Cablegate: Unga Demarches

VZCZCXRO0123
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #4589 3100722
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060722Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3786
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0185

UNCLAS MANILA 004589

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA KTIA CU RP
SUBJECT: UNGA DEMARCHES

REF: A. STATE 182267
B. STATE 182099

1. (SBU) In a meeting on November 6 with Acting Assistant
Secretary of Foreign Affairs for United Nations and Other

SIPDIS
International Organizations Julius D. Torres, Pol/C presented
reftels' demarches on country specific human rights
resolutions at the UNGA Third Committee and on the Cuba
embargo resolution. Torres admitted that the GRP's usual
practice at the UNGA was to vote along with the NAM, but he
promised to study our talking points and share them with
colleagues here and in New York. He said that the Department
of Foreign Affairs likely would soon initiate a review of
this long-standing practice, since it seemed less and less
clear that voting with the NAM was usually in the best
interests of the Philippines. Pol/C encouraged a healthy
discussion on this point and urged that the Philippines -- a
democratic ally of the U.S. and another supporter of human
rights worldwide -- never be more than one vote away from the
U.S. position whenever it could not actually vote with the
U.S.

Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY

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