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DE RUEHC #8598 1022345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 112336Z APR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 0000
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 038598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PREL
SUBJECT: APRIL 16 THEMATIC DEBATE: DRAFT UNSCR AND 
DEMARCHE ON REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEBATE 
 
¶1.  Action request: USUN is instructed to demarche the 
Secretariat at a senior level to clarify its views on 
 
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several of the SYG's recommendations in the March 24, 2008 
report on the relationship between the UN and regional 
organizations and the January 14 report on conflict 
prevention in Africa.  USUN may draw from the guidance in 
paragraph 3 and 4 when meeting with the Secretariat.  USUN is 
also instructed to seek the edits in paragraph 6 on the 
draft UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on Regional 
Organizations (complete text in paragraph 7) during its 
experts meeting on the issue on April 11.  USUN should report 
back to the Department immediately following the 
conclusion of the experts meeting and their meeting with the 
Secretariat to report meeting results. 
 
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¶2.  Action request continued: P5 posts are asked to demarche 
host governments on USG thoughts regarding the 
UNSCR on Regional Organizations and the accompanying open 
debate on the Role of the UN in Strengthening Regional 
Organizations hosted by South African President Thabo Mbeki. 
Posts should draw from talking points in paragraph 
5 when delivering demarche.  Post should report any 
substantive reactions from host governments by Tuesday, 
April 15 at 12pm EDT. 
 
¶3.  The Department has several concerns with the SYG's 
January 14 and March 24 reports.  While the SYG made many 
good recommendations that can, and in many cases are already, 
being carried out by the UN within existing 
resources, other portions would seem to have significant 
budgetary implications.  In particular, the Department 
would like further clarification on the SYG's recommendation 
in paragraph seventy-six of the March 24 
report to set up a AU-UN panel consisting of distinguished 
persons to consider in-depth the modalities of how to 
support, including financing, peacekeeping funding, equipment 
and logistics, and to make concrete recommendations. 
 
¶4.  Questions for the Secretariat: 
 
-- If the Council decides to endorse the idea of such a panel 
how will its terms of reference and membership be 
developed?  Will the SYG seek recommendations from the 
Council on who should be on the panel and on its terms of 
reference?  Will the SYG inform the Council of his potential 
candidates before announcing them? 
 
-- How does the SYG envision the composition of the panel? 
How many experts will be on this panel?  Will they 
have experience in peacekeeping operations?  Will they have 
experience in financial management and transparency 
issues?  Will the interests of major financial contributors 
to UN and AU peacekeeping operations be represented? 
 
-- Will the panel examine only the current funding problems 
facing AU peacekeeping missions or will it examine 
the lack of military, technical, and administrative 
capacities by the AU?  Will it examine the AU's capacity 
to transparently account for any funding it receives?  Will 
it examine past AU-UN cooperation in peacekeeping and 
include a report on lessons learned from these missions? 
 
-- Is the SYG worried about the precedent of establishing 
only a AU-UN panel?  Why not a UN-Regional Organization 
panel?  It seems to us NATO, OAS, EU, OSCE, and ASEAN could 
all make good arguments on why they need greater UN 
cooperation as well. 
 
-- Has the SYG considered the possibility that the panel may 
recommend the UN fund AU peacekeeping missions through 
assessed contributions as some have advocated?  If so, what 
would be the SYG's position on this?  Would the SYG 
worry about the precedent this could set?  Is he worried 
funding these missions through UN funds would place an 
increased burden on the UN budget?  Is he worried that some 
member states may refuse to pay their assessed 
contributions to fund AU missions that lack sufficient UNSC 
oversight and accountability? 
 
-- The SYG made many recommendations in his January 14 and 
March 24 report, many of them we fully support and believe 
can be done within existing resources.  However, other 
recommendations would seem to have large budget 
implications, such as in para 64(f) in the Jan. 14 report 
calling on the strengthening of DPA, through the expansion 
of regional field presence in Africa, and para 78(a) of the 
March 24 report that calls for opening a regional 
office for Central Africa and the Great Lakes region?  Did 
the Secretariat do any cost estimations when formulating 
the recommendations? 
 
¶5.  Begin talking points for P5 posts on USG thoughts for a 
UNSCR on Regional Organizations and the April 17 open 
debate of the same theme: 
 
-- The United States sees the April 16 open debate hosted by 
South African President Thabo Mbeki as an excellent 
opportunity to raise several African issues, as well as an 
opportunity to discuss how the UN and Regional 
Organizations can forge a stronger relationship. 
 
-- We want to emphasize that the U.S. is a strong supporter 
of peacekeeping operations by regional 
organizations, particularly the AU.  A South African draft 
resolution proposes a UN-AU panel to explore "start-up 
financing" and other issues.  We want to ensure that the 
resolution and the debate at large does not focus solely 
on funding problems facing AU missions, but also draws 
attention to AU and AU member responsibilities, such as 
improving transparency, accountability, and mission 
management.  We seek instead a "lessons learned" study 
that identifies past obstacles and solutions, including 
funding management, the AU's military and police 
shortfalls, and other issues that affect its capacity to 
conduct peacekeeping and effectively utilize international 
contributions, funding issues being just one of these 
concerns.  We feel this panel should be made up of not 
just UN and AU officials, but also representatives from other 
regional organizations, the donor community, and 
experts in peacekeeping. 
 
-- The debate and resolution can welcome the exploration of 
ways to address the financing challenges faced by 
peacekeepers, but we want to avoid endorsing any process that 
would explicitly focus on UN assessed dues. 
 
-- The open debate on April 16 and the joint UN Security 
Council-AU Peace and Security Council meeting on April 17 
offer unique venues for strong statements from the world 
about the troublesome events occurring in Zimbabwe.  This 
is a great opportunity to begin developing better UN-AU 
collaboration in conflict prevention.  This message would 
be especially effective if the P5 and African representatives 
could agree to a joint statement or document expressing 
concern about the crisis and calling for a peaceful 
resolution that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. 
 
-- The United States believes this venue would also be an 
excellent opportunity to press for accelerated planning 
for a UN mission in Somalia, including presentation of 
creative approaches on the location and size of the force, 
and approaches such as a phased transition from AMISOM to a 
UN force in parallel with UN authorization for countries 
with maritime assets to address piracy issues. 
 
-- Finally, we would hope you could join us in using this 
opportunity to maintain pressure for Darfur peacekeeping 
deployment and Darfur political negotiations, in particular 
the appointment of a chief negotiator. 
 
¶6.  USUN should seek the following edits to the current draft 
UNSCR on regional organizations in its April 11 
experts meeting. 
 
Begin edits: 
 
-- PP4: USUN should seek to add the phrase, "stressing the 
utility of" after "prevention of armed conflicts, and" and 
delete "to" in front of developing.  We note "and its 
sub-regional organizations" has been bracketed.  The 
department is ambivalent to its retention or deletion, but 
notes the text should remain consist throughout.  We note 
"welcoming the Secretary-General's...is being undertaken" is 
bracketed.  The Department supports its deletion, but 
would also be satisfied with replacing "welcoming" with 
"noting." 
 
-- PP6: USUN should attempt to add "it in" after "the African 
Union in order to assist." 
 
-- PP6bis: USUN should push for the addition of a PP6bis that 
would read, "Stressing the importance of further 
strengthening cooperation with the African Union in 
administrative capacities, especially in financial 
accountability and transparency in peacekeeping operations,". 
 
-- PP7: We note the entire text has been bracketed.  We are 
indifferent to its retention or deletion. 
 
-- PP9: USUN should push to replace "Taking note" with 
"Recognizing that there are many"; add "to be learned" 
after "lessons"; change "learnt" to learned"; and replace 
"practical" with "previous". 
 
-- PP10: USUN should replace "predictable, sustainable, and 
flexible" with "financial." 
 
-- PP10bis: USUN should push for the addition of PP10bis that 
would read, "Recognizing that another major 
constraint facing some regional organizations, in particular 
the African Union, in effectively carrying out 
the mandates of maintaining regional peace and security is 
the need to further develop relevant multidimensional 
peacekeeping planning, logistical, technical and 
administrative capacities," 
 
-- PP12bis: USUN should push for the addition of PP12bis that 
would read, "Acknowledging that regional 
organizations have the primary role in securing human, 
financial, logistical and other resources for their 
organizations, including through obtaining contributions by 
their members and soliciting contributions from the 
donor community to fund their operations," 
 
-- OP2: USUN should push for the deletion of "and further 
encourages" after "Welcomes".  USUN should push to add, " 
as well as building multidimensional peacekeeping planning, 
logistics, operational, and administrative capacity to ensure 
greater effectiveness, financial accountability, and 
transparency in peacekeeping operations;" after "the Panel of 
the Wise." 
 
-- OP2bis: The Department supports France's addition of 
OP2bis. 
 
-- OP3: The Department notes "and structured" has been 
bracketed in OP3.  We support its deletion. 
 
-- OP4: The Department notes the addition of "and promoting 
transparency and fairness of electoral 
processes" to OP4 and supports its addition. 
 
-- OP4bis: The Department notes the addition of OP4bis that 
reads, "Welcomes regional dialogue and the promotion 
of shared norms as well as common regional approaches to the 
settlement of disputes and other issues relating to 
peace and security;".  We are indifferent to its retention or 
deletion. 
 
-- OP4ter: The Department notes the addition of OP4ter that 
reads, "Encourages regional and sub regional 
organizations to strengthen and increase cooperation among 
them, including to enhance their respective capacity, in 
the maintenance of international peace and security, and 
underlines the importance of the United Nations political 
support and technical expertise in this regard;".  We are 
supportive of the text. 
 
-- OP9: The Department notes the change in OP9 from "Affirms 
its determination to enhance closer cooperation" 
to "Encourages closer cooperation" and supports this change. 
 
-- OP10bis: The Department notes the addition of OP10bis that 
reads, "Recognizes the increasingly valuable role 
that regional organizations and other intergovernmental 
institutions play in the protection of civilians;".  We 
support its addition. 
 
--OP11bis: USUN should push for the addition of OP11bis that 
reads, "Calls on the Secretariat in coordination with 
the AU to develop a list of needed capacities and 
recommendations on ways the AU can further develop the 
necessary multidimensional peacekeeping, technical, 
logistical, and administrative capabilities, including in 
planning, 
financial accountability, and transparent governance,". 
 
-- OP11ter: USUN should push for the addition of OP11ter that 
reads, "Calls on the AU to increase its efforts to 
recruit peacekeepers from its members and to solicit 
donations from the donor community for its mission in 
Somalia,". 
 
-- OP12: The Department notes the current iteration of OP12 
is in brackets.  The Department cannot support the 
text as currently formulated.  USUN should suggest instead it 
be replaced with the following text, "Requests the 
Secretary-General to convene within three months a panel 
 
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consisting of representatives from the United Nations, the 
African Union, Regional Organizations, interested governments 
and donors, and peacekeeping experts to 
consider in depth the effectiveness of past and current 
African Union peacekeeping efforts, to highlight lessons 
learned from these efforts, to examine current deficits in 
administrative, military planning, and financial 
capacities, including examining the AU need for additional 
start-up funding, equipment, and logistics assistance, and 
to identify potential means of improving the effectiveness of 
such efforts, and to report its findings by 31 January 
2009."  USUN is instructed to report any deviation from this 
text to the Department immediately and await further 
guidance. 
 
End edits 
 
¶7.  Begin current text of UNSCR on Regional Organizations, 
revision 1: 
 
The Security Council, 
 
PP: 1 Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and 
presidential statements on the cooperation between the 
United Nations and regional organizations, in particular its 
resolutions 1625 (2005) of 14 September 2005, 1631 
(2005) of 17 October 2005, and S/PRST/2004/27 of 20 July 
2004, S/PRST/2004/44 of 19 November 2004, S/PRST/2007/7 of 
28 March 2007, S/PRST/2007/31 of 28 August 2007 and S/PRST/42 
of 6 November 2007, 
 
PP:2  Recalling its primary responsibility for the 
maintenance of international peace and security, and 
recognizing that cooperation with regional and sub-regional 
organizations in matters relating to the 
maintenance of peace and security and consistent with Chapter 
VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, can 
improve collective security, 
 
PP: 3  Welcoming the role of the African Union in efforts to 
settle conflicts in the African Continent and 
expressing its support for the peace initiatives conducted by 
the African Union, and through sub-regional 
organizations, 
 
PP: 4 Emphasizing the need to strengthen the role of the 
United Nations in the prevention of armed conflicts, and 
to develop effective partnerships between the United Nations 
and regional organizations, in particular the 
African Union (and its sub-regional organizations), in order 
to enable early responses to disputes and emerging 
crises in Africa, and in this regard (welcoming the 
Secretary-General's proposal of conducting joint reviews 
 
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by the United Nations and regional organizations of the state 
of peace and security and of mediation endeavors, 
particularly in Africa where joint mediation is being 
undertaken), 
 
PP:5 Recognizing that regional organizations are well 
positioned to understand the root causes of armed 
conflicts owing to their knowledge of the region which can be 
a benefit for their efforts to influence the prevention 
or resolution of these conflicts, PP:6  Stressing the 
importance of further strengthening cooperation with the 
African Union in order to assist building its capacity to 
deal with common collective security challenges in Africa, 
including through the African Union's commitment of rapid and 
appropriate responses to emerging crisis situations, and the 
development of effective strategies for conflict prevention, 
peacekeeping and peace-building, 
 
PP: 7 (Recalling the resolve of Heads of State and Government 
of the 2005 World Summit to expand, as 
appropriate, the involvement of regional organizations in the 
work of the Security Council, and to ensure that 
regional organizations that have a capacity for the 
prevention of armed conflict or peacekeeping consider the 
option of placing such capacity in the framework of the 
United Nations Standby Arrangements System), 
 
PP: 8 Recognizing the importance of strengthening the 
capacity of African regional and sub-regional 
organizations in conflict prevention and crisis management, 
and in post-conflict stabilization, 
 
PP: 9 Taking note of lessons learnt from practical 
cooperation between the United Nations and the African 
Union, in particular the transition from the African Mission 
in Burundi (AMIB) to the United Nations Operation 
in Burundi (ONUB) and the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to 
the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur 
(UNAMID), 
 
PP:10  Recognizing that one major constraint facing some 
regional organizations, in particular the African Union, 
in effectively carrying-out the mandates of maintaining 
regional peace and security is securing  predictable, 
sustainable and flexible resources, 
 
PP: 11 Acknowledging the contribution of the United Nations 
Liaison Office in Addis Ababa in strengthening 
coordination and cooperation between the United Nations and 
the African Union, as well as the need to consolidate 
it so as to enhance its performance, 
 
PP:12 Taking note of both the report of the Secretary-General 
on the relationship between the United 
Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African 
Union, in the maintenance of international peace 
and security (S/2008/186) and the  report of the 
Secretary-General on conflict prevention, particularly in 
 
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Africa (S/2008/18), 
 
¶1.  Expresses its determination to take effective steps to 
further enhance the relationship between the United 
Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African 
Union, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the 
United Nations Charter; 
 
¶2.  Welcomes and further encourages the ongoing efforts of 
the African Union and the sub-regional organizations to 
strengthen their peacekeeping capacity and to undertake 
peacekeeping operations in the continent, in accordance 
with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and to 
coordinate  with the United Nations, through the Peace 
and Security Council, as well as ongoing efforts to develop a 
continental early warning system, response capacity such as 
the African Standby Force and enhanced mediation capacity, 
including through the Panel of the Wise; 
 
2.bis  Welcomes recent developments regarding cooperation 
between the United Nations, the African Union and the 
European Union, including the contribution of the European 
Union to the enhancement of African Union capacities; 
 
¶3.  Underlines the  importance of developing a stronger (and 
structured) relationship between the United Nations 
Security Council and regional organizations, in particular 
the African Union Peace and Security Council with a view 
of making this relationship more effective; 
 
¶4.  Encourages the continuing involvement of regional and sub 
regional organizations in the peaceful settlement of 
disputes, including through conflict prevention, confidence 
building and mediation efforts (and promoting 
transparency and fairness of electoral processes); 
 
4.bis  Welcomes regional dialogue and the promotion of shared 
norms as well as common regional approaches to the 
settlement of disputes and other issues relating to peace and 
security; 
 
4.ter  Encourages regional and sub regional organizations to 
strengthen and increase cooperation among them, 
including to enhance their respective capacity, in the 
maintenance of international peace and security, and 
underlines the importance of the United Nations political 
support and technical expertise in this regard; 
 
¶5.  Expresses its determination to strengthen and enhance 
cooperation between the United Nations and regional 
organizations, in particular the African Union in conflict 
prevention, resolution and management including good 
offices, mediation support, effective use of sanctions, and 
preventive field presence; and in the case of Africa, 
focusing on the support to the African Union Panel of the 
Wise among others; 
 
¶6.  Stresses that common and co-ordinated efforts undertaken 
by the United Nations and regional organizations, in 
particular the African Union in matters of peace and security 
should be based on their complimentary capacities (and 
comparative advantages), making full use of their experience, 
in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the 
relevant Statutes of the regional organizations; 
 
¶7.  Underlines the importance of the implementation of the 
Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the African Union 
mainly focusing on peace and security, in particular the 
operationalisation of the African Union Standby Force; 
 
¶8.  Encourages the increased engagement of the African Union 
Peacekeeping Support Team within the Department of 
Peacekeeping Operations as a coordinating point, aimed at 
providing necessary expertise and transfer of technical 
knowledge to enhance the capacity of the African Union's 
Peace Support Operations Divisions including in mission 
planning and management, as well as the deployment of the 
Department of Political Affairs' staff to work with the 
African Union on the operationalization of the Panel of the 
Wise and other mediation programmes; 
 
¶9.  Encourages closer cooperation between the United Nations 
Secretariat and the African Union Commission, 
 
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including through supporting regular  follow-up mission by UN 
Secretariat staff to AU Headquarters to provide further 
 
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assistance, and share experiences; 
 
¶10. Calls for the enhancement of the role of women and their 
full participation in conflict prevention, 
resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding consistent with 
resolution 1325 (2000); 
 
10.bis  Recognizes the increasingly valuable role that 
regional organizations and other intergovernmental 
institutions play in the protection of civilians; 
 
¶11.  Recognizes the important role of the good offices of the 
Secretary-General in Africa, and encourages the 
 
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Secretary-General to continue to use mediation as often as 
 
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possible to help resolve conflicts peacefully, working in 
coordination and closely with the African Union and other 
sub-regional organizations in that regard as appropriate; 
 
¶12.  (Recognizing the need to enhance the predictability, 
sustainability and flexibility of financing regional 
organizations when they undertake peacekeeping under a United 
nations mandate,  welcomes the Secretary-General's 
proposal to set-up within three months an African 
Union-United Nations panel consisting of distinguished 
persons to consider in-depth the modalities of how to support 
such peacekeeping operations, in particular 
start-up funding, equipment and logistics); 
 
¶13.  Requests the Secretary-General to include in his regular 
reporting to the Security Council, assessments of 
progress on the cooperation between the United Nations and 
regional organizations, in particular the African Union 
and make concrete recommendations ; 
 
¶14.  Decides to remain seized of the matter. 
RICE