomat to 
serve as an advisor to the Kazakhstani MFA OSCE taskforce. 
The U.S. side undertook to consider the request but asked for 
more information and a general position description. 
CLINTON