Wikileaks - MLXXIII

156993 6/5/2008 21:24 08STATE60838 Secretary of State UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY VZCZCXRO2544 RR RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHC #0838/01 1572133 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 052124Z JUN 08 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9963 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 3271 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 6732 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0040 RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 3097 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 7756 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 9229 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 4103 RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 9129 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0978 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 6661 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1631 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 8329 RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA 4187 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 0189 RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 9018 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 5315 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 1241 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 6058 RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0253 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 7803 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 1507 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 0046 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 1248 RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 5657 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 0928 INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 060838

SENSITIVE SIPDIS VILNIUS ALSO FOR EMBASSY MINSK

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM, OSCE, KDEM, PREL SUBJECT: OSCE HUMAN DIMENSION MEETING: REQUEST FOR EMBASSY INPUT

1. (SBU) Summary and Action Request: The OSCE will conduct its annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) from September 29 through October 10 in Warsaw. The HDIM is the OSCE's annual review of participating States, implementation of their OSCE commitments to human rights and fundamental freedoms. The USG takes an active role in ensuring the success of the HDIM and offers specific criticism and praise for the human rights performance of OSCE participating States. As part of USG efforts to enhance our dialogue with OSCE participating States on their implementation of OSCE commitments, the Department requests that action addressees provide information about areas of particular concern regarding host government performance. Posts' responses will be used to inform a pre-HDIM demarche to host governments, which will cite areas about which the USG is concerned but prepared to recognize progress during the HDIM, should the host government's actions so merit. Action addressees are requested to provide input by June 13; the Department also welcomes responses from info addressees should there be a human rights or democratic development issue we could productively raise with your host government. End Summary and action request.

2. (SBU) The annual OSCE HDIM meeting is a useful stock-taking of countries, progress, or lack thereof, in implementing their commitments to respect human rights and basic freedoms )- such as democratic elections and freedom of the press )- undertaken in the context of several OSCE conventions, including most recently the 1992 Helsinki Protocol. The USG has a long tradition of specifically criticizing, at the HDIM, poor human rights and democracy performance, when warranted. As part of our balanced approach, we also commend countries, when appropriate, for taking concrete steps to address specific issues. For reference, posts may review last year's statements on the USOSCE website: http://osce.usmission.gov/HDIM/hdim2007.html.

3. (SBU) The Department would like to enhance our dialogue with OSCE participating States on this set of issues, and, when possible, to use the HDIM as a tool to promote improved human rights performance. To this end, Posts are requested to provide input by June 13 on areas of concern in their host government's human rights and democracy performance, particularly those where there may be opportunities to use the prospect of an HDIM review of performance on OSCE commitments to promote reform or obtain specific deliverables prior to the HDIM. Examples might include pressing for registration of an NGO or for release of a political prisoner.

4. (SBU) Posts' input will be used as the basis for a broad demarche to OSCE capitals outlining USG concerns. This will include country-specific suggestions for positive actions that we would be prepared to recognize in the HDIM should the host government undertake them. We hope that, by suggesting specific actions and providing adequate time prior to the HDIM for host governments to act, we will enhance the utility of the HDIM as a diplomatic tool. The Department also has an interest in presenting a balanced assessment of each OSCE participating State's performance towards meeting its OSCE

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commitments, and therefore welcomes input on other positive actions by host governments.

5. (U) Posts' input is appreciated. RICE