VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0860/01 2851914
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121914Z OCT 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2775
INFO RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 1068
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0914
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0942

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000860 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR IO/UNP - S EDMONDSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OFDP UNAUS IT SU IV
SUBJECT: UN HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 5, 2007 
 
¶1. (U) The 19-member UN Committee on Relations with the Host 
Country held its 
234th meeting on October 5, 2007.  USUN  Counselor for Host 
Country Affairs 
represented the United States.  Over a dozen non-Committee 
Member States 
participated as observers. There were no requests for 
specific items to be 
placed on the agenda prior to the meeting. 
 
Sudan FM delayed on arrival at JFK 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Sudan MUN complained that on September 20, its Foreign 
Minister, 
Lam Akol Ajawin, was detained upon arrival at JFK airport in 
a private 
room for secondary screening for about thirty minutes.  Sudan 
alleged that it 
had taken the necessary steps to inform the United States 
regarding the FM's 
arrival.  USUN Host Country Counselor informed the Committee 
that this was the 
first time Host Country had heard of the incident, that USUN 
would look into the 
matter, and that it would have been helpful if Sudan had 
informed the US 
Mission when the incident occurred rather than wait until the 
next scheduled 
meeting of the Host Country Committee.  As Sudan's complaint 
was the only one 
raised at the meeting, USUN Host Country Counselor noted that 
it spoke well 
for the Host Country to have only one formal complaint before 
the Committee, given 
the large number of Heads of State/Heads of Government, 
Ministers, VIPs, their 
families and entourages that came for the opening of the UNGA 
over the past two weeks. 
 
¶3. (U) Comment: USUN has no record of Sudan communicating a 
request for the 
FM's arrival to USUN.  In USUN's briefing delegations, USUN 
strongly cautioned 
against MUNs submitting requests that bypassed USUN, and that 
any requests that 
Missions submitted directly to Washington or through a 
country's embassy in 
Washington needed to be sent also to USUN so that USUN could 
monitor and follow 
up on the request, as needed. 
 
Gasoline tax exemptions in New York 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Italy MUN requested clarification about a letter it 
received from the Office of 
Foreign Missions/NY regarding changes in gasoline tax 
exemptions in New York for 
diplomats.  The letter informed the Mission that tax 
exemptions would no longer 
automatically be given to individuals using oil company 
credit cards due to the 
companies' interpretation of a recent NY tax law ruling. 
USUN Host Country Counselor 
informed the Committee that two representatives from OFM/NY 
were present and 
could answer spcific questions relating to this matter after 
the meeting ended. 
He also suggested that while the issue was being resolved, 
Missions should 
retain their gasoline receipts. 
 
UN compliance with fire code 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. Committee Chair Mavroyiannis (Cyprus) briefed the 
Committee on his meeting 
with Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to discuss the UN 
compliance with 
NY City fire codes. The Secretary-General assured the 
Chairman that he had been 
following the issue closely and the matter would be resolved 
as expeditiously 
as possible ensuring the highest degree of safety and 
security possible as the 
Capital Master Plan is implemented. 
 
New Comittee Vice-Chair; next Committee meeting 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5. Guillarme Bailly-Niagri, Counselor at the Cote d'Ivoire 
Mission, was elected 
to replace Coe d'Ivoire MUN's Marc Banny as Vice-Chairman of 
the Committee.  The 
next HCC meeting will be held on October 31 to adopt the 
as-yet-unwritten annual 
Report of the Committee before it is forwarded for adoption 
by the Sixth Committee 
and then the GA. 
KHALILZAD