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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SEOUL 002166 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM KS
SUBJECT: ROK EMBRACES ITS ROLE AS CHAIR OF FIRST APDP SOM 
 
REF: A. SEOUL 1757 ("NO" TO HOSTING) 
     ¶B. ULAANBAATAR 0331 (PLANNING MEETING) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The Republic of Korea hosted and chaired the 
first Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) of the Asia-Pacific 
Democracy Partnership (APDP) in Seoul on October 31, 2008. 
Twelve countries participated:  Australia, Canada, India, 
Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the 
ROK, Thailand (observer), Timor Leste, and the U.S.  Malaysia 
was invited but did not attend.  The U.S. was represented by 
DRL A/S David Kramer.  The ROK's agreement to host the 
meeting and serve as chair until the next SOM, proposed for 
fall 2009, is indicative of Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan's 
belief that the ROK should play a more active regional and 
global role promoting and protecting democracy.  The day-long 
series of well-managed and collegial meetings produced 
agreements on: 
 
--  supporting elections in the region as the APDP's primary 
near-term priority, beginning with the observation of 
Bangladesh's December elections, 
 
--  the ROK leading a process for defining the APDP's mission 
and membership terms, 
 
--  the U.S. managing the drafting of guidelines for APDP 
election observation missions, 
 
--  holding an Inter-Sessional Meeting (subject to 
confirmation) on the margins of the Ministerial Conference of 
the Community of Democracies in Lisbon, Portugal, tentatively 
scheduled for July 2009, and 
 
--  holding an annual SOM meeting.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
The ROK Embracing a Leadership Role 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Foreign Minster Yu, in a keynote opening address, 
noted the lack of a "multilateral cooperation mechanism 
devoted to the promotion of democracy" in the Asia-Pacific 
region and urged the APDP to fill the gap.  Yu attributed 
Korea's democratic and economic success since the Korean War 
to the Korean people's desire for democracy and indispensable 
assistance from the international community.  Welcoming the 
opportunity to host and chair the first APDP SOM, Yu said, 
"Having come a long and hard way, Korea now strives to do its 
part in the global efforts to further spread and promote 
democracy."  Despite initial bureaucratic reluctance to 
hosting the meeting (Ref A), the ROK not only did an 
outstanding job preparing for the meetings, but energized the 
whole process by agreeing to continue serving as APDP chair 
until the next SOM. 
 
¶3. (U) The SOM was divided into three sessions: the APDP's 
mandate, structure, and next steps.  Following is a brief 
summary of each session, the text of the "Chair's Summary", 
and the list of heads of delegations. 
 
-------------- 
APDP:  Mandate 
-------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Participants agreed on the importance of the APDP 
focusing on practical, action-oriented tasks as a means of 
defining the APDP's mandate and developing its partnership. 
All agreed that support for regional democratic elections 
should be the APDP's primary focus.  APDP election 
observation missions and election-related capacity building 
initiatives were identified as near-term priorities. 
Participants agreed to consider sending election observation 
 
SEOUL 00002166  002 OF 005 
 
 
missions wherever invited in the region, including to APDP 
non-member countries. 
 
---------------- 
APDP:  Structure 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The second session raised the issue of APDP membership 
criteria.  Participants agreed to postpone a decision on 
whether and when to expand APDP and invite other Pacific 
democracies, like Mexico, Chile, or Peru, to participate. 
The more immediate issue was whether the APDP would be 
inclusive of countries which are not members of the Community 
of Democracies (CD).  The ROK and the U.S. took the position 
that making CD membership a prerequisite would confer a 
clearly-defined, easily-explained purpose and composition on 
the APDP.  Others, including Australia, the Philippines, and 
Indonesia, expressed support for including non-CD countries 
such as Singapore.  Ultimately there was a consensus that 
until more formal membership criteria were adopted, CD 
membership would be considered &an important factor8 in 
determining APDP membership.  Moreover, if any of the 
founding APDP partners wish to include other countries in 
future activities, the meeting participants agreed to notify 
the APDP Chair who would, in turn, determine whether any APDP 
partners object. 
 
¶6. (U) Participants agreed in principle to hold annual SOMs 
and, as needed, to hold Inter-Sessional meetings.  It was 
also agreed that Working Groups would work informally between 
meetings to prepare recommendations for SOM approval or to 
implement decisions of the SOM. 
 
----------------- 
APDP:  Next Steps 
----------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Although none of the meeting participants offered to 
host the next SOM, there was agreement in principle to hold 
an Inter-Sessional Meeting on the margins of the Ministerial 
Conference of the Community of Democracies in Lisbon, 
Portugal, tentatively scheduled for July 2009.  The ROK will 
continue as chair until the next SOM.  (NB:  The ROK asked 
Indonesia and the Philippines in advance whether either would 
be willing to host the next SOM.  Indonesia indicated it 
would not; the Philippines will consider the request in 
Manila.) 
 
¶8. (U) In preparation for the Inter-Sessional, the ROK will 
lead a Working Group to draft an APDP Mission Statement, 
which will include APDP,s mandate, structure and membership 
criteria.  The U.S. will lead a Working Group to draw up 
election observation guidelines and procedures. 
 
¶9. (U) Assuming invitations from host governments, 
participants agreed to support sending APDP election 
observation missions to observe Bangladesh's December 
elections and Micronesia's March elections.  Australia 
cautioned that a decision on observing Fiji's upcoming 
elections should be delayed until there is confirmation that 
Fiji's government will allow for free and fair elections. 
 
--------------- 
Chair's Summary 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Chair's Summary of the meeting: 
 
Begin Text: 
¶1. The First Senior Officials, Meeting of the Asia-Pacific 
Democracy Partnership (APDP) was held in Seoul, Korea on 31 
October 2008. The following 12 countries attended the 
 
SEOUL 00002166  003 OF 005 
 
 
Meeting: Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, 
Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of 
Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the United States. 
Thailand participated in the Meeting as an observer. The 
Meeting was chaired by the Republic of Korea. 
 
¶2. Recalling the Chairs, Summary of the APDP Planning 
Meeting that was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 1 July 
2008, the participating countries discussed the major issues 
relating to the APDP, including mandate, structure, and next 
steps. 
 
¶3. With regard to the APDP mandate, the participating 
countries 
 
(1) Reaffirmed the agreements reached at the Planning Meeting 
that the APDP should focus on practical activities to promote 
democracy in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 
(2) Supported the continuation of dispatching election 
observation missions, upon invitation or acceptance by 
receiving countries, to the countries in the Asia-Pacific, 
including non-member states, as a core component of the APDP 
mandate. 
 
(3) Supported the inclusion of election-related capacity 
building as part of the APDP mandate, and recognized the 
importance of incorporating such activities in development 
cooperation programs on a voluntary basis. 
 
(4) Agreed to voluntarily hold workshops on democracy-related 
issues as part of the APDP mandate. 
 
(5) Acknowledged the need to draw up a Mission Statement of 
the APDP which would contain its overall objectives, mandate 
and structure, with a view to adopting a Mission Statement at 
the next Senior Officials, Meeting. 
 
(6) Stressed the importance of the role of civil society in 
the activities of the APDP, including election-related 
capacity building and workshops on democracy-related issues. 
 
(7) Stressed the importance of cooperation between the APDP 
and other regional initiatives, with a view to making their 
activities mutually complementary. 
 
(8) Agreed to continue the discussion on other issues that 
may be considered as part of the APDP mandate at the next 
Inter-Sessional Meeting and/or at the next Senior Officials, 
Meeting. 
 
¶4. With regard to the APDP structure, the participating 
countries 
 
(1) Discussed the issue of membership criteria, and in light 
of the different opinions on how strong a linkage there 
should be between the APDP membership and the CD membership, 
recognized the following elements as ad-hoc guidelines for 
expanding the membership of the APDP, until agreement is 
reached on membership criteria. 
 
- A member should be geographically located in the 
Asia-Pacific region, and commit itself to democracy. 
- Membership of the Community of Democracies is considered as 
an important factor. 
- The existing members may recommend a candidate for new 
membership to be considered by a Senior Officials, Meeting. 
 
(2) Agreed that a Senior Officials, Meeting is held annually 
on the basis of a rotating chairmanship among members to 
discuss major policies of the APDP, and that the term of the 
APDP Chair is from the time of hosting of the Senior 
 
SEOUL 00002166  004 OF 005 
 
 
Officials, Meeting to the next Senior Officials, Meeting. 
 
(3) Agreed that an Inter-Sessional Meeting is held, when 
necessary, at the level of Senior Officials or their Deputies 
between Senior Officials, Meetings to follow-up on the 
decisions reached by the previous Senior Officials, Meeting 
and to prepare for the next Senior Officials, Meeting. 
 
(4) Agreed on the need of a Steering Group composed of the 
former, the current and the next Chairs, which may be created 
in due course to maintain continuity and consistency between 
Chairs. 
 
(5) Agreed to establish Working Groups to map out specific 
and detailed steps necessary to implement the decisions 
reached at a Senior Officials, Meeting. 
 
(6) Acknowledged that the funding for attendance at APDP 
meetings and participation in APDP activities should 
basically be borne by each participating country. 
 
¶5. With regard to the next steps for the APDP, the 
participating countries 
 
(1) Agreed to continue to dispatch election observation 
missions to the countries in the Asia-Pacific, starting with 
the election to be held in Bangladesh in December 2008, 
subject to an invitation by the Bangladesh government and to 
consider the possibility of sending election observation 
missions to other upcoming elections in the region. 
 
(2) Agreed in principle to hold an Inter-Sessional Meeting on 
the margins of the Ministerial Conference of the Community of 
Democracies in Lisbon, Portugal, tentatively scheduled for 
the first half of 2009, subject to confirmation by the home 
governments in the case of some member states. 
 
(3) Agreed to establish two working groups on an informal and 
ad hoc basis ) one on the APDP Mission Statement and 
Membership, and the other on election observation guidelines 
) that will prepare and circulate a draft Mission Statement 
and a draft election observation guideline, by the next 
Inter-Sessional Meeting. 
 
(4) Welcomed the suggestions by some members to hold 
workshops, including the one to follow up on the 
recommendations made by the APDP Election Observation Mission 
to Mongolia. 
 
(5) Agreed that when a suggestion is made to invite a 
non-APDP member(s) to take part in the activities of the 
APDP, the suggestion should be circulated to all members by 
the Chair and not opposed by any member. 
 
¶6. The participating countries expressed gratitude to the 
government of the Republic of Korea for hosting the First 
Senior Officials, Meeting of the APDP. 
End Text. 
 
-------------------- 
Heads of Delegations 
-------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Heads of Delegations: 
 
ROK, Chair:  Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister for 
Multilateral, Global and Legal Affairs Oh Joon 
Australia:  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, First 
Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, Information 
Management and Services Division Sam Gerovich 
Canada:  Charge de Affairs Jess Dutton 
India:  Ambassador to the ROK Skand R. Tayal 
 
SEOUL 00002166  005 OF 005 
 
 
Indonesia:  Department of Foreign Affairs, Head of Policy 
Planning and Development Agency Artauli Tobing 
Japan:  Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Policy Division 
Official for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau 
Mongolia:  Member of Parliament and Former Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Oyun Sanjaasuren 
New Zealand:  Deputy Head of Mission Jane Mulryan 
Thailand (observer):  Minister Counselor Pornpong Kanittanon 
Timor Leste:  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General 
Vicky Tchong 
Philippines:  Ambassador to the ROK Luis T. Cruz 
U.S.:  Department of State, Assistant Secretary for 
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor David Kramer 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The ROK's decision to host the first APDP SOM was a 
top-down directive from the Blue House and FM Yu, which 
apparently caught MOFAT off guard (Ref A).  Nevertheless, 
Deputy Minister Oh and his staff took ownership of the 
responsibility and did a superb job preparing the ground for 
a productive set of meetings.  Despite initial reluctance to 
being out front on an initiative that risks offending 
non-invited neighbors, like China, FM Yu and DFM Oh were, 
during the meetings, articulate about Korea being well-suited 
for taking on this kind of regional leadership role.  The ROK 
is to be congratulated for a job well done.  As a result of 
the ROK,s efforts, APDP is now a sustainable partnership 
with the potential to contribute to the consolidation and 
expansion of democratic institutions in the region. 
 
¶13. (U) The U.S. delegation cleared this message. 
STEPHENS