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DE RUEHC #6468 2592330
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O P 162311Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0000

UNCLAS STATE 096468 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNGA KPKO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: INVITATION TO MEETING WITH 
PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING UNGA(URUGUAY, ETHIOPIA) 
 
REF: STATE 091632 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an urgent action request.  Ambassadors 
are requested to deliver President Obama's invitation 
(paragraph 4) to Heads of State or Heads of Government of 
action addressee posts to join an event that will honor the 
top contributors of 
troops and police contingents to UN peacekeeping operations. 
USUN is also requested to send a copy of the invitation to the 
relevant Permanent Missions to the UN.  The meeting will be 
held on September 23, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. 
Invitations should be delivered at the highest appropriate 
level and it should be stressed that this meeting will be 
conducted at the Head of State/Head of Government level only. 
No signed original will be forthcoming.  Posts are requested 
to 
stress to their interlocutors that the goal is a substantive 
and interactive discussion rather than consecutive formal 
remarks.  Since time is limited, Heads of State/Government 
should limit each of their interventions to no more than two 
minutes; Paragraphs 2 and 3 contain background information for 
Embassies.  Embassies are requested to confirm response and 
level of participation at the earliest opportunity. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Background: 
 
The attached invitation is to an event that will 
underscore the commitment of the United States to support 
strong, effective UN peacekeeping.  The meeting will 
provide an opportunity for the President to demonstrate 
that the United States values the contribution and 
sacrifices of troop- and police-contributing countries 
(TCCs/PCCs) and that we understand their concerns. We hope 
that this outreach will encourage TCC/PCC to continue to 
participate in the more difficult missions, increase their 
willingness to work with the U.S. on continuing efforts to 
strengthen and improve peacekeeping operations, and send a 
positive political signal to potential new contributors of 
U.S. interest in peacekeeping operations.  Previous TCCs/PCCs 
argue 
that their contributions are often taken for granted, 
including when the Security Council renews mandates for UN 
operations; and while large contributors such as the U.S. 
fund the missions (the U.S. is assessed over 25 percent of 
the cost of UN peacekeeping), the TCCs/PCCs face the risks 
and challenges in the field. Over the past six months the 
Security Council has held a series of meetings to discuss 
how to make the best decisions on new and renewed mandates 
for UN peacekeeping operations, including how to 
substantially improve dialogue among the TCCs/PCCs, the 
Security Council, and the Secretariat.  This meeting would 
demonstrate the United States' seriousness in following 
through on that commitment.  President Obama intends to 
make brief opening remarks, and then moderate an 
interactive discussion on the following two questions: 
What are the biggest challenges you face, as a TCC/PCC to 
UN operations, and what can the United Nations and the 
United States do to help?  What peacekeeping reforms are 
most urgently required on which the United States and 
TCCs/PCCs can work together at the UN?   No prepared 
remarks are expected.  We ask that each of the interventions 
be limited to two minutes.  UN missions of invited heads of 
state/government will be advised separately in New York by 
the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on the location of 
the meeting and other logistical details. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  To accommodate the short time available for the 
meeting, this invitation is being extended only to those 
countries which comprise top contributors of 
military and/or police personnel to UN peacekeeping 
operations.  The following, for Embassy information only, is 
a list of 
countries, showing the UN missions to which they are 
deployed, plus the total number 
of uniformed personnel they contribute.  The UN lists military 
personnel as either "military observers" (unarmed, often 
monitoring aspects of a peace agreement) or "troops." 
"Troops" includes military personnel in all other categories, 
including, for example, infantry, staff officers, medical 
personnel, and drivers.  Missions vary in size, so posts 
should take "significant" to mean relative to the overall 
size of the mission.  The UN's Department of Peacekeeping 
Operations and Department of Political Affairs also manage 
several largely civilian "political" and "integrated" 
missions that have small military or police components. 
 
Uruguay: Political missions in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Nepal 
(UNMIN) 
UN peacekeeping missions Western Sahara (MINURSO), Haiti 
(MINUSTAH), 
Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), 
Liberia (UNMIL), India-Pakistan (UNMOGIP), 
Timor Leste (UNMIT) and Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI).  Total: 
2,532.  Uruguay is a contributor of police 
in Haiti (7), Liberia(4), Timor Leste (3) and Cote 
d'Ivoire (4).  It is a troop contributor in 
Haiti(1,133), Congo(1,367), Western Sahara (5), and 
India-Pakistan (2). 
 
Ethiopia:  UN peacekeeping missions in Chad/Central 
African Republic (MINURCAT), 
Darfur (UNAMID), 
Liberia (UNMIL), Southern Sudan (UNMIS), and Cote d'Ivoire 
(UNOCI).  Total:  2,394. 
Ethiopia is a contributor of police in southern Sudan 
(15).  It is a troop contributor in Darfur (1,478), Liberia 
(886), Chad 
(15), and Cote d'Ivoire (2). 
 
Note:  The other countries invited to this event are: 
Pakistan; Bangladesh; India; Nigeria; Nepal; Rwanda; Jordan; 
Ghana; Egypt; and Italy.  Because India and Egypt will not be 
attending UNGA at head of government level, it has allowed us 
to include Uruguay and Ethiopia in this event as the next two 
largest TCCs. 
 
End background. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Begin invitation: 
 
Dear Mr./Madam (Title of Head of State/Government), 
 
I have the honor of hosting an unprecedented meeting of 
top troop and police contributors to United Nations 
peacekeeping operations.  Your participation at this 
meeting, to be held on September 23 at UN Headquarters, 
would be greatly appreciated. 
 
UN peacekeeping is one of the most important tools 
available to the international community to help prevent 
and resolve conflict and assist war-torn countries to make 
the transition to sustainable peace.  The success of UN 
peacekeeping depends heavily on the troop and police 
contributions of countries such as yours.  I hope you will 
permit me the opportunity to express appreciation for your 
country's contributions and sacrifice on September 23, 
from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., when I will host a 
Summit-level meeting of the United States and Heads of 
State or Government of the top contributors of troops and 
police to UN peacekeeping operations. 
 
As a permanent member of the Security Council and the 
leading financial contributor, the United States has a 
deep interest in enhancing the effectiveness and 
efficiency of current and future UN peacekeeping 
operations.  I know that your country does, too, as a top 
contributor of troops and police to those operations.  We 
value the contributions you and your valiant uniformed 
personnel make to international peace and security, and 
the risks they take every day; their dedication enhances 
respect for peace and reduces suffering. We all have a 
stake in the outcome of such conflicts; the United States 
believes that renewed and strengthened cooperation between 
all the stakeholders, including members of the Security 
Council and the troop- and police-contributing countries, 
is the only way to respond to the ever-growing challenges 
of UN peacekeeping today. 
 
This meeting is intended to spark a productive and 
continuing exchange of ideas among us, building on the 
dialogue that has been taking place in the Security 
Council, in the General Assembly, and with the UN 
Secretariat.  I look forward to hearing your views on the 
most important ways to strengthen and improve UN 
peacekeeping on which our countries could work together at 
the United Nations. 
 
President Barack Obama 
 
End invitation. 
CLINTON