VZCZCXYZ0017
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0377 1351630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151630Z MAY 09
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8426
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3031

UNCLAS GENEVA 000377 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/T, IO/EDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON UNCTAD
SUBJECT: UNCTAD SECGEN RACE 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR INTERNET 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Cote d'Ivoire Perm Rep Gauze is bidding to 
replace current UNCTAD Secretary General Supachai, whose first term 
ends this summer, but the challenge is unlikely to meet with much 
success absent Africa Group support.  END SUMMARY 
 
Ambassador declares candidacy 
----------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Ivory Coast Ambassador Guy Alain Gauze visited Charge on 
May 13 to present his candidacy for the post of UNCTAD Secretary 
General.  After initially confusing us by speaking about himself in 
the third person, Gauze made clear that he thinks he is a very good 
candidate due to his experience in Geneva.  However, when asked what 
concrete projects he envisioned for UNCTAD under his leadership, he 
merely said he hoped to organize regional conferences to focus on 
the specific needs of the developing countries. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Gauze criticized UNCTAD for failing to deliver results, as 
judged either by the donor countries or the developing countries. 
He said UNCTAD need not always have a North-South divide.  He added 
that under Supachai's absence of leadership, UNCTAD has been on 
autopilot. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Gauze acknowledged that the Africa Group has not yet 
decided upon a candidate, and that Kenya has also floated a proposal 
to field a candidate (former Trade Minister Kituyi).  He suggested 
that the Africa Group would soon decide, and would endorse him, 
because of the desire for UNCTAD to be more responsive to African 
LDCs. 
 
Thai Response: Supachai wants to continue 
----------------------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) Thai Charge Vijavat (Kit) Isarabhakdi visited on May 15 to 
provide, in understated Thai fashion, background on the 
re-appointment of Supachai in order to dispel any doubts that 
Supachai wants and deserves a second term.  He noted that past 
practice has been for UNCTAD SGs to serve two terms; no one yet has 
served only one.  Rumors are untrue that Supachai is uninterested in 
the job, wants to go back to Thailand for a political post, and has 
lost the confidence of UN SyG Ban.  Ban has already told delegations 
in New York of his intent to keep Supachai.  Sudan, as Chair of the 
G77 and the Africa Group, had asked Ban for more time for 
consultations in recognition of the two possible African candidates 
(including another one from Kenya), but no one wants this to drag 
on.  He added that the letter he had received from the Ivory Coast 
Mission had been signed by that Mission's DCM, so he doubts that 
Gauze has his own government's support, much less that of the Africa 
Group.  However, he acknowledged that India, smarting about Indian 
national Lakshmi Puri not being chosen as UNCTAD Deputy, has begun 
campaigning against Supachai too, and so he requested US support for 
keeping Supachai. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶6.  (SBU) In our view, Gauze has not presented a strong case.  The 
possible Kenyan candidate has not yet approached us, so although we 
have heard good things about him, we do not know if he can present a 
credible challenge to Supachai.  Without the African Group mounting 
a better organized campaign, Supachai is likely to remain.  Until 
and unless the Africa Group decides upon a single candidate, the USG 
need not take a position on this issue. 
 
STORELLA #