VZCZCXRO7512
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0298/01 0821856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 231856Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6152
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF UNSC
SUBJECT: SRSG EIDE BRIEFS THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON 
AFGHANISTAN, UNAMA 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On March 20, SRSG Kai Eide updated the 
Security Council on latest developments in Afghanistan and 
implementation of UNAMA,s mandate.  In contrast to the 
uniformly somber report on Afghanistan issued by the 
Secretary-General a week earlier, Eide began by detailing 
recent improvements that lay the groundwork for potential 
progress in governance, intra-government cooperation, police 
and agricultural reform, and the projected decline of poppy 
production country-wide.  Eide concluded by outlining the 
many challenges in Afghanistan, especially the deterioration 
of the security situation.  Council members, the PermRep of 
Afghanistan and ten other key regional and donor countries 
spoke following Eide,s intervention.  There was broad 
consensus regarding the importance of elections and support 
for the upcoming Ministerial-level conferences, as well as 
concern over the security situation and humanitarian/human 
rights challenges, especially the targeting of women and 
girls.  In stark contrast to previous meetings, Russia did 
not criticize ISAF, nor did it focus on civilian casualties. 
This left Libya as the only Council member harshly critical 
of ISAF and the international community,s efforts in 
Afghanistan.  Interventions from regional countries were 
milder than in the past - notably, Iran did not criticize the 
presence of international troops, and Pakistan,s 
intervention underscored the importance of its relationship 
with Afghanistan.  India hewed to its classic statement of 
implicitly criticizing Pakistan and vowing that India would 
not be deterred from its support of Afghanistan.  End summary. 
 
EIDE,S INTERVENTION 
 
¶2. (U) Eide began by noting that the stage is set for 
progress to be made, especially with regard to the Afghan 
government.  "After all the changes that have taken place 
over the last six months, the Afghan government is today 
better and more competent than ever before," he said.  Eide 
added that cooperation within the government has improved, 
economic ministries work together in a more coherent way, and 
there is potential for real   successes in the police, 
agriculture and private development sectors.  He also noted 
that poppy cultivation has decreased, which has the potential 
of fostering a significant decline in production across the 
country.  Turning to the challenges facing Afghanistan, Eide 
said the security situation has deteriorated and 
Afghanistan,s political parties must reach a consensus that 
ensures the "continued legitimacy and strength of 
Afghanistan,s institutions until the next presidential 
inauguration."  On civilian casualties, Eide said ISAF is 
addressing this issue, although he pointedly noted that 
military behavior "does not adequately respect Afghan 
cultural sensitivities." 
 
¶3. (U) Turning to coordination issues, Eide said political 
coordination has improved, but donor coordination still lags. 
  He criticized several practices (which he also raised with 
Ambassador Rice in reftel).  Eide urged that donor countries 
move away from reliance on "overpaid and under qualified" 
contractors, and he criticized the narrow provincial focus of 
many donors that resulted in "donor generated fragmentation 
of Afghanistan."  He said the international military forces, 
including PRTs, should channel development resources through 
civilian institutions, preferably Afghan, rather than doing 
development work themselves.  Eide said UNAMA was also 
particularly focused on challenges to the rights of women in 
Afghan society as well as freedom of expression.  He ended 
his intervention with a plea for greater regional cooperation 
and for addressing reconciliation "in a way that projects 
strength and conviction and not weakness and doubt." 
 
AFGHANISTAN,S INTEVENTION 
 
¶4. (U) In his intervention before the Council, Afghanistan 
PermRep Zahir Tanin stressed the lack of support the Taliban 
and al Qaida have within the population of Afghanistan.  He 
noted that Afghanistan,s most important accomplishments - 
constitution, elections, improvements in the Afghan National 
Army, infrastructure, education and health - have come in 
large part because of sustained international attention. 
Those areas that still lag - the Afghan National Police, 
governance, corruption and judicial reform - have not 
received the same amount of international attention.  Moving 
forward, he urged that attention be paid to the following 
issues: free, fair and transparent elections in August as 
well as Afghan government ownership of economic development, 
military operations, and national reconciliation.  He 
applauded the regional focus of the upcoming 
Ministerial-level conferences. 
 
COUNCIL MEMBERS, KEY REGIONAL AND DONOR COUNTRIES SPEAK 
 
¶5. (U) All Council members expressed support for Eide and 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000298  002 OF 003 
 
 
UNAMA, and supported a 12-month extension of UNAMA,s 
mandate.  (Note: The draft resolution to extend the mandate 
is scheduled for adoption on Monday, March 23.  End note) 
Council members all voiced concern at the deterioration of 
the security situation and a rise in attacks by Al-Qaeda, the 
Taliban, and other terrorist organizations.  Russia expressed 
the view that in certain areas of Afghanistan terrorist 
organizations control entire regions, which greatly 
destabilizes and hinders the national political and 
socio-economic development process.  Several members (Japan, 
Burkina Faso, China, France, and the US) stated the need to 
reform the national police force in order to reform fully the 
national security sector.  Many Council members applauded the 
development of the Afghan army and the integration of ISAF 
alongside the Afghan army.  The US and the UK both applauded 
the efforts to decrease the production of poppies and said 
the prognosis for 2009 had improved. 
 
¶6. (U) Council members voiced a deep concern for the 
humanitarian issues in Afghanistan, particularly the 
targeting of women and girls, the direct targeting of 
schools, and the increase in civilian casualties.  Particular 
emphasis was given to the direct targeting of children and 
schools.  Austria, Mexico and Costa Rica all focused on the 
threat posed by anti-government forces to civilian 
populations, including the direct targeting of girls at 
schools and the forced recruitment by the Taliban of children 
into militant groups.  All members of the Security Council 
expressed a deep concern for civilian casualties, with the US 
and the UK expressing a profound regret for any loss of life. 
 On elections, Council members commended the Afghani 
government for its efforts to organize the upcoming 
elections.  The US and the UK in particular welcomed the 
change in date of the elections to August 20 to ensure that 
more Afghan citizens would be allowed to participate.  Two 
members (Japan and Turkey) pledged more monetary and/or 
security assistance to the elections in order to ensure a 
smooth transition to a new government. 
 
¶7. (U) Russia,s intervention was significantly more moderate 
than in the past.  It expressed concern over civilian 
casualties, but did not mention ISAF, and it focused more on 
governance and development issues.  Russia specifically noted 
that it was allowing ISAF to use its territory for transport, 
as long as the materials were non-military.  Russia also 
reiterated its position that any efforts towards national 
reconciliation must be implemented in strict accordance with 
UNSCR 1267, and said that any attempt to involved terrorists 
in reconciliation will be fraught with danger.  Russia,s 
marked change in tone left Libya as the only discordant note. 
 The Libyan PermRep declared that most of the problems in 
Afghanistan were the fault of the international community. 
He stated that the international community neglected 
Afghanistan after the Cold War and had only given it due 
attention in the past seven years.  He said an end to 
corruption and extremism would be the only way to meet basic 
economic needs.  He was critical of international forces in 
Afghanistan and the increase in civilian casualties, and said 
military actions did not help establish peace and security 
but only helped the anti-government forces.  The Libyan PR 
ended his intervention by criticizing the "dangerous state of 
neglect" of prisons and detention facilities in Afghanistan. 
 
¶8. (U) Following Council interventions, donor and regional 
countries spoke (Canada, Czech Republic on behalf of the EU, 
Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, India, Australia, Iran 
and Pakistan).  Donor countries noted their efforts in 
Afghanistan and voiced a willingness to be coordinated. 
Interventions from regional countries were milder than in the 
past - notably, Iran did not criticize the presence of 
international troops, and Pakistan,s intervention 
underscored the importance of its relationship with 
Afghanistan.  Iran also warned against "incorporating 
terrorist elements into the political structure of 
Afghanistan" and emphasized that national reconciliation 
should be led by the Afghan government with full respect and 
adherence to the Afghan constitution.  India echoed Iran,s 
statements on reconciliation.  Its statement reprised themes 
from its previous interventions: implicitly criticizing 
Pakistan and vowing that India would not be deterred from its 
support of Afghanistan.  Pakistan,s PR proclaimed that 
Pakistan,s territory would not be used for terrorism, and 
said a crucial security risk was the Afghan refugee 
population in Pakistan.  He said the refugees in Pakistan 
existed "in appalling conditions" although he did not give 
the impression that Pakistan had any obligation in this 
regard.  He emphasized the importance of Pakistan,s 
relationship with Afghanistan, and said an improved in the 
situation in Afghanistan would benefit Pakistan the most.  He 
welcomed the upcoming Ministerial-level conferences in 
Moscow, The Hague and Trieste. 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000298  003 OF 003 
 
 
Wolff