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DE RUCNDT #1095 3251818
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O 201818Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5404
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UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001095 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC UNGA KUNR
SUBJECT: UNSC REFORM: PGA GIVES OEWG "TIME AND SPACE IT 
NEEDS" UNTIL LAUNCHING NEGOTIATIONS IN FEBRUARY 2009 
 
REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 1065 
     ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 927 
     ¶C. USUN NEW YORK 840 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 17, the President of the 
General Assembly (PGA) announced the cancellation of the 
November 21 launch of intergovernmental negotiations on 
Security Council expansion in an informal plenary of the 
General Assembly, reversing his October 10 decision.  He 
agreed that both the "letter and spirit" of GA decision 
62/557 should be implemented, thereby allowing the Open-ended 
Working Group (OEWG) to deliberate but emphasizing that 
intergovernmental negotiations would begin no later than 
February 28, 2009.  The PGA called for member states to 
submit papers to "fuel the debate" since his office would not 
be putting forth its own paper.  The next OEWG meeting will 
likely be December 5.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) At the start of the November 17 Open-ended Working 
Group (OEWG) meeting, President of the General Assembly (PGA) 
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann announced that he plans to 
implement both the "letter and the spirit" of GA decision 
62/557 (ref C) and intends to give the OEWG "the time and 
space it needs until February 2009 to pave the way towards 
inter-governmental negotiations," and so canceled his 
previously-announced November 21 meeting to begin 
negotiations.  He said, "If the OEWG crosses the finish line 
earlier than 21 November, we can start on that date. 
However, something tells me that we are not going to make it, 
so I suggest you take that off your agenda.  I feel we need a 
couple more meetings of the OEWG." 
 
¶3. (SBU) The PGA called for member states to fuel the 
discussion with ideas and submit papers to his office.  He 
will not be putting forward his own paper.  Compared with his 
November 11 remarks when he criticized the Uniting for 
Consensus (UFC) bloc for pressuring him (ref A) to delay, 
this time he tried to rally the membership together and ended 
his remarks with, "Coming together, keeping together and 
working together." 
 
¶4. (SBU) During the 2.5-hour session, 26 delegations made 
interventions but there were few rhetorical high points, as 
compared with the November 11 session.  China, the only P-5 
member not to speak November 11, welcomed the PGA's decision 
and stressed the importance of the OEWG's work in the next 
few months to increase member states' trust and cooperation. 
A number of speakers stuck to their prepared remarks and 
called for negotiations to start November 21, ignoring the 
PGA's opening clarification.  The Solomon Islands criticized 
the PGA for "pronouncing on a direction" before hearing from 
the full membership.  Several African states went beyond 
repeating the Ezulwini Consensus.  Namibia stressed the need 
to honor the September 15, 2008 compromise.  Algeria, not a 
regular speaker at OEWG meetings, voiced support for the 
PGA's statement and for the Mexican-proposed schedule of work 
(ref A).  A number of states - Malaysia, Fiji, Cuba - voiced 
outrage at the "gentleman's agreement" referred to in the 
PGA's November 11 remarks and noted that they had not been 
part of it. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Afghan Perm Rep Ambassador Tanin, in his capacity as 
Vice Chair of the OEWG, presided over 90 percent of the 
meeting.  He said that the next meeting of the OEWG would be 
announced in the Journal.  He also urged member states to 
contact the PGA with ideas to "fuel the process."  (Note: The 
PGA's Dutch expert on Security Council reform Mark Van Der 
Velden told PolOff November 19 that the next meeting of the 
OEWG would likely be December 5.  End note.) 
Khalilzad