VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0716/01 2212042
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 082042Z AUG 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4773
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 0954
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 0967
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 1997
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 2279
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 8512

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000716 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KUNR UNSC GM JA IN PK BR
SUBJECT: UNSC REFORM: PGA KERIM ASKS FOR USG HELP REIGNING 
IN UFC FROM PLAYING "BAD LOSER" 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim 
described to Ambassador Khalilzad August 7 a growing divide 
on UN Security Council reform between the G4 and the Uniting 
For Consensus (UFC) blocs, with the Brazilians threatening to 
join the Indians in tabling a resolution if inter-government 
negotiations are not launched, while the Pakistanis and 
Italians are reverting to rigid positions that would halt the 
launch of negotiations.  Kerim asked the Ambassador to 
intervene with the UFC bloc, warn them that they risk losing 
control of the process, and urge them to regain control of it 
by allowing inter-governmental negotiations to be launched 
within a framework of the Open-Ended Working Group or the 
General Assembly with the objective of reaching general 
agreement.  End summary. 
 
Brazil prepared to table 
resolution with India 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C)  President of the General Assembly (PGA) Srgjan 
Kerim, who had just returned from a working visit to Brazil, 
Argentina, and Chile, told the Ambassador August 7 that the 
Brazilian Foreign Minister "showed his cards" and told him 
that Brazil would "behave like India" and join India in 
tabling a resolution if inter-governmental negotiations are 
not launched through the current process.  Kerim said that he 
told them that the previous L.69 resolution "spoiled a lot." 
He said the Brazilian response was that the L.69 resolution 
had actually forced the opposition to include 
inter-governmental negotiations in the decision of the 61st 
session and that would not have happened without the pressure 
of the L.69 resolution.  According to Kerim, the Brazilians 
are ready to join the Indians in playing the same card again. 
 In a separate conversation earlier in the day, August 7, the 
Indian Permanent Representative told the Ambassador that they 
planned to move forward with a resolution if 
inter-governmental negotiations are not launched. 
 
UFC bloc -- Pakistan and Italy 
growing more extreme 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) Before his trip, Kerim met several times with a small 
group (Japan, Egypt, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom) to 
make progress on agreed language for the draft decision that 
will be approved by the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) and 
sent to the General Assembly.  In the last meeting, Kerim 
said the Pakistani representative threatened to provoke 
India, should they table a resolution, in a manner which 
would force them to lose.  Kerim also noted the July 30 
letter from the Italians, on behalf, of the Uniting for 
Consensus (UFC) bloc, which insists that the UFC will only 
support launching inter-governmental negotiations after there 
is agreement on the framework and "negotiables" within the 
OEWG.  Kerim described this letter as "very rigid" and 
"counter-revolutionary."  Kerim remarked that the UFC does 
not appear to be fully united in this tougher stance. 
Argentina, Colombia, Turkey, and Canada, he said, appear to 
favor more flexibility, while Pakistan and Italy are more 
rigid, with Spain and Mexico joining them. 
 
Kerim seeks US approach to 
UFC on possible way forward 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Kerim voiced concern that, given the more extreme 
positions, there will soon be a breakdown of civility and a 
clear split between a majority and a minority with the G4 
taking the lead.  In order to prevent this, Kerim stressed 
the need "to get the UFC on board" by the first week of 
September and asked for the USG's help.  Kerim said he did 
not think the UFC was fully aware of the situation and how 
close the G4 were to a potential breakthrough.  He asked for 
USG help in telling the UFC to not be a "bad loser" but 
instead to play a constructive role in the process by 
allowing it to continue to inch forward through the launching 
of inter-governmental negotiations.  The UFC's insistence on 
negotiating everything prior to the actual launch of 
inter-governmental negotiations is not practical, Kerim 
stressed, nor necessary if the negotiations are launched 
within the framework of the OEWG or the General Assembly with 
the objective of reaching general agreement.  Ambassador 
Khalilzad said he would discuss this request from the PGA 
with Washington. 
 
 
¶5.  (C) Kerim asked the Ambassador if he would be willing to 
participate, as a moderating influence, in the next working 
meeting of the group of four, August 20.  The Ambassador said 
he would see what he could do. 
Khalilzad