Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 64621 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09UNVIEVIENNA249, EVALUATING PARIS PACT ON AFGHANISTAN: OPTIMIZING THE NEXT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09UNVIEVIENNA249.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09UNVIEVIENNA249 2009-05-29 14:42 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY UNVIE
VZCZCXRO6028
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUEHUNV #0249/01 1491442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291442Z MAY 09
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9517
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1665
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
AFGHA/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0099
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 UNVIE VIENNA 000249 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PREL PTER SNAR UN AF PK CA RU IR UK
 
SUBJECT:  EVALUATING PARIS PACT ON AFGHANISTAN: OPTIMIZING THE NEXT 
PHASE 
 
REF: A: 08 UNVIE VIENNA 170 
 B: KABUL 1064 
 C: UNVIE VIENNA 195 
 D: UNVIE VIENNA 152 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A May 14 briefing for donor and participant 
countries by the consultant UNODC hired to assess the Paris Pact 
emphasized inefficiencies in expert roundtable meetings, the 
unsustainable Pact footprint, the Pact's enduring political utility, 
and under-utilization of the ADAM system, all observations which 
attendees welcomed.  The consultant noted that the Automated Donor 
Assistance Mechanism (ADAM), which lists all donor assistance 
programs in Afghanistan with the aim of avoiding duplication, is 
technically sound but under-utilized and that the 15 Paris Pact 
expert roundtables held in the last five years developed many 
recommendations with little follow-up action.  He stressed that the 
Paris Pact should develop in depth, but not breadth because the 
current wide coverage, from Afghanistan to the Caspian and Black 
Sea, is not sustainable.  Furthermore, that the increase in members 
and round-table participants is an inefficient way to utilize 
resources and ineffective in making concrete decisions.  He 
concluded that the donors would have to decide whether they would 
want to continue to fund the Paris Pact, which is entering its third 
phase.  Donor comments included calls for operational results and 
more coordination with other regional organisms.  Based on these 
comments, the consultant will prepare a draft report to UNODC by 
June 10, and a final report by end of June.  Mission believes that 
the USG should support a third phase for the Paris Pact.  However we 
recommend that we start working with other donors to find ways to 
improve the efficiency of the Paris Pact before the consultant 
submits his final report.  END SUMMARY. 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Briefing Donors: Expert Roundtable not Expert Enough 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
2. (SBU) The UNODC hired UK's Omega Consultancy to carry out a 
five-year review of the Paris Pact Initiative.  On May 14, Omega's 
Neil Bailey briefed donor and other member countries.  He summarized 
his sources, methods, preliminary findings, and next steps.  The 
Paris Pact is completing its second phase, which began in January 
2007 and will end in December 2009.  For his evaluation, Bailey 
attended Pact meetings, interviewed meeting participants and senior 
UNODC officials, and reviewed Pact documents from previous expert 
roundtables.  He concluded that if the Paris Pact were to be 
extended to a third phase, it should "extend by depth, not breadth." 
 He was encouraged that host governments were well-disposed to the 
Pact's National Security Analysts (NSAs).  He considered the large 
Pact footprint, now extending from Afghanistan into central Asia and 
beyond, as unsustainable.  He questioned the cost and utility of the 
expert roundtables which, by his calculations, absorbed nearly $1.4 
million of the Pact's $3.2 million budget for Phase II.  (Of the 
rest of the budget, $800,000 went to ADAM, and $1.1 million to NSA 
support).  The Phase II roundtables, in his view, also proved less 
useful, as countries sent participants based on rank or political 
importance rather than technical expertise.  That, coupled with the 
growing number of participants (more than 100), resulted in 
political recommendations that had little practical utility. 
 
----------------------------- 
ADAM Suffers from Lack of Use 
----------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Bailey commented that the Automated Donor Assistance 
Mechanism (ADAM) suffered technical problems during the first phase 
which have been resolved.  However, donors have not been using ADAM 
during Phase II.  (Note: ADAM is intended to provide a database of 
assistance programs in Afghanistan, in order to avoid duplication of 
donor programs.  However, this requires donors to update their 
programs regularly, something which donors apparently have not been 
doing.  End Note.)  Counselor noted that seizures of precursor 
chemicals under Operation TARCET were helpful because they provided 
concrete, tangible results to justify support for the Paris Pact. 
Counselor also highlighted that donor ambassadors, in an informal 
meeting on the margins of the last Policy Consultative Group meeting 
in December, had proposed establishing concrete benchmarks to 
measure the Pact's effectiveness.  The Russian and Austrian 
representatives echoed this sentiment. 
 
4. (SBU) Bailey characterized the Pact roundtables as having become 
examples of "narco-tourism."  The 15 roundtables held in the last 
five years have consumed a majority of the Paris Pact budget.  He 
noted that in 2003, experts attended the Pact roundtables, but in 
 
UNVIE VIEN 00000249  002 OF 003 
 
 
2006, experts were fewer in number.  Instead, countries have been 
sending delegates because of their rank or political influence.  As 
a result, Bailey claimed, it is difficult for the round tables to 
reach meaningful, practical recommendations. 
 
5. (SBU) Bailey acknowledged that nothing much has been done with 
many of the roundtables' recommendations.  Some of the 
recommendations from the last three years could have been taken 
forward, but were not.  He lamented the increasingly political 
nature of the participants.  He proposed that donor countries could 
remedy this by restricting the use of their funds for the 
participation of relevant experts only.  Bailey also noted the 
importance of limiting the size, number, attendance, and agenda, as 
well as changing the format of the roundtables. 
 
6. (SBU) Counselor commented that instead of holding annual 
roundtables on different topics, Pact partners should focus on 
implementation of the recommendations produced by the 15 round 
tables of the last five years.  She proposed that some future round 
tables could be devoted to reviewing the progress of implementing 
past recommendations.  Russia voiced enthusiastic support for a 
third phase of the Pact, but advocated a "comprehensive, balanced 
approach" consisting of partnerships with other regional 
organizations for the third phase, such as Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization (SCO).  Russia also voiced its desire to expand the 
Paris Pact mandate to include tracking financial flows.  (Note:  In 
various Vienna fora related to Afghanistan, Russia has always tried 
to give prominence to the regional organizations which Russia leads, 
such as the SCO.  It has also been a longstanding, albeit 
unsuccessful, advocate of some kind of financial security belt 
around Afghanistan.  End Note.) 
 
7. (SBU) Bailey noted that the roundtables generated an 
"unmeasurable political benefit" simply because they occurred, but 
that operational results were now more important than ever.  He 
asked in conclusion if donor countries thought the Paris Pact should 
be extended to a third phase, or "left to wither."  Russia said it 
would "remain engaged" but would also consider how to make the 
Pact's approach more comprehensive to include issues like financial 
flows.  Several countries, including the U.S., said they would have 
to report back to capital.  Bailey closed by noting his draft report 
was due to UNODC June 10th, and the final report was due at the end 
of June.  He added that countries may email him with further 
questions and comments at neilbailey@aol.com. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
More Briefing: Afghanistan and Iran Clash 
----------------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) Bailey repeated his findings to a group of about 15 Pact 
members after his briefing to the donors.  (Note: Some of the 
donors, such as Canada, did not attend the earlier briefing.  End 
Note.)  Before he could finish, the Afghan Ambassador asked Pact 
members to take note of the drug problems in Pakistan and Iran.  The 
Iranian Ambassador disagreed, noting the most problematic element in 
the drug supply chain is the production of heroin in Afghanistan, in 
its many labs.  He added that while Iran considers the Pact to be a 
productive forum for exchanging views - and is satisfied with its 
outcomes - it finds the Pact lacking in action.  He urged more 
action, specifically to focus on three fronts - production, transit 
areas, and consumption. 
 
9. (SBU) Canada remarked on the difficulty producing actions from 
the roundtables, since the so-called action recommendations are 
often vague.  The Afghan Ambassador proposed to have future 
roundtables focus on something practical, like precursors.  Bailey 
reminded him that there was a precursor component in the 2006 
program review he conducted, but that recommended actions on 
precursors were never used.  He suggested reviewing demand and 
supply side projects in his report.  The Russian representative 
repeated Russia's position on regional organizations and financial 
flows (See para 7 above).  Egypt acknowledged the need for 
high-level action, and underlined the importance of evaluating 
program effectiveness.  Bailey suggested that future roundtables 
could be used to review the implementation of recommendations.  Iran 
voiced support for the Canadian and Russian positions on the Pact, 
adding that there could be one roundtable of technical specialists. 
Bailey stressed that any such expert group would be a small group to 
replace, not supplement, the roundtables. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
10. (SBU) The Paris Pact is a pioneer initiative for tackling the 
Afghan drug problem on a regional and technical basis.  It has 
 
UNVIE VIEN 00000249  003 OF 003 
 
 
served an important political function by bringing together experts 
from countries which may not be on speaking terms otherwise. 
However, as the consultant has observed, Paris Pact roundtables are 
losing their practical purpose and becoming increasingly political. 
 While Mission believes the Pact is worthy of continuing U.S. 
support, we recommend that we start brainstorming with other donors 
in the coming weeks to determine what actions we can take to improve 
the Pact's efficiency  before the consultant submits his final 
report.  END COMMENT. 
 
SCHULTE