VZCZCXRO5405
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRK #0405 3041647
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311647Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3035
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000405 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NB, EUR/PGI, L/HRR, DRL/MLGA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA IC
SUBJECT:  ICELAND FOLLOWING NORDIC LEAD ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 
 
REF:  STATE 169257 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Poloff presented reftel demarche to Icelandic MFA 
Counselor for Human Rights Ingibjorg Davidsdottir on October 25. 
Davidsdottir, who transferred from the Icelandic mission in Geneva 
this summer, was familiar with the text and the joint 
U.S.-Australian-New Zealand position, but apologetically noted that 
the GOI had pledged its support for the declaration "out of Nordic 
solidarity." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Allowing that Iceland's lack of indigenous people left the 
GOI with few equities on the matter, Davidsdottir (protect) said 
that as a matter of human rights law she personally shared many of 
the USG's concerns regarding the draft declaration.  She added that 
the procedural irregularities in the draft's progress through the UN 
system left her uneasy.  However, the GOI was firm in its desire to 
stand with the other Nordic states, and would vote for the 
declaration's adoption when the matter came to the floor. 
 
KOSNETT