This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS  ROME 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
SENSITIVE 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO/EDA BEHREND 
USUN NEW YORK FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND LTAMLYN 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREF
SUBJECT:  US MISSION/ROME 2003 SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS - AS 
REQUESTED BY A/S IO HOLMES FOR THE IO/COM CONFERENCE JANUARY 
8-9, 2004 
 
REF:(A) 03 STATE 348057, (B) 03 ROME 4996, (C) 03 ROME 5106 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT 
SUITABLE FOR INTERNET POSTING. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Kim: Thanks for the opportunity to lay out our past 
year's accomplishments. In short, it was an extraordinary 
year where our Mission, like many other IO posts, found 
ourselves in the middle of some of the most difficult 
challenges on our country's foreign policy agenda. In 2003 
US Mission/Rome worked with WFP in gearing up for and 
executing a 3 million ton food delivery program for Iraq 
that effectively averted widespread hunger despite serious 
logistical constraints. Overall, direct U.S. donations to 
WFP's worldwide relief efforts exceeded USD 1.2 billion, the 
largest single year U.S. Government donation to any UN 
Agency in the history of the UN. We engaged with FAO 
leadership/Rome in coordinating the complex purchases of 
massive quantities of fertilizers and agricultural supplies 
for Iraq. Fact finding visits were conducted in a number of 
troubled areas including the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Ethiopia and Cote d'Ivoire. We worked with Executive Board 
members and the WFP Secretariat to ensure passage (October 
2003) of an allotment of up to USD 20 million from the 
organization's Equalization Account to cover one time costs 
for security upgrades in WFP's offices worldwide. Finally, 
in tandem with the untiring efforts of WFP Executive 
Director Jim Morris, we were able to secure sufficient 
international food aid (particularly a generous donation 
this year of 100,000 tons of U.S. P.L. 480 Title II 
assistance) to keep WFP relief efforts running this year in 
North Korea. End summary. 
 
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Background 
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¶2. (SBU) Our vision over this past year has been to "put 
into action America's commitment to alleviate hunger and 
build hope." The US Mission pursues U.S. interests with the 
principal UN Agencies based in Rome and fosters relations 
with more than 150 permanent diplomatic representations from 
other countries. In particular, US Mission/Rome is at the 
forefront of recasting the humanitarian assistance and 
disaster response of multilateral organizations, leveraging 
the United States' status as the dominant humanitarian donor 
and ensuring that resources are deployed effectively in ways 
that advance U.S. policies. 
 
¶3. (U) In 2003, the United States donated over U.S. dollars 
(USD) 1.2 billion in relief and recovery assistance through 
the World Food Program (the largest single year U.S. 
Government donation to any UN Agency in the history of the 
UN) and over USD 10 million in voluntary, extra-budgetary 
support through the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) 
for emergency seeds and tools. We worked with these entities 
and their UN sister organizations on a daily basis to ensure 
the proper stewardship of U.S. resources provided to benefit 
vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters and 
complex emergencies worldwide. 
 
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The exemplary Iraq humanitarian response through WFP and FAO 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶4. (SBU) For months before the U.S.-led coalition invaded 
Iraq, we worked with WFP in gearing up for a massive food 
distribution program to avert famine in the event of war. As 
the war got closer, food was warehoused around the region, 
humanitarian corridors were mapped out, and contracts were 
drafted with shipping and trucking companies throughout the 
region. This planning paid off: to date WFP has successfully 
moved some 3 million tons of food into Iraq, effectively 
stabilizing the food situation. We worked hard to convince 
both WFP and FAO to take on prime responsibility for the 
purchase of around 1.5 million tons of local Iraqi wheat and 
barley production. We also engaged with FAO leadership in 
coordinating the complex purchases of massive quantities of 
fertilizers and agricultural supplies for Iraq, with funding 
from the Oil-for-Food (OFF) Program. Note: US Mission had a 
representative posted in the Iraq theatre for 100 days. End 
note. 
 
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Advocacy for upgraded security for humanitarian workers 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) All of us deeply mourned the tragic loss of the 
lives of 23 of our UN humanitarian colleagues, victims of 
the August 19 cowardly terrorist attack on the United 
Nations Headquarters in Baghdad. At the WFP October 2003 
Executive Board session (reported ref B), we worked with 
Board members and the WFP Secretariat to ensure passage of 
an allotment of up to USD 20 million from the organization's 
Equalization Account to cover one time costs for security 
upgrades in WFP's offices worldwide. And we followed up with 
a meeting on November 7, 2003 at U.S. Embassy Rome, at which 
our Regional Security Officer's team and WFP security 
chiefs, reviewed WFP's planned worldwide security measures 
and recommendations resulting from a comprehensive risk 
assessment of its Rome installation using an independent 
consultant. Note. For starters, reinforced barriers are 
presently being installed at WFP Headquarters and all 
windows have been duly treated with mylar. End note. 
 
¶6. (U) The UN Security Office, UNSECOORD, which forms a key 
part of the operation, has concluded (ref C) that the 
present UN humanitarian field security management system 
requires "significant and urgent enhancement." I want to 
point out that WFP has lost 56 staffers -- killed in the 
line of duty -- over the past decade. I strongly support the 
position of then WFP Executive Director Catherine Bertini in 
her appearance before the UN Security Council in early 
February, 2000, which drew world attention to the issue that 
"host countries must be responsible for the security of 
humanitarian workers and must act to punish the perpetrators 
of crimes against humanitarian workers." We stand ready to 
assist WFP wherever appropriate in expanding and refining 
training related to security awareness and practices of WFP 
staff, their families and NGO partners. 
 
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Fact Finding Visits to troubled areas 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) In 2003, I visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Ethiopia and Albania in my attempt to fulfill the 
President's mandate and draw attention to problems of hunger 
and communicate and demonstrate America's compassion for 
people in need. My staff visited other troubled spots 
including Iraq, Mauritania, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Georgia, 
northern Uganda, Nepal, southern Bangladesh (which focused 
attention on the forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees to 
Burma), and more. One lesson that has been frequently 
reinforced in these visits, which we are keen to communicate 
to both traditional and emerging donors, is the value of 
food aid. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Our food leverages so much more in accomplishing 
broader goals.  I have seen it used to prevent human 
trafficking, reforest mountains, assist farmers with 
irrigation projects, and provide parents with an incentive 
to ensure that their children get an education.  It is clear 
to see the benefit of school feeding programs around the 
world, but especially on the front lines of the war on 
terrorism.  As one Pakistani teacher stated about the 
training of terrorists, "It's poverty and hunger that drive 
these students to the madrasahs.  If their stomachs weren't 
empty, they wouldn't come." 
 
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Advocate for North Korea's hungry poor women and children 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶9. (SBU) Finally, in tandem with the untiring efforts of WFP 
Executive Director Jim Morris, we were able to secure 
sufficient international food aid (particularly a generous 
donation this year of 100,000 tons of U.S. P.L. 480 Title II 
assistance) to keep WFP relief efforts on track this year in 
North Korea. Let me emphasize that neither WFP nor we are 
satisfied with the monitoring and access situation for food 
aid programs in DPR Korea. We bear no illusions with the 
constraints of dealing with the hideous regime still in 
place there. But while we continue to make progress toward 
our goal of reaching international accountability standards 
for our food donations, we are also saving the lives of the 
most vulnerable.  We know there are millions of hungry, 
 
needy North Korean women and children. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Having visited North Korea six times since 1996, 
I can attest that WFP food assistance is reaching many of 
them, and is making a difference. And let me assure you that 
achieving further progress on monitoring and access will 
remain a top priority for me and my staff in our continuing 
dialogue with WFP leadership and concerned donors. 
 
 
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Comment 
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¶11. (U) I can tell you that our small U.S. Mission/Rome is a 
diamond in the rough.  We are polishing it and I am 
convinced that it is swiftly becoming one of the "jewels in 
the crown" of the State Department.  And thank you for all 
the support you in IO gave us in 2003, and we look forward 
to doing even more for the hungry in 2004. Tony.   Hall 
 
 
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 2004ROME00008 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED