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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1200/01 3581953
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231953Z DEC 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5591
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 1005
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 1057
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 2114
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID IMMEDIATE 6326
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 8607
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 0972
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 2395

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001200 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KUNR UNGA UNSC
SUBJECT: UNGA: UNSC REFORM: LOW-KEY PLENARY DEBATE GIVEN 
ONGOING OEWG DISCUSSIONS 
 
REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 1118 
     ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 1095 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The General Assembly met November 18-20 to 
discuss Security Council expansion, as well as the annual 
Report on the Security Council (reported ref A).  Given the 
November 11 and 17 meetings of the Open-ended Working Group 
(OEWG) (ref B), the plenary debate on Council expansion was 
relatively subdued with more member states dedicating a 
larger portion of their remarks to the Security Council's 
annual report and not to Council expansion.  Nevertheless, 
the Group of Four (G-4) clearly articulated their reasons for 
pursuing Council expansion, including an increase in the 
number of permanent seats, while the Uniting for Consensus 
(UFC) bloc rebutted the need for permanent seats and said a 
much more egalitarian approach would be to only expand the 
number of non-permanent seats, while Pakistan suggested that 
regions should select permanent members.  Several delegations 
suggested an interim solution, such as longer-term, renewable 
appointments, and a number voiced support for an expansion 
that can garner the broadest possible political agreement and 
that it be part of broader UN reform.  The OEWG met again 
December 5 to discuss the framework for intergovernmental 
negotiations and plans to meet on January 19 to discuss 
modalities.  Intergovernmental negotiations are on track to 
be launched in February 2009 in an informal plenary of the 
General Assembly.  End summary. 
 
A number of states echo similar 
themes in U.S. position 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) A number of states echoed key parts of the U.S 
position on Security Council expansion which Ambassador Wolff 
delivered in the U.S. statement (posted on USUN's Internet 
website).  On the theme of broadest possible agreement, the 
Russian Perm Rep stressed in his statement that new problems 
of Security Council legitimacy would emerge if member states 
pursued merely the two-thirds number of states required to 
amend the UN Charter since a significant portion of the 
membership would be left alienated, particularly a number of 
highly influential states, which would reduce the Council's 
prestige.  He said Russia supports a target of the &broadest 
possible agreement8 that would be significantly higher than 
the two-thirds majority.  (Note: Decision 62/557 calls for 
the "widest possible political acceptance." End note.) 
Canada and Mexico also highlighted the same point.  The UK 
Perm Rep expressed support for pursuing the broadest possible 
consensus for a change to the Charter. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On the theme that Security Council reform must be 
part of broader UN reform, Argentine Perm Rep said, "Reform 
of the Security Council is a complement to the reform of the 
UN organization."  The Turkish DPR stated, "While focusing on 
Security Council reform, we should not ignore other aspects 
of UN reform, especially revitalization of the work of the 
General Assembly," and he specifically pointed out that a 
parallel process of GA reform should be started, since SC and 
GA reform are so interrelated.  The Kuwaiti representative 
expressed support for reform of all of UN bodies but 
especially supported SC reform.  The Mexican Qrm Rep also 
voiced support for wider UN reform. 
 
Three Permanent Members 
raise interim solution 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The French Perm Rep said that one could not govern 
a twenty-first century world with twentieth century 
institutions.  While France supports new permanent membership 
for Germany, Brazil, India, Japan, and an African seat, he 
said that the only reform proposal that could likely enjoy 
two-thirds of the membership's support is an interim 
solution.  He said a third category of Council seats with 
longer-term, renewable appointments should be considered. He 
also suggested that at the end of a trial period, those seats 
could be transformed into permanent seats.  The UK Perm Rep 
also expressed support for an interim solution, or what he 
termed the "transitional approach."  The Russian Perm Rep 
said Russia was prepared to consider any proposal, including 
an interim decision, that was based on broad agreement and 
would not lead to a schism among the member states which 
would weaken the organization overall. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Chinese Perm Rep stated that any reform plan 
that did not have the support of the African countries would 
not have China's support.  He noted that reform should also 
result in smaller countries enjoying more opportunities to 
participate more substantively in the Council's 
deliberations. 
 
Calls for regional seats 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Pakistani Perm Rep suggested that the African 
proposal of having the region choose the permanent member 
might garner more support than the G-4,s current slate of 
specific countries for permanent membership, which he argued 
alienates neighbor states.  (Comment: This proposal would 
undercut the U.S. position that country candidates for 
permanent membership must have demonstrated the ability to 
deal with global, not just regional, challenges, and have 
strong commitments to human rights, democracy, and 
non-proliferation, and provide substantial peacekeeping or 
financial contributions to the UN.  End comment.)  The 
Bahraini Perm Rep specified that Arab States should be 
specifically allocated a non-permanent seat on the Council, 
not just as part of the African or Asian Groups, and it 
should be rotated amongst the Arab Group.  The Spanish Perm 
Rep expressed support for seats for trans-regional groups 
like the OIC and the Arab League.  The Saudi representative 
went further and said, given that 30 percent of the General 
Assembly are members of the OIC or the Arab League, that 
constituency should be given a permanent seat. 
 
Slovenian plan for an enlarged 
Council with more frequent rotation 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Slovenian Perm Rep reiterated the proposal 
outlined by the Slovenian President during the General Debate 
that the Council's membership should be expanded in three 
directions, leaving the total membership of the reformed 
Council, including the current P-5, at 25.  First, six 
additional permanent seats for each of the world's regions 
should be added.  She said an additional category of six 
non-permanent members with more frequent rotation is also 
needed.  Twelve countries would be selected to fill those six 
non-permanent seats and would serve alternating two-year 
terms for a total period of twelve years.  Finally, eight 
more non-permanent members should be elected in accordance 
with the principle of equitable geographic distribution. 
 
G-4 (plus South Africa) 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Japanese Perm Rep gave a relatively toned-down 
statement, focused more on the need for transparency and 
accountability in the Council than on Council expansion.  He 
did note that for the Council to reflect the requirements "of 
the world of today, not the world of yesterday" reform of its 
composition is urgently needed and now is the time to move to 
intergovernmental negotiations.  The Brazilian Perm Rep 
argued that restricting reform to the addition of 
non-permanent members as proposed by the UFC, preserved the 
status quo, and would further distort the proportion of 
members in both categories.  She argued that any expansion of 
the Council should balance the composition of permanent and 
non-permanent members to ensure greater representation and 
effectiveness of the Council. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Indian Perm Rep also spoke about the need to 
add permanent members, noting that in 1964, the Council had 
expanded only its non-permanent members, and the lack of 
expansion of permanent seats had only been exacerbated. 
Non-permanent members, he said, had not been able to 
implement their ideas, to prevent the encroachment of the 
Council beyond its competence according to the Charter, or 
even to improve the access of non-members, especially small 
states.  The German Perm Rep lamented the fact that the PGA's 
original timeline for inter-governmental negotiations had 
been pushed back and questioned the announcement of the 
postponement before all of the members of the OEWG had been 
given a chance to voice their concerns.  The South African 
Deputy Perm Rep expressed South Africa's intention to pursue 
the Ezulwini Consensus and disappointment that 
 
 
intergovernmental negotiations had been postponed until 
February, noting that intergovernmental negotiations should 
not be subject to the timetable of the OEWG. 
 
UFC 
--- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The Italian Perm Rep noted "a reform centered on 
national permanent seats would be more divisive for the 
membership, provoking national rivalries."  He stressed, "We 
must not perpetuate a Security Council of the few.  We want a 
new Security Council in which every country can recognize 
itself and feel a sense of ownership."  The Mexican Perm Rep 
spoke about the need to include Security Council reform 
within the general reform of the United Nations and stressed 
that an increase in permanent seats would serve to generate 
fresh inequalities in the Organization and negatively affect 
its effectiveness.  The Republic of Korea Perm Rep outlined 
principles that should serve as the basis for 
intergovernmental negotiations: enhanced regional 
representation through renewable non-permanent seats; respect 
States' sovereign equality; ensure equitable geographic 
distribution; strengthen the Council's democratic 
underpinnings; solidify ownership of the reform process by 
accommodating interests of all States and regional Groups; 
and increase the opportunity of all States to serve in the 
Council.  The Spanish Perm Rep favored an expansion of 
non-permanent seats because those members of the Security 
Council would be accountable to the wider membership for 
their behavior. 
 
Next steps 
---------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The OEWG met for its third and fourth meetings of 
the 63rd session on December 5 to discuss the framework of 
the upcoming intergovernmental negotiations.  While 30 member 
states spoke on December 5, the statements fell broadly  into 
the following three categories: 
-- The Uniting for Consensus members argued for a specific 
framework for intergovernmental negotiations which was 
presented by Spain and Argentina and backed by Turkey, Italy, 
Canada, and Pakistan.  (Note: The draft framework proposed is 
based upon a UFC paper circulated in November that was 
e-mailed to IO/UNP.  End note.) 
-- The G-4 and its supporters argued that the rules of 
procedure of the General Assembly can serve as a framework 
for intergovernmental negotiations. 
-- The African Group reiterated their support for the 
Ezulwini Consensus which stipulates two permanent seats with 
veto for Africa, as well as five non-permanent seats for 
African. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) The OEWG is scheduled to meet January 19 to 
discuss modalities and then will meet once more in January to 
finalize its discussion before the PGA briefs the informal 
plenary of the GA before February 1. 
Khalilzad