VZCZCXRO1443
RR RUEHNZ
DE RUEHWL #0839/01 3362229
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 022229Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4926
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 1559
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 5041
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0611
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0674
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0125
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0374
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0041
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0685

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000839 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP 
PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV EAID KDEM NZ
SUBJECT:  Ambassador Herbst Discusses Stabilization/Reconstruction 
Issues with GNZ Officials 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  During a November 27 visit to New Zealand, S/CRS 
Ambassador Herbst met with a range of GNZ officials in the 
Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, as well as police and 
NZAID representatives to discuss his office's approach to 
coordinating USG resources in post-conflict states.  Herbst offered 
to include GNZ officials in future S/CRS exercises.  GNZ reps 
welcomed Ambassador Herbst's remarks, noting that the Cabinet 
Ministers on November 19 approved a whole-of-government approach to 
NZ peace support operations.  End Summary. 
 
New Zealand Opts for Whole-of-Government Approach 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Ambassador John Herbst visited New Zealand on November 27, 
and briefed GNZ officials on the role of S/CRS as a coordinating 
office for marshalling USG resources and personnel to help in 
reconstruction activities.  Meetings included officials from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - notably the divisions 
handling the Americas and the Pacific Islands as well as the 
International Security and Disarmament Division), the Ministry of 
Defense (where the Ambassador met with Admiral Jack Steer and 
International Defense Relations Head Paul Sinclair), Jackie Goodwin, 
Manager of the International Strategy and Policy office for the New 
Zealand Police, and NZAID officials led by Global Group Director Don 
Clarke.  Policy Officer Richard Prendergast of MFAT's International 
Security and Disarmament (ISD) Division noted that the Ambassador's 
visit was particularly timely, as the Cabinet Ministers on November 
19 approved a whole-of-government approach to NZ peace support 
operations, and MFAT's ISD office has responsibilities similar to 
S/CRS as the coordinating body. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Ambassador Herbst briefed GNZ officials on the USG shift to 
transformational diplomacy and consequent changes in deployment of 
State Department personnel.  The Ambassador explained that S/CRS is 
one subset of transformational diplomacy and was established in 2004 
in the aftermath of USG interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Due 
to the complexities of nation building in post-conflict countries, 
the Ambassador continued, the USG is looking for a different model 
to coordinate the array of USG agency resources and personnel needed 
for such challenges.  The need is for a whole-of-government 
approach.  The UK and Canada have offices similar to S/CRS.  He 
explained USG-approved proposals for creating an Interagency 
Management System and a Civilian Response Capability.  The 
Ambassador summarized recent meetings in Korea, Japan and China 
where he briefed both governments on S/CRS activities.  S/CRS has an 
ongoing dialogue with the UN's Peace Building Support Office. 
 
¶4.  (U)  GNZ officials welcomed Ambassador Herbst's remarks, and 
discussed New Zealand's work in Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, 
and Afghanistan.  NZ officials related that New Zealand's primary 
role in each country is security and stabilization, but all have an 
important civilian component as well.  While internal New Zealand 
government coordinating meetings occur, both in the field and in 
Wellington, all agreed it was done on an ad hoc basis.  Moving to a 
whole-of-government approach will provide a more formal policy 
framework for giving coherence to New Zealand's peace support 
operations.  NZ Police representative Jackie Goodwin noted that 
police deployments overseas are still relatively new for the GNZ; 
167 police are now overseas and there is demand for additional 
officers.  The MOD's Paul Sinclair added that New Zealand's 
interventions have been militarily robust, but the military cannot 
do police functions well nor can defense forces manage 
assistance/development programs. 
 
NZ Deployments in Timor, SI, and Afghanistan 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In Timor Leste, GNZ officials told Ambassador Herbst that 
New Zealand has been involved since 1999 and all government agencies 
are represented.  There are roughly 180 troops and two helicopters 
as part of the Australian green helmet contingent, three Defense 
Ministry staff with the UN mission, 25 New Zealand police officers, 
and the NZAID mission has both a bilateral and multilateral program. 
 There are regular meetings in Dili under the NZ Ambassador's 
leadership but there are different sets of decisions made by each 
respective GNZ element - the whole-of-government approach will unify 
that process, explained MFAT officials. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  In the Solomon Islands, New Zealand plays a significant 
 
WELLINGTON 00000839  002 OF 002 
 
 
role in the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands 
(RAMSI), which has a combined security force and civilian mission. 
Similar to Timor Leste, the GNZ is represented on the ground by all 
the agencies, but coordination remains ad hoc and decision-making 
runs along separate agency lines.  NZAID officials noted that their 
largest bilateral program is managed in the Solomon Islands, where 
NZ is working with Australia and other donors to improve the 
education sector.  Both Timor and SI illustrated to New Zealand that 
stabilization efforts are not in-and-out scenarios, but long-term 
security and civilian capacity-building commitments. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  GNZ officials see the whole-of-government approach 
benefiting New Zealand efforts considerably in Afghanistan, where 
the NZ military has been involved since 2003 in Bamiyan.  NZ police 
are present with the New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team 
(PRT), but NZAID officials make two visits per year of 4-6 weeks 
each.  MFAT's Mideast senior policy officer David Irwin noted that 
coordination was made even more difficult because New Zealand lacks 
an Embassy in Kabul; Afghanistan is covered by their mission in 
Tehran.  Paul Sinclair/MOD said that Bamiyan, despite recent 
security concerns, remains largely stable and supportive of the NZ 
presence; the MOD hopes that NZAID will provide permanent staff but 
NZAID officials were less enthusiastic, noting resource constraints 
and lack of local capacity to build on in Bamiyan province. 
 
Continuing the Dialogue 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Ambassador Herbst noted that S/CRS provides workshops and 
exercises, and New Zealand might consider participation in future 
S/CRS-sponsored programs. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  MOD International Policy Director Wayne Higgins asked 
about general trip-wires or triggers that would prompt S/CRS 
deployments.  Ambassador Herbst responded that S/CRS had done a 
paper enumerating triggers but stressed that any decision to engage 
would be a political one.  GNZ officials asked if they could receive 
a copy of the paper.  Herbst said he would check.  He added that 
S/CRS does not always envision being part of a military 
intervention; there may be occasions where S/CRS would provide 
assistance so the U.S. military does not have to intervene.  Higgins 
also queried the Ambassador regarding exit strategies and how S/CRS 
would define "success" and the appropriate handoff to either a local 
government or UN authority.  Each country offers a different 
challenge, and success may be tailored to what is feasible according 
to varying yardsticks and cultural/historical traditions that meet 
core USG objectives, said Herbst. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Comment.  GNZ officials appreciated very much Ambassador 
Herbst's visit and presentation to relevant agencies and officials. 
Post would appreciate receiving the trigger/tripwire paper to pass 
to GNZ officials, if appropriate.  GNZ officials would also 
appreciate being kept appraised of S/CRS activities in which they 
might participate. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Ambassador Herbst cleared this message. 
 
McCormick