Cablegate: Finland: Human Rights Action On Cuba

VZCZCXRO4212
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0808 3041204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311204Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3877
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000808

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CU UNGA PHUM FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION ON CUBA

REF: STATE 147620

1. (U) Embassy delivered subject demarche Oct. 23 to the
Finnish MFA's Unit for Human Rights. On Oct. 31 Deputy
Director Kirsti Pohjankukka contacted Polchief to offer an
undate on internal GoF deliberations as well as the GoF's
discussions with its EU Partners of subject issue.

2. (SBU) Pohjankukka welcomed both the tone and substance of
reftel points, including in particular our suggestions for
fostering internal dialogue between the GOC and civil
society; access for rapporteurs; and political prisoners.
She said that there was general consensus within the GoF on
the need for "some action" outside the HRC framework on all
these issues. She could not yet offer a specific sense of
overall EU thinking on these possibilities, but said that
there was a "sense" within the EU as well that some measures
needed to be put in place on these key human rights issues in
the absense of a mechanism with the HRC.
WARE

© Scoop Media