VZCZCXRO3974
OO RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHTRO RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0164/01 0521704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211704Z FEB 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3780
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000164 
 
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SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF UNSC
SUBJECT: UN HOSTS NEW YORK MEETING OF JCMB COUNTRIES 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The UN Secretariat hosted a meeting in New 
York for representatives from Joint Coordination and 
Monitoring Group (JCMB) countries February 19 to deliver a 
readout of the recent meeting in Tokyo, and to discuss the 
upcoming Security Council renewal of the mandate for the 
United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA). 
The UN said it was focused on implementation of the 
Afghanistan Compact, and noted that it would have to "rebuild 
trust" with the Government of Afghanistan following the 
failed nomination of Paddy Ashdown to be the UN's Special 
Representative, and the expulsion of a UNAMA staff member. 
JCMB members pushed for a stronger UN role in Afghanistan, 
and expressed support for prioritizing the UN,s many 
responsibilities.  Denmark was critical of UNAMA's weak role 
vis-a-vis NATO and the United States.  Russia, which will 
serve as Security Council President in March, said Russia 
expects to schedule a Security Council discussion of 
Afghanistan on March 12, following the expected March 6 
issuance of the latest UNAMA report.  End summary. 
 
UNAMA - PRIORITIES AND STAFFING 
 
¶2. (SBU) Scott Smith, team leader for Afghanistan in the 
Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), told 
representatives of JCMB countries that the UN was pleased 
with the results of the Tokyo conference, and reported two 
themes dominant in the discussion: the commitment of the 
international community to Afghanistan remains "very strong" 
and the Afghanistan government is gaining considerable 
capacity in many areas, including security and governance. 
Smith said the UN believes the key issue is implementation of 
the Afghanistan Compact.  Moving forward, it will urge 
complete transparency on project details from the many 
development agencies in Afghanistan.  Following from this 
process, the UN will work to require concrete benchmarks for 
these assistance projects, in order to prioritize those that 
have the most urgency.  Smith said the UN detected little 
interest in reopening the Afghanistan Compact; therefore the 
JCMB remains the coordinating entity for the international 
community in Afghanistan.  Police reform, rural development, 
election planning and counter-narcotics are among the UN,s 
top priorities.  Smith noted as well that the UN will 
continue its political outreach throughout Afghanistan, 
through its satellite offices in the provinces and its 
headquarters in Kabul.  This was a normal and essential 
activity for UNAMA, Smith said, and does not involve any 
 
¶3. (SBU) Smith said that the UN is discussing at senior 
levels potential candidates for the replacement for Tom 
Koenigs, the former Special Representative of the 
Secretary-General (SRSG), and he was therefore not privy to 
 
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the latest information.  All those involved, however, 
understand that the new SRSG,s relationship with President 
Karzai is "critical."  He added that the UN was working with 
UNAMA to decrease UNAMA,s vacancy rate, as well as to 
increase the number of international staff in the provincial 
offices. 
 
JCMB REACTIONS AND THE UNAMA MANDATE 
 
¶4. (SBU) Canada echoed Smith,s call for a renewed focus on 
implementation of the Compact, and said countries should 
consider channeling more aid through Afghanistan,s central 
budget.  With regard to the UNAMA mandate, Canada is open to 
prioritizing certain areas, especially elections, and would 
like to see specific reference made to increasing UNAMA,s 
security.  The Netherlands said it would support language 
strengthening the institutional relationships between NATO, 
the UN and the EU.  France, the European Commission, Russia 
and Germany all supported efforts to prioritize the elements 
of the current mandate, although they (as well as Pakistan) 
said they believed the basic pillars of the mandate were 
adequate and did not require drastic modification.  Pakistan 
and Russia said there was a clear "sense of urgency" for 
UNAMA to do better.  Russia, which will serve as Security 
Council President in March, said Russia expects to schedule a 
Security Council discussion of Afghanistan on March 12, 
following the anticipated March 6 issuance of the latest 
UNAMA report. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Denmark, speaking on behalf of the Nordic countries, 
criticized UNAMA,s conduct, arguing that the UN should hold 
the international community,s "overall strategic vision" for 
Afghanistan.  The Danish diplomat described NATO and the U.S. 
as the two dominant foreign centers of influence in 
Afghanistan, not the UN andsaid this needed to change.  He 
added that UNAMA is leader-less and has a high vacancy rate 
of professional staff; both negatively affect the UN,s 
credibility and effectiveness in Afghanistan. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Separately, poloff spoke on February 20 with Emmy 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000164  002 OF 002 
 
 
Takahashi from the United Nations High Commission for 
Refugees (UNHCR).  Takahashi asked that UNHCR would like the 
Security Council to include language calling on all countries 
to respect the voluntary repatriation process for Afghanistan 
refugees. 
KHALILZAD