VZCZCXRO8296
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0617 1760218
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250218Z JUN 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6761
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000617 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO UN IS SY
SUBJECT: UNSC: UNDOF MANDATE RENEWED FOR SIX MONTHS 
 
REF: STATE 64812 
 
¶1.  (U) The Security Council adopted resolution 1875 on June 
23 extending the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in 
the Golan Heights for another six months until December 30, 
¶2009.  The Council also agreed to an accompanying 
Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2009/18) which was read by the 
President of the Council.  (Note: Both documents will be 
posted on the Council's web site at 
www.un.org/Docs/sc/index.html.  End note.)  (Comment: Aside 
from changes to the dates, the text of the resolution and 
PRST are identical to those previously approved by the 
Council for UNDOF.  End comment.) 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During Council consultations on the 
Secretary-General's June 9, 2009 report on UNDOF. UN 
Department of Peacekeeping Operations Director of Asia and 
the Middle East Division Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber briefed the 
Council with supplemental information that was not included 
in the June 9 report.  He noted that UNDOF had increased its 
patrols during the Gaza conflict in December 2008 and January 
2009 from 70 to 90 patrols per day.  He said that civilian 
growth on the Syrian side in the area of separation has led 
to increased interaction between UNDOF and the civilian 
population.  He announced that Poland, a long-standing troop 
contributing country (TCC) to UNDOF, would be withdrawing its 
forces, and DPKO was looking for a replacement TCC and would 
reconfigure the deployment to meet UNDOF's needs, given the 
growth of the civilian population.  After questions from 
Council members. Weisbrod-Weber noted that there had been a 
recent visit to the UNDOF area of operations by the Office of 
Military Affairs (OMA) to assess the civilian growth and the 
necessary force restructuring for the changed operational 
environment. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Council members in their statements uniformly 
called for a settlement to the conflict and many, including 
France, Austria, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, and Russia, urged 
Israel and Syria to resume their indirect talks through 
Turkey.  Turkey said it would do what it could to restart the 
talks and welcomed the visit of Special Envoy Mitchell to 
Damascus.  Both France and the UK stressed that all 
peacekeeping operations should be subject to strategic 
reviews.  The UK encouraged DPKO to have a dialogue with 
Council members prior to future strategic assessment missions 
in order to incorporate the Council's input into terms of 
reference.  Mexico called for future reports on UNDOF to 
include more information.  (Comment: The Secretary-General's 
June 9 UNDOF report is virtually word for word identical to 
the last report, aside from changes to the dates and figures 
included.  There is no mention of OMA's May assessment 
mission to the UNDOF area of operations, for example.  We 
understand that DPKO changes little in the report at Syrian 
government insistence, since Syria views any change as 
sending a negative political signal.  End comment.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo noted the U.S. effort to extend 
UNDOF's mandate from six to 12 months to promote greater 
Council efficiency and make it consistent with its annual 
budget cycle, which runs from July 1 to June 30.  She said 
that Syria had voiced a strong preference for retaining the 
six-month mandate, viewing an extension to a 12-month mandate 
as a negative signal on the peace process, and that although 
we disagree with Syria,s reasoning, we would not press the 
point this time.  She asked DPKO to consider whether it 
should recommend a 12-month mandate for the next renewal 
period,  Several Council members, including Costa Rica, 
Croatia (UNDOF TCC), and Japan (UNDOF TCC) specifically 
stated a preference for a 12-month mandate in the future. 
RICE