182. Telegram From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State1
2571. For Deputy Secretary, Counselor Nimetz, and Assistant Secretaries Maynes, Vest and Derian from Mezvinsky. Subject: (C) Human Rights Commission: Genocide Report.
1. (C) Entire text.
2. Having been in Geneva only a few days for the 35th Human Rights Commission (HRC) session which opened February 12, I have become even more acutely conscious of the serious implications which will flow from the position the U.S. delegation will take when the Report on Genocide, which has been endorsed by the Subcommission on Discrimination and Minorities, is considered by the Commission. The agenda item under which this report will arise is scheduled to be taken up by the Commission during the latter half of the week of March 5. I understand that the issue is now being considered in the Department on the basis of the draft position paper prepared in IO2 and supported by HA. The position paper contains all relevant background details of the simple issue of whether or not the U.S. delegation will publicly state that the Genocide Report should have retained in it an appropriate mention of the massacre of Armenians as having constituted the first instance of genocide in the 20th century. I note that this simple reference does not assign blame for the genocide to any government.
3. Included as a valued member of the U.S. delegation to the 35th session of the HRC is Mr. Set Momjian, a public member designated by the White House. Mr. Momjian, who arrived in Geneva February 13, reports that he has already received numerous queries from Armenian leaders in Europe and in the United States concerning the position the USDel will take.3 He also tells me that there appeared in last Sunday’s [Page 573] issue of the “Washington Post” a full page appeal addressed to members of the U.S. delegation to the Human Rights Commission regarding this issue.4 Mr. Momjian informs me that over 10,000 letters have been sent to the White House on the issue and that congressional interest in it is building up to a high point. Statements in support of the Armenian position are expected to be issued soon by a number of NGO’s in Europe. Other delegations here in Geneva are expressing an interest in the matter.
4. Needless to say, I strongly support the position advocated in the draft position paper prepared in IO, and I am firmly convinced that the position represents the absolute minimum which the USDel should follow if we are to assume a credible posture in a discussion in the Human Rights Commission of the question of genocide. This is a basic human rights issue which still besets the 20th century world and it is one which cannot be usefully discussed without reference to factual situations as they have occurred during this century.
5. I urge that a decision be made soon and that the USDel be fully and promptly informed of that decision as well as of all relevant developments on this issue, such as congressional interest and letter writing and publicity campaigns. Mr. Momjian has expressed to me his special personal concern that the U.S. position be decided soon. Obviously, his future role on this delegation will hinge upon the nature of the decision which is to be made.
- Source: Department of State, Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, 1979 Human Rights Subject Files, Lot 82D102, Genocide—Action File. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis.↩
- Not found and not further identified.↩
- In telegram 2775 from Geneva, February 20, the Mission noted: “USDel has also been informally informed that delegations of Cyprus, France, Uruguay, Austria, and the USSR represented on the Commission as well as observer delegations from Greece and Argentina are planning to make statements in support of the position that mention of the Armenian massacres as a form of genocide should have been included in the Special Rapporteur’s report.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790078–1091) In telegram 45276 to Geneva, February 24, the Department provided Mezvinsky with the text of a statement for use during the HRC deliberations. (Department of State, Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, 1979 Human Rights Subject Files, Lot 82D102, Genocide—Action File)↩
- The full-page advertisement, paid for by the Armenian National Committee and Armenian Rights Council, appeared in the February 11, 1979 issue of The Washington Post on page L–4. The advertisement noted that Paragraph 30 of the Special Rapporteur’s report had been omitted and called upon the President to “exercise the power of your office to demand the rejection of the United Nations Human Rights Commission’s Report on Genocide until Paragraph 30 is reinstated.”↩