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DE RUCNDT #0809 2442230
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 012230Z SEP 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7138
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000809 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UNSC KPKO RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: DPKO OUTLINES PLANS TO SUPPORT GENEVA 
TALKS AND INCIDENT MECHANISM 
 
REF: USUN 684 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Following up on a July 13 meeting (reported 
Reftel), A/SYG for Peacekeeping Edmund Mulet told Deputy 
Permreps from the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Croatia on 
August 31 that the UN would continue to support the Geneva 
talks and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism 
(IPRM) for Georgia/Abkhazia for an initial period of six 
months, at which time continuation of the UN role would be 
reassessed.  The UN would have no role in the South Ossetia 
IPRM. A 6-person UN team would be based in Geneva or Vienna, 
and would be led by former Georgia SRSG Johan Verbeke until 
the end of 2009, after which a "senior-level" UN official, 
possibly based in New York, would replace Verbeke.  The UN 
team would have no monitoring or political responsibility, 
and would report through Verbeke to the Department of 
Peacekeeping Operations in New York (DPKO).  The Russian 
Federation, Georgia and Abkhaz authorities support the 
arrangement, but Russia had insisted that UN activities be 
coordinated by DPKO instead of the Department of Political 
Affairs (DPA) in order to avoid the appearance of a political 
or mediation role for the UN.  The SYG planned to inform the 
Security Council president of the arrangement via letter, but 
would not expect formal Council action.  The Secretariat 
would not report to the Security Council on the team's 
activities unless requested to do so by the Council.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) A/SYG Edmund Mulet informed Deputy Permreps of the 
U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Croatia on August 31 that the 
Secretary-General had decided that the UN would continue to 
facilitate the Geneva talks on security and stability/return 
of IDPs and refugees in Georgia, as well as the bi-weekly 
meetings of the Joint Incident Prevention and Response 
Mechanism (JIPRM) for Abkhazia.  Mulet made clear that the UN 
would have no continuing role in the South Ossetia JIPRM, 
which would be co-facilitated by the EUMM and the OSCE. 
Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) 
for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, would stay on as UN Envoy through 
December 2009, at which time he would take on new 
responsibilities in the Belgian MFA.  Verbeke would be 
replaced by a "senior-level" UN official, possibly to be 
based in New York, who would be chosen at a later date. 
Though Verbeke and his successor would not be based in 
Georgia, they would travel frequently to Georgia to 
facilitate the bi-weekly JIPRM meetings and to coordinate 
activities related to the Geneva process.  Verbeke would be 
supported by 5 UN staff (3 civilian staff, 1 military expert 
and 1 police expert) who would be based either in Geneva or 
Vienna , but like Verbeke, would spend most of their time in 
Georgia.  UNDP and UNHCR would provide logistical support to 
the team. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Mulet said that the SYG had decided to put this 
arrangement in place for an initial period of six months, and 
would then reassess whether it should continue, based on 
progress in the Geneva talks and the status of the JIPRM. 
The Russian Federation, Georgia, and the Abkhaz de facto 
authorities all supported the arrangements, according to 
Mulet.  Russia had made clear, however, that it would not 
support a political or monitoring role for the UN team. 
According to Mulet, Russia had also insisted that Verbeke 
(and his successor) report to DPKO in New YOrk, rather than 
to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), in order to 
avoid sending a signal that the UN was playing a political or 
mediation role.  The SYG planned to send a letter to the 
President of the Security Council outlining the arrangement, 
but he did not expect formal response from the Council.  The 
SYG would look only for a "low key" informal acknowledgment 
that the Council had taken note of the letter.  Mulet 
emphasized that DPKO was attempting to "see what the market 
would bear" with the continuing UN role in Georgia-- the UN 
would continue to seek practical arrangements on the ground, 
but absent Security Council action, UN activities would 
continue to be determined by what all parties would accept. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo asked about UN plans to report on 
the activities of the UN team in Georgia. Mulet said that the 
UN did not contemplate sending reports to the Security 
Council unless requested, but that DPKO would be willing to 
informally report to the Group of Friends.  He also said that 
Verbeke's contract as Head of Mission for UNOMIG would end at 
the end of September, at which time he would submit his 
end-of-mission report for the UN Observer Mission in Georgia 
(UNOMIG). 
RICE