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Viewing cable 09HELSINKI416, FINLAND: (UN) ACTION REQUEST: 64TH UN GENERAL

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09HELSINKI416 2009-11-06 14:47 2011-04-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Helsinki
VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHE #0416 3101447
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061447Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5262
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0117
UNCLAS HELSINKI 000416 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: FI PREL
SUBJECT: FINLAND: (UN) ACTION REQUEST: 64TH UN GENERAL 
ASSEMBLY THIRD COMMITTEE 
 
 1.  Pol/Econoff delivered reftel points to Kirsti 
Pohjankukka and Janne Jokinen, First Secretaries in the Unit 
for Humans Rights Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 
 Pohjankukka thanked the USG for its help with the Convention 
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against 
Women, adding that the support was very much appreciated 
coming from a country not bound by the convention as a 
ratifier. 
 
 
2.  Regarding the use of no-action motions, Pohjankukka 
stated that the GOF is against the use of these motions and 
will actively support the USG on this topic. 
 
3.  Regarding the Defamation of Religion Resolution, 
Pohjankukka supports the 
E.U.,s position that religion is not an institution and thus 
this resolution is faulty.  E.U. usually proposes a 
resolution on religious tolerance and it is important to keep 
the E.U. resolution separate from the Defamation resolution. 
Pohjankukka suggested that if the resolution does get tabled 
that the best way to mount a successful campaign against it 
would be to reach out to wider regional groups.  She asserted 
that it will be important to have as many diverse voices as 
possible against the resolution. 
 
4.  Regarding Rights of the Child Convention, Pohjankukka 
stated that there is not much room to amend the proposed text 
about the resolution being the standard for this issue. 
Jokinen  added that the text cannot be changed because the 
Convention &is so widely ratified that it has become the 
pinnacle of the ideal of universal ratification.8  Jokinen 
is sure that the sentence about this convention being the 
standard on the rights of children will stay in the text. 
Both GOF officials gave positive statements at the thought of 
USA ratifying this resolution.  Jokinen stated that some 
countries are proposing language to weaken this resolution. 
He was adamant that the text cannot be changed or the U.N. 
standard will be viewed as weakening. 
 
5.  Both Pohjankukka and Jokinen had questions regarding the 
Third Committee.  Post requests guidance on how to respond to 
the following questions: 
 
--What is the U.S. strategy on the stereotyping resolution? 
 
--Has the U.S. discussed the possibility of country-specific 
resolutions in the future? 
 
--What are the responses from the Latin American countries 
regarding country-specific resolutions?  GOF wants to steer 
the conversation so that country-specific resolutions become 
a trend to help basic attitudes change. 
 
--What is the USG,s thinking regarding the review of the HRC 
in Geneva?  Pohjankukka and Jokinen both followed up this 
question by stating that the HRC is living in its own little 
bubble and that it needs to be more grounded in reality. 
 
ORECK 
ORECK