VZCZCXRO4298
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0647/01 1830009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020009Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6837
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000647 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC AF
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES UNAMA/AFGHANISTAN 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On June 30, the Security Council held a 
quarterly debate on UNAMA/Afghanistan.  SRSG Kai Eide briefed 
on behalf of UNAMA, Ambassador Zahir Tanin briefed for 
Afghanistan.  In addition to interventions by Council 
members, eleven other countries (ISAF members and 
Afghanistan,s neighbors) spoke.  Common themes were 1) 
support for Afghanistan,s upcoming elections; 2) concern 
regarding the security situation; and 3) support for UNAMA,s 
mission and mandate.  A plurality of countries clearly 
supported UNAMA,s request for additional resources in 2010. 
Many countries also called on UNAMA to present benchmarks, as 
requested by UNSCR 1868, and expressed concern regarding 
civilian casualties.  Several, including SRSG Eide, welcomed 
General McChrystal,s recent comments on addressing the issue 
of civilian casualties.  End summary. 
 
INTERVENTIONS BY UNAMA AND AFGHANISTAN 
 
¶2. (U) In his statement, SRSG Kai Eide touched on a number of 
issues.  He began by summarizing UNAMA,s election support 
activities.  Overall, UNAMA,s goal is to "ensure an election 
process that is credible and where the result can be accepted 
by the people."  Eide urged all candidates to campaign with 
dignity and fairness, called on all Government institutions 
and officials to maintain impartiality, and called on the 
international community to avoid any interference or 
appearance of interference in the election process.  Key 
elements of the level playing field are "non-interference, a 
dignified policy-oriented debate and total international 
impartiality," said Eide. 
 
¶3. (U) Eide noted "totally new momentum" in strengthening 
security institutions, reforming agriculture and the private 
sector, improving revenue collection and the government,s 
internal coordination and developing comprehensive civilian 
capacity-building programs.  He said this momentum was the 
result of competent Afghan ministries, although he singled 
out the U.S. review of development policies as crucial to 
this momentum.  Eide welcomed U.S. readiness to support 
"Afghan plans and Afghan priorities more generously than 
before."  The SRSG then turned to the issue of civilian 
casualties, and supported the Secretary-General,s call (as 
noted in the recent UNAMA quarterly report) to review the use 
of air power in populated areas, to review the operations of 
special forces, and to better prepare international military 
forces for the Afghan political and cultural context.  "It is 
my view that the political costs of recent mistakes are 
simply disproportionate to military gains and that such 
reviews are urgently required," said Eide.  He welcomed 
General McChrystal,s "important statement" on the need for a 
fundamental shift in attitude regarding civilian casualties. 
 
¶4. (U) In closing remarks, Eide emphasized the need for a 
perspective "that goes beyond the elections."  He said the UN 
was prepared to be a partner in a Afghan-owned and led peace 
process, and noted the importance of regional security 
cooperation and trade, which would require a serious 
investment in Afghanistan,s infrastructure (especially a 
railway network and an expansion of electricity lines).  Eide 
noted the many rising expectations and new opportunities for 
UNAMA, and pressed for more resources "to fulfill our mandate 
in donor coordination, to meet the new opportunities in 
capacity and institution building, and to expand across the 
country." 
 
¶5. (U) Afghan PR Tanin took the floor next, and reinforced 
Eide,s focus on elections.  Like Eide, he also welcomed the 
U.S. and NATO strategic reviews.  Tanin repeated a similar 
theme from his last intervention: namely, that Afghanistan 
has improved dramatically in the last eight years, and that 
this progress is ongoing.  Despite the many improvements, 
however, Tanin noted that insecurity and fragmented 
development efforts checked Afghanistan,s progress.  He 
welcomed UNAMA,s strengthened mandate and its "essential 
coordination role."  Tanin ended with a reference to the 
region surrounding Afghanistan.  He said "our enemies are not 
local, but regional, and find sanctuary and support outside 
Afghanistan."  In an intervention later in the day, 
Pakistan,s deputy PR said the exact opposite: "The 
insecurity challenges faced by Afghanistan are of internal 
origin." 
 
SECURITY COUNCIL INTERVENTIONS 
 
¶6. (U) Statements by Council members shared common themes: 1) 
support for Afghanistan,s upcoming elections; 2) concern 
regarding the security situation; and 3) support for UNAMA,s 
mission and mandate.  Ambassador Rice emphasized the 
importance of the upcoming elections, welcomed UNAMA,s 
leadership in donor coordination, called for increased 
resources for UNAMA, and addressed the issue of civilian 
casualties - she recalled General McChrystal,s announcement 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000647  002 OF 002 
 
 
that reducing civilian casualties would be a top priority. 
The UK, Austria and Mexico cited General McChrystal,s 
remarks on civilian casualties as particularly helpful. 
Russia recognized ISAF efforts to minimize civilian 
casualties, but concluded that they have not been sufficient. 
 The Russian deputy PR said "special terrorist operations" 
should be Afghanized, and called for "meticulous 
investigations" in situations where civilian casualties may 
have occurred.  He also stressed that Afghan national 
reconciliation dialogues should not violate Security Council 
sanctions on the Taliban, and that if the the GOA wants to 
have a dialogue with "moderate" Taliban members, it should 
only be with those who have agreed to lay down arms and 
relinquish ties to al-Quaida.  Libya was most critical of 
civilian casualties, in keeping with its previous statements. 
 The acting Libyan PR called the withdrawal of foreign troops 
the "sina qua non of national reconciliation" and said the 
recurrent incidents of civilian casualties were deeply 
disconcerting; they forced Libya to question the rules and 
arrangements of ISAF,s presence in Afghanistan. 
 
¶7. (U) Japan, Uganda, Croatia and the U.S. clearly supported 
an increase in resources for UNAMA.  France said it 
approached the issue in an "open spirit."  Other countries, 
including the UK, Turkey, Costa Rica and Austria, focused 
instead on the need for UNAMA to prepare benchmarks on 
fulfillment of elements of its mandate.  Eide noted that 
UNAMA was working on benchmarks and would present them to the 
Council in the next quarterly session. 
 
INTERVENTIONS BY ISAF MEMBERS AND THE REGION 
 
¶8. (U) In addition to Council members, New Zealand, Iran, 
Germany, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, 
Canada, the Czech Republic, India, and Italy addressed the 
Council.  Canada,s Foreign Minister addressed the Council, 
and touched on Canada,s priorities: the elections, rule of 
law and capacity building within the Afghanistan security 
forces.  He also noted Canada,s interest in UNAMA,s 
benchmarks and discussed his country,s focus on border 
management issues.  Germany and the Czech Republic echoed 
calls for UNAMA to work on benchmarks, while Norway, India 
and Italy supported UNAMA,s requests for more funding.  Iran 
and Pakistan noted that large numbers of Afghan refugees 
still remained in their countries, and this placed a great 
burden on their respective countries.  Iran also noted "the 
Afghans have made it clear that they will not accept the 
indefinite presence of foreign forces in their country." 
India exhorted members to "more vocally recognize and support 
growing Afghan capabilities" and criticized the UN,s 
description of Taliban and al-Qaida attacks as organized by 
"anti-government elements" or "insurgents" instead of calling 
them terrorism attacks. 
RICE