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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #7949 2642137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212118Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 097949 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNGA KPKO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: INVITATION TO MEETING WITH 
PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) This is an urgent action request.  Embassy is 
requested to deliver President Obama's invitation to 
President Hu (paragraph 2) to join an event that will honor 
the top contributors of troops and police contingents to UN 
peacekeeping operation.  Given the short turnaround, USUN has 
passed the invitation to the Chinese Mission to the UN which 
has accepted on behalf of President Hu; the Department wishes 
to ensure that Embassy Beijing and the Government of China 
are fully informed.  The meeting will be held on September 
23, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The invitation 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.  Embassy is requested to stress to its 
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 3 and 4 contain background information.  Embassy 
is requested to confirm response and level of participation 
at the earliest opportunity. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin invitation: 
 
Dear President Hu, 
 
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. 
 
¶3. (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. 
 
¶4. (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.  In addition to China, the invitees are 
Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Italy, Jordan, 
Nepal, 
Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Uruguay.  The following is 
information on China's contribution of military and police 
personnel to UN peacekeeping operations.  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. 
 
 
China:  UN peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara (MINURSO), 
Haiti (MINUSTAH), Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), 
Darfur (UNAMID), Lebanon (UNIFIL), Liberia (UNMIL), Southern 
Sudan (UNMIS), Timor Leste (UNMIT), Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), 
and the Middle East (UNTSO).  Total as of August 31, 2009: 
2,155.  China contributes military personnel to MINURSO (13), 
MONUC (234), UNAMID (324), UNIFIL (344), UNMIL (566), UNMIS 
(456), UNMIT (2), UNOCI (7), and UNTSO (4).  China 
contributes police to MINUSTAH (144), UNAMID (1), UNMIL (16), 
UNMIS (17), and UNMIT (27). 
 
 
 
End background. 
CLINTON