VZCZCXRO8352
OO RUEHPW RUEHRN
DE RUCNDT #0693/01 1962033
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 152033Z JUL 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6935
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO IMMEDIATE 0287
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 2430
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR IMMEDIATE 0010
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME IMMEDIATE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 3820
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000693 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PBROWN, GENEVA FOR KYLOH, ROME FOR USUN 
HSPANOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREF
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY SCHWARTZ MEETS WITH 
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERALS HOLMES AND STARR IN NEW YORK 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Eric Schwartz, Assistant Secretary of State 
for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) visited New York 
on July 13 for meetings with the United Nations and USUN/New 
York. In talks with the UN Under-Secretary-General for 
Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, Schwartz reviewed the 
current situation in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. On the topic of 
Pakistan, Schwartz pushed Holmes on the appointment of a 
senior humanitarian coordinator to improve the response to 
the needs of displaced and other conflict-affected 
populations. Holmes also briefed Schwartz on the status of 
the UN's efforts on humanitarian reform.  Schwartz met the 
newly-appointed UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and 
Security, Greg Starr, and stressed the importance of robust 
UN security measures to allow humanitarian operations to 
function in hostile environments.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Holmes began the discussion by noting that the UN's 
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 
has become reasonably well-established as a major player in 
the field of humanitarian assistance.  He noted that many UN 
agencies and NGOs were reluctant to support OCHA's mandate to 
coordinate humanitarian assistance initially, but over the 
past ten years there has been a significant change.  Now most 
humanitarian agencies value OCHA's role and look to OCHA for 
leadership when a humanitarian crisis emerges. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Holmes brief Schwartz on the status of the UN's 
humanitarian reform initiative. He remarked that the cluster 
approach is beginning to yield results and making a 
difference thought it remains a work in progress.  The 
cluster system is now generally in place, but lead agencies 
must devote sufficient resources and attention to make it 
work properly.  Holmes stated that progress has been made in 
strengthening the role of the UN's humanitarian coordinators 
(HC) system.  The UN has developed and implemented improved 
training for HCs and developed a stronger pool of candidates 
that includes individuals with greater humanitarian 
experience, including from humanitarian agencies outside of 
the UN system. Holmes remarked improving partnerships with 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a priority for OCHA. 
 Schwartz replied that PRM will also prioritize engagement 
with NGOs and civil society when implementing its mandated 
activities. Finally, Holmes discussed humanitarian financing 
and emphasized the importa 
nce of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and other 
pooled funds as important tools for allowing a more rapid and 
predictable response to humanitarian emergencies. Holmes 
hoped that the Obama administration could provide more 
generous support to the CERF. Schwartz replied that requests 
for additional funding of the CERF would be reviewed, but 
that the accountability of pooled funds remains an issue. 
 
¶4. (SBU) On Pakistan, Holmes explained that the initial 
humanitarian response had been good, especially in camps set 
up for internally-displaced persons (IDPs). However, he noted 
the significant burden placed by IDPs on host communities and 
remarked that additional efforts must be made to address the 
urgent needs of communities hosting IDPs. Holmes noted that 
significant numbers of IDPs had returned to Buner due to 
improved security and only modest damage to infrastructure. 
He expressed uncertainty if returns would take place on a 
large scale in SWAT due to greater damage to infrastructure 
caused by fighting as well as greater levels of insecurity. 
Holmes said that a turning point has been reached in Pakistan 
in terms of the humanitarian situation.  If the return of 
IDPs continues at a brisk pace, humanitarian needs will 
diminish.  However, if returns become stalled, the situation 
could become worse. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Schwartz raised the issue of a senior humanitarian 
coordinator for Pakistan. Holmes responded that this matter 
was under review at the UN, but that he was not convinced 
that a senior coordinator is needed on the humanitarian side. 
He expressed the opinion that such an appointment might cause 
more harm than good.  Holmes told Schwartz that he did not 
see the utility of the appointment of a senior humanitarian 
coordinator beyond enhanced fund-raising. He thought that a 
senior coordinator for the whole UN system might make more 
sense, but that this type of appointment would be strongly 
opposed by the government of Pakistan.  Schwartz pushed back, 
stating that if handled correctly, the appointment of a 
senior humanitarian coordinator could send an important 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000693  002 OF 002 
 
 
political signal that would energize the participation of 
other donors and move the process of strengthening 
humanitarian assistance forward. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Schwartz raised the topic of Sri Lanka and the UN's 
efforts to address the humanitarian situation in the North. 
Holmes described the situation as extremely frustrating with 
over 280,000 IDPs kept in internment camps by the government 
of Sri Lanka (GoSL). He stated that the GoSL has promised to 
move forward on the registration of IDPs, family 
reunification and freedom of movement for IDPs, but has 
actually delivered very little.  Holmes viewed the situation 
as an opportunity for the GoSL to prove its critics wrong on 
the treatment of the Tamil population, but fears that this 
may be an opportunity lost by the GoSL.  He felt that donors 
had very little leverage in pressuring the GoSL to improve 
its treatment of the IDPs.  Those countries with leverage 
such as China and India are unlikely to wield it.  Holmes 
stated that the UN and others should keep continual pressure 
on the GoSL through high-level visits to the country. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, 
Greg Starr, told Schwartz that the UN flag offered some 
measure of protection to UN humanitarian workers operating in 
hostile environments ten years ago.  He remarked that the UN 
has become more of a target over the past decade with groups 
such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban actively seeking to disrupt 
humanitarian operations as they are seen as part of a broader 
western agenda.  Starr noted that upon recently taking up his 
new duties as USG for Safety and Security, the 
Secretary-General told him that he must find a way for the UN 
to operate in tough environments and not pack up and leave 
immediately due to security concerns.  Starr reviewed a 
number of challenges to providing security for UN 
humanitarian operations including a dispersal of authority 
and financing for security among a number of UN agencies as 
well as a modest budget and shortages of key positions, 
particularly in intelligence.  He conceded that the UN must 
be willing to spend more money o 
n security  if it is serious about operating in places such 
as Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.  Schwartz noted there can 
be a tension between the imperative of life-sustaining 
support in hostile environments and imperative of ensuring 
that that humanitarian workers are not subject to harm.  He 
stressed, however, that humanitarians must often operate in 
dangerous environments, and underscored the importance of 
making adequate resources for security so that they can 
function effectively. 
RICE