VZCZCXRO6568
RR RUEHPB
DE RUEHLM #1371/01 2771204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041204Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6923
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3294
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0975
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1429
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0446
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0091
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RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0009
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 0968
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3196
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0806
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0015
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RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 0232
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0020
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8028
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001371 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, SCA/RA, IO/T, INL/C/CJ 
STATE FOR INL/RM PAMELA THORN 
 
E.O 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SNAR SOCI ECON EAID CE
SUBJECT:  256TH SESSION OF THE COLOMBO PLAN COUNCIL 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 128839  B) COLOMBO 934 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  On September 27, 2007, The Colombo Plan Council 
convened for the 256th Session and discussed FY 2005/6 audited 
accounts, the 2006/7 draft annual report, a special paper on 
"Strategic Plan of The Colombo Plan 2025," and the needs assessment 
questionnaire.  Ambassador Blake presented to The Colombo Plan a 
check for US $185,706 to support the Afghan Women's Shelter Project. 
End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The 256th Session of The Colombo Plan was held on 27 
September 2007, and chaired by incoming Secretary-General Patricia 
Yoon-Moi Chia and President Shahzad A. Chaudry, High Commissioner of 
Pakistan.  Council attendees included the Ambassadors of Burma, 
Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, United States, and 
representatives from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, 
South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.  Participants adopted the 
Minutes of the 255th Session and the Special Session held on 18 June 
2007, adding an observation from the representative of Japan that 
the process for selecting the Secretary General should be more 
transparent.  Ambassador Blake stated that to continue harping on a 
decision based on a constitutionally correct process would hinder 
The Colombo Plan's mission and operations.  The Pakistani High 
Commissioner concurred. 
 
INSUFFICIENT FUNDING 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The Council approved the accounts for the fiscal year July 
2005 to June 2006, which was audited by the Auditor General of Sri 
Lanka.  The President highlighted to the Council the unauthorized 
transfer of US $500,000 from the Secretarial Reserves to the 
Programming Budget which resulted in a FY 2005/06 deficit of US 
$427,941.  Presently, there is approximately US $350,000 left in the 
Reserves which is sufficient to meet the recurring expenses of the 
Secretariat for only one year.  The Reserve Fund acts as a buffer 
 
SIPDIS 
since there are delays in payment of the subscription fees due to 
the different budgetary cycles of the member states.  The 
Secretariat plans to build up the Reserve to cover at least three 
 
SIPDIS 
years of expenditure, and will not transfer additional funds for 
program activities until adequate reserves have been built up.  In 
FY 2005, only 11 out of 25 members paid their mandatory 
subscriptions on time.  The Bangladesh representative informed the 
Council that it will start contributing again for this coming FY 
¶2007.  The President and Secretary General specifically thanked the 
U.S. for its timely and generous contribution.  The President and 
Secretary General then appealed for member countries to pay their 
 
SIPDIS 
pledges and any additional contributions on time.  The President 
also stressed the need for more transparency in the relationship 
between the Secretary General and the Administrative and Financial 
Committee. 
 
¶4. (U) The Secretary General presented the Financial Status for FY 
2006/7.  According to the report, the current Programming Budget is 
divided as follows: 
 
Drug Advisory Program (DAP): 82 percent 
South-South Technical Cooperation/Data Bank (SSTC): 10 percent 
Program for Private Sector Development (PSD): 5 percent 
Program for Public Administration (PPA): 1 percent 
Long Term Scholarship Program (LTSP): 1 percent 
Program on Environment (ENV): 1 percent 
 
The Secretary General noted that only the DAP was satisfactorily 
funded, while the remaining programs were experiencing diminished 
funding from the donor countries.  Aside from the DAP and PPSD, all 
other programs were at risk of insufficient funding to operate after 
FY 2007. 
 
COLOMBO 00001371  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The Secretary General presented a paper outlining her vision 
of The Colombo Plan for the next eighteen years to year 2025, the 
75th anniversary of The Colombo Plan.  The paper laid out strategies 
for each program and listed recommendations on how to strengthen and 
expand The Colombo Plan's operations and infrastructure. 
The President proposed that the recommendations be divided into four 
categories: 
 
a) Reinforcing Existing Measures 
-- Recommendations will be anchored and/or modeled on existing 
programs separate from the Colombo Plan, that have been successfully 
implemented by member states. 
 
b) New Measures 
-- New programs and courses will be based on the Needs Assessment 
Questionnaire (see 5D below) 
 
c) Structural Change 
-- Recommendations included fundraising (voluntary contributions; 
new sources of income; private sector partnership initiatives; 
cost-sharing projects); membership expansion (to include Brunei, 
China, Timor Leste, and former members Britain, Canada and 
Cambodia); strengthening the Secretariat's monitoring and evaluation 
mechanism; boosting the Secretariat's manpower; seeking 
international voluntary officers to be seconded to the Secretariat; 
and the establishment of a permanent Headquarters. 
 
-- The Council briefly discussed the restructuring of the 
Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM) to include Ministerial 
participation.  The Ambassador of the Philippines and the 
representative from India supported participation of the Ministers 
arguing that it could raise interest and secure more funding for 
Colombo Plan activities.  The Ambassador to Nepal stated his 
preference to keep the CCM at the functional level, absent of 
Ministers.  The President concluded that the Council should first 
focus on the needs assessment questionnaire and to later re-evaluate 
the CCM. 
 
d) Needs Assessment Questionnaire 
-- Member Countries were requested to complete the questionnaire to 
identify gaps and assess needs for Colombo Plan programs.  The 
Survey is due 15 November 2007, and will be discussed at the next 
Colombo Plan meeting on 22 November 2007. 
 
DRUG ADVISORY PROGRAM 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) According to the Draft Annual Report of the Colombo Plan for 
FY 2006/2007, the Drug Advisory Program (DAP) funded 15 drug demand 
reduction projects.  The report stated that 6,471 participants have 
benefited from the DAP, which is more than half the total number of 
participants in Colombo Plan programs.  Council recommendations for 
the Drug Advisory Program: 
-- Conduct annual consultations 
-- Develop ISO standards and guidelines 
-- Develop and maintain teams of Master Trainers 
-- Support and assist governments in early identification of drug 
dependents 
-- Promote and support treatment programs in prisons 
-- Assist governments in conducting public information campaigns 
-- Produce reference materials, guide books and manuals 
-- Cooperate with donors for regional/sub-regional programs and 
participation of non-members. 
 
 
COLOMBO 00001371  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶7. (U) In accordance with ref A, this cable confirms that Ambassador 
Blake presented to the Colombo Plan a check for US $185,706 to 
support the Drug Advisory Program's Afghan Women's Shelter Project. 
 
 
¶8. COMMENT:  Secretary General Chia, who arrived in August, seems 
determined and well on her way to breathing new life into the 
Colombo Plan through better organization, new ideas, and broader 
membership and participation.  The U.S.-funded Drug Advisory Program 
continues to be the Colombo Plan's most successful and dynamic 
program. 
BLAKE