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DE RUCNDT #0123/01 0431432
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121432Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5820
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000123 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA ACTION REQUEST: VOTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR 
DRAFT RESOLUTION 
 
REF: A. USUN 102 
     ¶B. SECSTATE 6467 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST.  Subsequent to USUN's 
Ref A Action Request, USUN has engaged in further 
negotiations with the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, 
France, Croatia and Germany ("Group of Friends") on the text 
of a Security Council resolution that would extend the UN 
Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) for four months, until 
June 15, 2009.  These negotiations resulted in the text 
contained in paragraph 6.  The text, which contains the 
essential elements outlined in Ref B instructions, would 
extend the mission under its current mandate for four months, 
(i.e., a technical rollover) while reinforcing Georgia's 
territorial integrity by reference to Resolution 1808.  It 
contains most of the additional elements proposed by the 
French that were outlined in Ref B instructions including: 
reinforcement of the need for a security zone to be respected 
pending agreement on a new security regime; a call for 
intensification of efforts to address security and stability 
issues and the return of refugees and IDPs through the 
discussions underway in Geneva; reference to the August 12, 
2008 ceasefire agreement and subsequent implementing measures 
of September 8, 2008.  In negotiating with Russia, USUN has 
held firm to redlines on participation of Abkhaz de facto 
authorities in New York, and has made certain that the agenda 
item for adoption will be, "The Situation in Georgia."  USUN 
requests Department concurrence to co-sponsor the draft text 
with other members of the Group of Friends and to vote in 
favor of adoption.  USUN needs Department concurrence for 
co-sponsorship by OOB on February 12, 2009.  END SUMMARY AND 
ACTION REQUEST. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Per Ref B instructions, USUN has secured agreement 
among the Group of Friends on a resolution that provides for 
an extension of the current UNOMIG mandate to continue beyond 
its February 15, 2009 expiration date.  USUN moved the 
negotiations along with minimum conflict and successfully 
blocked Russian attempts to weaken the Council's support for 
Georgia's territorial integrity by changing the name of the 
agenda item or inviting Abkhaz de facto authorities to appear 
in New York. 
 
¶3. (SBU) A draft resolution was informally circulated by 
France on February 10, and USUN expects the Secretariat to 
put the draft in blue (i.e., formally introduce it) during 
the morning of February 12 in advance of a scheduled February 
13 adoption.  The text of the draft resolution is contained 
in paragraph 6. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The draft resolution will allow UNOMIG to continue 
its valuable work as the only international presence in 
Abkhazia. It contains the essential elements of the French 
proposal outlined in Ref B: it reinforces the need for the 
security zone outlined in paragraph 2(a) of the former Moscow 
Agreement-- which is the basis for the UNOMIG mandate-- to be 
respected; it calls for the intensification of efforts to 
address security and stability issues and the return of 
refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) through the 
discussions underway in Geneva; it reinforces the August 12, 
2008 ceasefire agreement and subsequent implementing measures 
of September 8, 2008; and it calls on the Secretary-General 
to engage with the parties through the Geneva process to 
reach agreement on a comprehensive security regime, which 
could serve as the basis of a new mandate. 
 
¶5. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST.  USUN requests Department 
concurrence to co-sponsor the draft resolution outlined in 
paragraph 6 and to vote in favor of its adoption.  USUN 
requests a Department response by OOB on Thursday February 
19, since resolutions are typically put in blue 24 hours in 
advance of adoption.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
 
¶6. (U) BEGIN TEXT. 
 
The Security Council, 
 
PP1   Recalling its previous resolutions, including 
resolutions 1808 (2008) of 15 April 2008 and 1839 
(2008 of 9 October 2008, 
 
PP2   Considering the report of the Secretary-General 
of 4 February 2009 (S/2009/69), 
 
PP3   Welcoming the six-point agreement of 12 August 
2008, and subsequent implementing measures of 8 
September 2008, 
 
PP4   Taking note of the Geneva discussions commenced 
on 15 October 2008 and encouraging the participants 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000123  002 OF 002 
 
 
to reach practical results, 
 
PP5   Underlining the importance of the peaceful 
resolution of disputes, 
 
¶1.    Recalls the arrangements entered into under the 
agreements of 12 August 2008 and of 8 September 2008; 
 
¶2.    Calls for the provisions that were set out in 
paragraph 2 (a) of the Agreement on a Cease-fire and 
Separation of Forces signed in Moscow on 14 May 1994 
(S/1994/583) to be respected, pending consultations 
and agreement on a revised security regime, taking 
note of the recommendations on the security regime 
contained in the report of the Secretary-General of 4 
February 2009; 
 
¶3.    Underlines the need to refrain from the use of 
force or from any act of ethnic discrimination 
against persons, groups of persons or institutions, 
and to ensure, without distinction, the security of 
persons, the right of persons to freedom of movement 
and the protection of the property of refugees and 
displaced persons; 
 
¶4.    Calls for facilitating, and refraining from 
placing any impediment to, humanitarian assistance to 
persons affected by the conflict, including refugees 
and internally displaced persons, and further calls 
for facilitating their voluntary, safe, dignified and 
unhindered return; 
 
¶5.    Calls for the intensification of efforts to 
address the issue of regional security and stability, 
and the issue of refugees and internally displaced 
persons, through the discussions currently underway 
in Geneva, and requests the Secretary General, 
through his Special Representative, to continue to 
fully support this process, and to report on progress 
thereon; 
 
¶6.    Requests the Secretary General to report to the 
Council on the implementation of this resolution, and 
on the situation on the ground and the activities of 
the United Nations mission, including recommendations 
on future activities by 15 May 2009; 
 
¶7.    Expresses its intention to outline the elements 
of a future UN presence in the region by 15 June 
2009, taking into account the recommendations to be 
contained in the report of the Secretary General 
referred to in paragraph 6, the Geneva discussions, 
and developments on the ground; 
 
¶9.    Decides to extend the mandate of the United 
Nations mission for a new period terminating on 15 
June 2009; 
 
¶10.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 
 
END TEXT. 
Rice