VZCZCXRO9427
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHRN
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHJI #0284/01 2101604
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291604Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1448
INFO RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0091
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHIC/OIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8443
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0084

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000284 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, IO, OES/IHB, USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KISL OFDP OPDC PREL SA
SUBJECT: OIC-USG COOPERATION ON POLIO: NEXT STEPS FOLLOWING 
JEDDAH MEETINGS 
 
JEDDAH 00000284  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: OIC officials are ready 
and willing to cooperate on the joint initiative to eradicate 
polio proposed by President Obama in his Cairo speech -- 
although they need to obtain a final endorsement from OIC 
Secretary General Ihsanoglu.  The OIC's institutional 
limitations suggest that it is better suited to engaging in a 
political and diplomatic initiative, while the GCC could be 
better placed to provide technical cooperation (septel). 
USDEL and OIC counterparts discussed a number of possible 
next steps, including activities on the margins of the 
upcoming UN General Assembly, with a major event for the 40th 
anniversary of the OIC and an OIC ministerial meeting noted 
as two possibilities among them. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  The OIC requested that the U.S. 
provide asap a list of proposals for joint 
political/diplomatic activities that could be undertaken in 
furtherance of the polio initiative.  END SUMMARY AND ACTION 
REQUEST. 
 
POLIO'S LAST MILE IS THE HARDEST 
-------------------------------- 
BUT THE OIC IS READY TO HELP 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) OIC officials including Ufuk Gokcen, Adviser to the 
Secretary General, and Razley Nordin, Director General of the 
OIC Science and Technology Committee, met July 26 with 
representatives from CDC, USAID, Embassy Riyadh, and ConGen 
Jeddah to follow up President Obama's announcement in Cairo 
of a new joint initiative to combat polio.  The OIC officials 
took the point that a high proportion of the remaining cases 
of polio are within OIC member states or countries with 
significant Muslim populations (especially Nigeria, 
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) and that a concerted push 
from Muslim leaders, organizations, and religious figures 
would be the most effective strategy towards final 
eradication of the disease.  Gokcen confirmed that "at the 
political/diplomatic level, the OIC is willing to do whatever 
needs to be done." Gokcen and his colleagues felt generally 
that the resources of the OIC would be best used for 
diplomatic efforts aimed at moving member states toward 
greater action on polio as well as creating opportunities and 
events that bring additional attention to polio throughout 
the Islamic world. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
---------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Based on points supplied by Department, the USDEL 
discussed a number of potential next steps, including: 
 
¶A. Letters to Leaders:  The OIC agreed that letters from the 
Secretary General or OIC member heads of state could be a 
useful way to focus the attention of the leaders of 
polio-afflicted states, and proposed that President Obama 
send similar letters. 
 
¶B. Joint Delegations: The OIC was receptive to the idea of 
sending joint U.S./OIC delegations to key countries to meet 
with officials responsible for polio eradication. 
 
¶C. OIC Polio Envoy: OIC officials indicated that the OIC 
could appoint a special envoy for polio, including the 
possibility that this envoy might be someone of celebrity 
status in order to bring greater awareness of the need to 
eradicate polio. 
 
¶D. Joint Events in Endemic Countries: OIC officials expressed 
interest in the idea of holding an advocacy event, most 
likely in Pakistan or Nigeria, in order to draw attention to 
the issue of polio eradication, and preferably in connection 
with the beginning of an immunization campaign in the 
selected country. 
 
¶E.  Cooperation with the GCC:  OIC officials responded very 
positively to the idea of incorporating the GCC into the 
initiative, noting that the GCC and its member countries have 
greater technical and financial resources than the OIC. 
Gokcen agreed that the proposal suggested a division of labor 
wherein the GCC provides technical expertise within the 
 
JEDDAH 00000284  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
larger framework of OIC cooperation with the U.S. 
 
¶F. Fiqh Academy:  The OIC noted it has approached the 
OIC-related Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) academy to request a 
new fatwa, or religious decree, urging Muslims to adhere to 
recognized standards of polio prevention.  This would be the 
second such fatwa.  The first was issued under the name of a 
single scholar only; the new fatwa would carry more weight 
since it would be issued by the Jeddah-based academy as a 
whole. 
 
UNGA OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) USDEL also discussed possible follow-up actions 
connected to the upcoming UN General Assembly, including: 
 
¶A. Follow-up meeting in NY/DC: Gokcen and other OIC officials 
will be in New York in September and October for the UN 
General Assembly, and would like to have a follow-up meeting 
at that time in New York or Washington. Due to tight 
scheduling constraints, it was suggested that planning for 
this meeting begin immediately. 
 
¶B. 40th Anniversary of the OIC:  The OIC will host a 
reception for heads of state at the Waldorf Astoria in New 
York September 24 to commemorate its 40th anniversary. 
Gokcen said he expected substantial high level attendance 
from OIC member states, and agreed that the event would be an 
ideal platform to raise awareness and support for polio 
eradication, possibly by having the Secretary General 
directly address the polio issue in his remarks. 
 
¶C. OIC Ministerial Meeting: The OIC will also hold a 
ministerial meeting on the margins of UNGA, and Gokcen agreed 
it would be desirable to put the polio initiative on the 
ministers' agenda. 
 
¶D. S - Ihsanoglu Meeting: The OIC has requested a meeting 
between the Secretary General and Secretary 
Clinton to occur in September or October in New York or 
Washington. This meeting -- should it be scheduled -- could 
include polio as an agenda item and produce a joint statement 
in support of the President's initiative. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT: The U.S. team found itself pushing on an 
open door.  The OIC is ready to cooperate, although its 
limited resources are likely best used in creating a high 
level buzz around the issue of eradicating polio while 
technical and financial resources are sought elsewhere, 
possibly from the GCC. The 40th anniversary of the OIC event 
along with the ministerial meetings on the margins of the 
UNGA could be prime opportunities to promote the initiative 
among OIC members and the global community. An opportunity 
for a follow-up to the July 26 meeting is possible in 
September or October and would be useful to keep longer-term 
plans moving. END COMMENT. 
QUINN