VZCZCXRO9142
PP RUEHAST
DE RUEHMD #2512 2770822
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040822Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0940
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2121
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0217

UNCLAS MADRID 002512 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL AORC KUNR UNGA SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON UN SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS 
 
REF: STATE 153946 
 
¶1. (SBU)   Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Juan Manuel 
Gonzalez de Linares, Subdirector General for the United 
Nations, on October 2.  Linares told Emboff that the GOS 
clearly understands that 22 percent is a red line for the 
U.S. in terms of reaching a consensus on the scale of 
assessments framework.  However, he pointed out that the EU 
is currently paying over 10 percent more than their total 
share of GDP.  Linares stated that the EU's bottom-line goal 
is to make sure that the overall EU assessment does not 
increase, even though Spain's assessment is likely to 
increase by about a half percent (to 2.97), making them the 
eight largest contributor.  Spain is not interested in 
alienating the United States in this debate. 
 
¶2. (SBU)   Additionally, Linares said that Spain is very 
pleased with the Japanese proposal to implement an assessment 
floor of from three to five percent for permanent Security 
Council members, although he acknowledged that such a floor 
would be highly unlikely to be adopted.  Linares said that 
the Spanish would remember the Japanese effort in the future. 
 Spain prefers using the six-year average.  Spain is 
considering the concept of factoring purchasing power parity 
into the equation, and the GOS also is considering whether 
the debt burden adjustment should be excluded. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Spain's top priorities for the scale of assessments 
discussion are to get increased contributions from "large 
emerging economies," namely Nigeria, Russia, and China, based 
on their capacity to pay more than they currently do.  He 
said the EU would seek "no mercy" for these three nations. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  With regards to the specific U.S. issue of raising 
the 22 percent ceiling, Linares said he thought the USG could 
help its cause by paying any outstanding arrears and by 
moving forward with a generous contribution and financing 
offer for the Capital Master Plan.  Linares said that Spain 
expects the U.S., as host nation and leading contributor, to 
be generous in upgrading existing UN facilities. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Finally, Linares sounded a cautionary note about EU 
politics on this issue, noting that the new additions to the 
EU were likely to see their assessment burdens quadruple or 
quintuple as a result of their EU membership.  This will 
present a shock to these nations and will factor heavily in 
the EU's internal deliberations on the matter.  Linares said 
that the EU will be dealing with both an external and 
internal struggle on this issue. 
 
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Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ 
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AGUIRRE