232980

2009-11-04

09THEHAGUE668
Embassy The Hague

CONFIDENTIAL

09SECSTATE112828|09THEHAGUE615
C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000668

SIPDIS

IO/HR FOR PAUL KRUCHOWSKI
IO/UNP FOR ANDREW MORRISON
NEA/IPA FOR JEFFREY GIAUQUE
USUN NEW YORK FOR ELLEN GERMAIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2019
TAGS: IS, KPAL, PREL, PHUM, PTER, NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/GOLDSTONE: SAME REDLINES AS IN GENEVA

REF: A. SECSTATE 112828
B. THE HAGUE 615

Classified By: PolEcon Counselor Andrew C. Mann for reasons 1.5(b,d)

(C) Post conveyed reftel A points to key MFA staff covering
the Middle East, the UN, and human rights. Lex Gerts, Deputy
Head of the Human Rights Division, said the Dutch would apply
the same redlines they used in Geneva to determine their vote
on UNGA resolutions concerning the Goldstone report --
supporting the primary role of the Human Rights Council in
evaluating the report, letting the parties conduct their own
internal investigations, and permitting time for those
investigations to take place. A deadline for further action
or review would be appropriate in 5-6 months, as contemplated
in the previous compromise to defer consideration of the
report until March 2010. A deadline of 3 months would be too
early. Gerts emphasized that the Dutch parliament fully
supports this approach. (Note: The parliament's support
follows a compromise reached within the governing coalition,
reftel B, allowing the Dutch to oppose the Goldstone
resolution at the Human Rights Council. End Note.)
LEVIN