VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0526/01 1921222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101222Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6701
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2786

UNCLAS GENEVA 000526 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
SECSTATE FOR IO-RHS, DRL-MLGA, L-HRR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM UNHRC
SUBJECT: ACTING A/S BRIAN HOOK MEETS A RANGE OF OFFICIALS 
ON VISIT TO GENEVA 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On a June 26-27 visit to Geneva, Acting 
A/S Brian Hook met with officials from a range of 
international organizations.  With the Office of the UN High 
Commissioner for Refugees, Hook brainstormed about innovative 
fundraising for international organizations. Officials from 
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights shared 
their views about where the U.S. can best support their work. 
The UN Office of Geneva laid out infrastructural support 
needs for UN operations in Geneva, and the Director General 
of the International Labor Organization introduced Hook to 
his vision for the ILO.  Hook reiterated USG positions on the 
activities of all these organizations, from concerns about 
the independence of OHCHR from the Human Rights Council (HRC) 
to support for ILO's field work successes. End Summary. 
 
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) A/AS Hook discussed a range of reforms and changes 
ongoing at UNHCR with Executive Director for External 
Relations Nick Van Praag.  Van Praag laid out several 
objectives that will improve UNHCR's responsiveness to the 
needs of its beneficiaries.  He highlighted innovative 
private sector fundraising, human resources restructuring, 
efforts to move UNHCR ever more into the field, and efforts 
to increase contributions from non-traditional donors 
including the Persian Gulf states.  In terms of donor 
diversification, partnerships and donations from consulting, 
marketing and software firms would broaden UNHCR's support 
base.  Van Praag said he was also pushing Persian Gulf States 
to recognize that refugee aid would be an admirable way to 
distinguish their foreign policy.  He said the UNHCR-wide 
reform program, Structural and Management Change (SMC), had 
moved about 20 percent of its staff out of Geneva, partly by 
shifting much of the logistical and administrative support to 
the less costly location of Budapest.  SMC has also reaped 
huge cost savings; for example, 75% of the salary and benefit 
costs of an archivist job were saved by moving the position 
to Budapest.  Ongoing surveys of the personnel structure 
would analyze the balance between field offices in capitals 
versus in the "deep field", as well as the seniority of staff 
in the "deep field."  The goal was to get more expertise 
closer to populations of concern, where it was most needed. 
Van Praag concluded the meeting by noting that UNHCR as an 
organization, and the High Commissioner in particular, saw a 
need to rethink the international approach to refugees, given 
increasingly higher urban refugee populations as well as the 
impact on humanitarian operations from factors like climate 
change, the food crisis, and security. 
 
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Accompanied by DCM Storella, Hook focused on 
continued U.S. human rights engagement with Deputy High 
Commissioner Kung Wha-Kang (who has since become the Acting 
High Commissioner) and Charles Radcliffe, Chief of Donor and 
External Relations.  Engagement with a strong new High 
Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) was essential for moving 
concrete human rights protection forward, said Hook, 
emphasizing the need for the HCHR to maintain independence 
from Human Rights Council oversight.  Kang replied that there 
was no statutory justification for HRC oversight authority, 
and in reality, most OHCHR work took place entirely without 
HRC knowledge.  In addition, Kang said she was sure that, in 
selecting the next High Commissioner, SyG Ban would take into 
account the need for strength of character to resist a 
Council inroads on OHCHR independence.  Radcliffe said it was 
important to remember that 92 percent of OHCHR's funding goes 
to programming that had absolutely nothing to do with HRC 
initiatives, and that work went on entirely regardless of HRC 
approval or lack thereof.  Hook affirmed U.S. readiness to 
support OHCHR's work in whatever manner would be most 
effective. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Kang thought the Egyptian and Pakistani push for 
oversight (and especially for HRC approval of OHCHR field 
presences) would likely show up in this year's UN General 
Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee, but had probably not yet 
reached the point of a serious call for a UNGA resolution on 
the issue.  Kang also asked for information on U.S. 
initiatives in the Third Committee.  She said she was 
disappointed with the USG withdrawal from the HRC but looked 
forward to further cooperation in other fora.  She also 
expressed gratitude for USG contributions to OHCHR.  Kang 
hoped that Radcliffe's upcoming move to NY, where he is to 
work in OHCHR's New York office, would increase awareness of 
the dynamics involving the Office. 
 
¶5. (SBU) A meeting with the directors of OHCHR field offices 
covered the range and placement of those offices.  Fabrizio 
Hochschild (Chief of Field Operations), Jong-Gil Woo (Human 
Rights Officer, Asia-Pacific Unit), Maggie Nicholson (head of 
the Europe, North America, and Central Asia Unit), and Elio 
Tamburi Quinteiro (head of the Latin America and Caribbean 
Unit) attended the meeting.  Hochschild informally 
recommended that USDel weigh in heavily with the next High 
Commissioner on the importance of field work.  As OHCHR is 
relatively new to a heavy field presence, he said some in the 
organization still had questions about whether there should 
be more activity at Geneva headquarters, e.g., on  treaty 
bodies.  Hochschild expressed greater concern than had Deputy 
High Commissioner Kang about continued HRC attempts to 
oversee OHCHR's work.  The new Nigerian Council President's 
early emphasis on resolving control questions was also 
troubling, especially in light of the absence of U.S. 
counter-influence.  Hochschild had also heard that 
delegations favoring greater Council control of OHCHR work 
are beginning to be more active in NY (where any oversight 
mandates would originate). 
 
¶6. (SBU) Hochschild also addressed OHCHR's action on Zimbabwe 
and in Central Asia.  He expressed concern that the 
government in Zimbabwe might grant amnesty for serious human 
rights abuses in the name of national reconciliation.  He 
hoped for a good investigation of the circumstances of the 
Zimbabwe election.  Hochschild requested USG support in 
Central Asia, where the OHCHR has had limited access (though 
the recent establishment of a Bishkek regional office -- over 
the strong objections of Tashkent -- was a success). 
Nicholson pointed to Uzbekistan as a particularly hard nut to 
crack.  OHCHR was trying to engage on small matters as an 
entree to a more cooperative relationship, but had not yet 
gotten much traction with the government there. 
 
United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Jan Beagle, Deputy Director General of UNOG, 
reviewed the increasingly dire renovation needs of the Palais 
des Nations complex in Geneva.  Calling the Palais the 
largest conference center in the world, Beagle noted that 
flooding and electrical and plumbing problems due to outdated 
equipment were becoming difficult to manage.   Beagle hoped 
her exposure to the renovation process in NY would help in 
coping with the Geneva complex's problems.  Hook encouraged 
her to think about commercial partnerships and seek lessons 
learned from addressing the infrastructure problems in the 
New York complex.  Beagle also noted the need for better 
coordination in Geneva among UN programs as well as with 
specialized agencies on a variety of policy and program 
issues. 
 
International Labor Organization (ILO) 
-------------------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) Accompanied by Ambassador Tichenor, Acting A/S Hook 
met with Director General Juan Somavia and discussed the 
positive achievements of the ILO in Colombia and Burma.  The 
ILO was monitoring the possibility of the use of forced labor 
by the Burmese government for cyclone reconstruction. 
Somavia argued that the ILO's strength lies in analysis and 
promoting constructive dialogue, leaving actual sanctions to 
others.  He pointed to the U.S. Congress using ILO 
assessments to recommend sanctions, and to companies' use of 
positive imprimatur by the ILO to remain invested in 
Cambodia.  Ambassador Tichenor reiterated our previous call 
for the appointment of George Dragnich to become Executive 
Director of Social Dialogue.  The Ambassador also mentioned 
hearing that some countries would prefer to tie Somavia's 
third term to a firmer commitment to a two-term limit in 
future.  Somavia noted that he was running for a third term 
at the behest of the member states, and would not block any 
consideration about stricter term limits as it was up to the 
constituents. 
 
¶9. (U) This cable has been cleared by Acting A/S Hook. 
STORELLA