VZCZCXRO8547
OO RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0503/01 0731904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141904Z MAR 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8314
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000503 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: UN OUTLINES EXPANDED FORMAT FOR 
AFGHAN DONOR COORDINATION BOARD 
 
REF: STATE 35806 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  Ambassador Wolff made reftel points in a 
meeting with UN Assistant Secretary-General (A/SYG) for 
Peacekeeping Hedi Annabi and other Department of Peacekeeping 
Officials (DPKO) officials on March 10.  He urged the 
Secretariat to ensure the UN Assistance Mission in 
 
SIPDIS 
Afghanistan (UNAMA) has the resources necessary to fulfill 
its new role as co-chair of the Joint Coordination and 
Monitoring Board (JCMB).  Per reftel, the Ambassador argued 
that membership in the JCMB should be limited but should 
include key partners and troop contributors.  He outlined USG 
support for a Board comprising 14 international 
representatives.  While noting that the UN is "not looking at 
shrinking its presence" in Afghanistan, Annabi and his staff 
argued that any expansion -- including maintaining some of 
the 18 sub-regional UN offices established during the recent 
election period -- would depend on security and support from 
member states for an increased UNAMA budget.  On the 
composition of the Board, Annabi pointed to pressure from 
several states seeking membership to defend Special 
Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Koenigs's 
proposal for 20 international representatives.  When informed 
of the USG's strong concerns about this larger format, UN 
officials suggested flexibility on membership for Canada and 
Italy could help the UN limit the overall size of the Board. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Wolff delivered reftel points to UN A/SYG 
for Peacekeeping Hedi Annabi and other DPKO officials on 
March 10 (Annabi had just returned from week-long travel 
March 10; U/SYG Guehenno is overseas until March 20).  Wolff 
emphasized the importance the USG attached to the UN's role 
in Afghanistan.  He noted that under the newly-launched 
Compact for Afghanistan, the UN's responsibilities would 
increase as co-chair of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring 
Board (JCMB) with the Government of Afghanistan (GOA).  The 
UN Secretariat should therefore ensure that the resources 
dedicated to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) 
are adequate to fulfill its new role.  Ambassador Wolff 
argued that the UN should consider the proposal to maintain 
its sub-regional offices in Afghanistan, established during 
the electoral period, as secure platforms from which donors 
and NGOs could provide assistance.  Per reftel, the 
Ambassador argued that membership in the JCMB should be 
limited but should include key partners and troop 
contributors.  He outlined USG support for a Board comprising 
14 international representatives. 
 
UN Will Not Shrink its Presence 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Drawing attention to SYG Annan's latest report on 
Afghanistan, Annabi emphasized that the UN was "not looking 
at shrinking its presence" in the country.  He noted that 
SRSG Tom Koenigs favored a slight increase in UNAMA's 
presence in the provinces, but cautioned that "everything 
depends on security."  DPKO Asia and Middle East Division 
Director Lisa Buttenheim added that the UN had spent 
considerable energy and resources to ensure that the 18 
sub-regional offices it operated with the Joint Electoral 
Management Body (JEMB) complied with minimum UN security 
standards during the electoral period.  If UNAMA were to 
maintain these offices long-term, it would require member 
states to authorize considerable additional resources. 
Buttenheim noted that as a Special Political Mission, UNAMA's 
budget comes out of the UN's regular budget (Note: As opposed 
to peacekeeping operations, which are funded out of separate 
member state contributions.  End Note).  Recalling that 
UNAMA's budget would soon come up for review by member states 
in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary 
Questions (ACABQ), Buttenheim appealed to the USG to support 
an increase in funding to enable UNAMA to expand its presence. 
 
JCMB: Koenigs Proposes 20 International Members 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4. (SBU) On the composition of the Board, Annabi reported 
that the UN had come under pressure from several states 
demanding permanent seats, all of which were outside the 14 
Board members envisioned in the USG proposal. (Note: DPKO 
staff later told Post that the Russians, Chinese, French, 
Pakistanis, and Turks had all demarched the UN in New York 
seeking permanent seats.  End Note.)  Annabi mentioned that 
Italy and Canada had also demarched the Secretariat 
repeatedly to seek membership on the Board; those missions 
later confirmed to Post that they had argued for an inclusive 
structure to justify their own membership and could not now 
push for a smaller format.  As a result of consultations in 
Kabul and New York, Annabi said Koenigs had devised a 
structure with 20 international and 7 Afghan representatives. 
 The internationals would come from the following categories: 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000503  002 OF 002 
 
 
 largest donors (US, UK, Japan, Germany, India, EU), largest 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) contributors 
(Canada, Netherlands, Italy), neighboring states (Pakistan, 
Iran, China), regional countries (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, 
Russia), ISAF and Operation Enduring Freedom, World Bank and 
the Asian Development Bank, and the UAE -- a proposal 
reportedly made by Afghan President Karzai.  Recognizing that 
this large format might be unwieldy, Annabi noted that some 
business might be done in smaller settings, such as the 
informal Kabul "tea club" that drafted much of the 
Afghanistan Compact. 
 
Secretariat Seeks Flexibility on Canada/Italy 
 
SIPDIS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) After conferring with the Department on Koenigs's 
20 7 format, Post conveyed USG concerns about this structure 
to DPKO March 10 and Ambassador Wolff followed up with Annabi 
in a conversation on March 13.  Given the ongoing 
discussions, DPKO officials assured Post that SRSG Koenigs 
would not/not discuss the details of the composition of the 
Board during his remarks to the UNSC on March 14.  Annabi and 
Buttenheim, however, emphasized it would be extremely 
difficult for the UN to exclude countries such as Russia from 
the Board.  Noting that it might be possible to restrict the 
size of the JCMB if the UN could point to specific criteria 
for membership, Buttenheim asked how flexible the USG 
position would be regarding seats for Italy and Canada -- 
countries that do not make the threshold for donor assistance 
to the GOA.  Buttenheim also argued that rotating seats for 
regional countries would not solve the UN's dilemma, because, 
for example, Pakistan would insist on serving on the Board 
when India occupies a seat.  Post reiterated reftel guidance, 
but indicated that the visit Koenigs and Buttenheim plan to 
make to Washington March 15-16 would be a good opportunity to 
discuss the issue further.  Separately, diplomats at the UK 
Mission told Post that due to the political sensitivities of 
excluding would-be members, Koenigs appeared committed to the 
20 7 format during his March 13 meeting with British PermRep 
Jones-Parry.  While sharing the USG's preference for a Board 
with 14 international representatives, UKUN staff predicted 
it would be very difficult to persuade Koenigs to reconsider 
-- especially if, as they thought likely, he secures SYG 
Annan's support for his proposal. 
BOLTON