VZCZCXYZ0011
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DE RUEHC #0237 1232136
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 032129Z MAY 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 0000
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 0000
RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR PRIORITY 0000
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0000
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR PRIORITY 0000
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0000

UNCLAS STATE 060237 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL PHUM UNGA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE: CONVENING GROUP COALITION MEMBER 
SUPPORT FOR IRAQ FULL PARTICIPANT STATUS TO THE COMMUNITY 
OF DEMOCRACIES BAMAKO MINISTERIAL 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 4-5. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶2.  (U) This year's Community of Democracies (CD) Ministerial 
is scheduled for November 2007 in Bamako, Mali.  Based upon a 
set of participation criteria, countries are invited to the 
ministerial as full participants, as observers, or are not 
invited at all.  The decision of which countries will be 
invited to the CD Ministerial is taken by the CD Convening 
Group (CG), a coordinating body of 16 countries of which the 
United States is a member.  The CG members are Cape Verde, 
Chile, Czech Republic, El Salvador, India, Italy, Mali, 
Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, 
Republic of Korea, South Africa, and the United States.  The 
initial step in this process is the preparation of a report 
by the non-governmental International Advisory Committee 
(IAC), organized by several NGOs affiliated with the CD 
process.  The IAC issued recommendations to the CG on which 
countries to invite to the ministerial.  The CG has just 
begun its deliberations but final decisions are not expected 
until the end o 
f July, at which time CD Chair Mali will send official 
invitations. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The IAC recommended that Iraq not be invited for 
the 2007 ministerial.  In May 2005 Iraq, before it held 
national elections, was an Observer in Santiago.  Each CG 
member will undertake its own evaluation based on the CD 
Criteria for Participation and Procedures, which provides the 
norms for the participant and observer categories. The IAC 
recommendations are not binding but we want to ensure that 
Iraq is not excluded from the 2007 ministerial.  The U.S. 
believes that Iraq should be invited as a full participant to 
the 2007 CD Ministerial in Bamako.  Initially, we intend to 
share our view, with countries with personnel in Iraq, 
countries with a direct stake in ensuring that democracy 
succeeds in Iraq.  End Summary. 
 
OBJECTIVES 
---------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Posts are instructed to pursue the following 
objectives: 
 
-- Urge host governments, members of the Convening Group, to 
support full Participant status for Iraq for the November 
2007 Bamako CD Ministerial. 
 
-- Convey to governments that while the situation in Iraq is 
difficult on the security side, the Iraqis have made 
considerable progress in developing their democracy, 
including holding national elections in December 2005 and 
passing a Constitution in October 2005. 
 
-- Convey our sense that Iraq's attendance as a full 
participant will provide a positive incentive for the Iraqi 
authorities to continue to make progress on democracy. 
 
-- Press host governments to lobby other members of the 
Convening Group to ensure full participant status for Iraq. 
 
-- Resist any effort on the part of host governments to 
downgrade Iraq's status to Observer or non-invited. 
 
-- Should host governments indicate intent to downgrade Iraq 
to Observer status, press for concrete reasons for such a 
determination. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Posts should also highlight positive steps that 
have been taken since the May 2005 ministerial including most 
notably: 
 
-- Iraqis have completed three successful nationwide 
elections, voted for a transitional government, drafted the 
most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab world, 
approved that constitution, and elected a new government 
under their new constitution. 
 
-- In October 2005, Iraqi voters approved a new permanent 
constitution. 
 
-- In December 2005, nearly 12 million Iraqis chose a 
permanent government in free elections under the new 
constitution. 
 
-- In April 2006, Iraqi leaders announced an agreement on the 
top leadership posts for a national government uniting Sunni, 
Shiite, and Kurd. 
 
-- In January 2007 the Council of Representatives passed a 
law that established an Independent Higher Election 
Commission, and Iraqis are now in process of selecting those 
commissioners. 
 
-- The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), the entity 
monitoring and largely implementing the UNSCR 1546 democracy 
program, and subsequent UN resolutions have praised 
specifically Iraq's commitment to and achievement of 
democratic institutions. 
 
-- The current government is inclusive, with most of the 
parties except Iyad Allawi's Irakiaya, the Al Sadr Stream, 
and Saleh Mutlaq's group outside, for a total of about 200 of 
the 275 legislators in the government. 
 
-- Reflecting its democratic, inclusive vocation, the 
government has announced a major program of reconciliation 
with insurgents, Sunnis, and Shia radicals, including a 
revised oil law, constitutional reform, de-Baathification 
reform, and communal elections. 
 
-- The Sharm Al Sheikh Neighbors Conference and the 
UN-sponsored International Compact Meeting, both held in 
Egypt in early May 2007, are the latest manifestations of 
Iraq's acceptance in the region and the international 
community as a democracy. 
 
REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------ 
 
¶6.  (U) Posts should report results of efforts by cable to G 
- Joaquin Ferrao, DRL/MLGA - Laura Jordan, and IO/RHS - 
Rachel Leatham before May 10. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The Community of Democracies includes over 120 
countries with (nascent or developed) democratic governments 
which have committed to promoting democracy around the world 
and sharing their unique experiences and lessons learned with 
others.  The U.S. has been an active supporter of CD because 
we view it as a unique forum where democracies can act 
together to address issues of democracy and human rights. 
More information about the Community can be found at 
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/c10790.htm. 
 
¶8.  (U) The Criteria for Participation and Procedures set out 
the basis upon which countries are to be judged for Observer 
or Participant status.  The Criteria for Participation and 
Procedures are available at 
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/26085.htm. 
 
POINT OF CONTACT 
---------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Please contact DRL/MLGA - Laura Jordan at 
202-647-0293 or via email for any necessary further 
background information or argumentation to meet our 
objectives. 
RICE