VZCZCXRO3201
PP RUEHRN
DE RUEHRN #0063/01 3020903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 290903Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION UN ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1187
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0401
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0499
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0306
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0054
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 1262

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 UN ROME 000063 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/HS FOR ROBERT DOWNES 
USUN NEW YORK FOR MARY MCLEOD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST - ELECTION FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL OF 
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION 
 
REF: USUN ROME 0042 
 
Summary and Action Request 
------------------------- 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Mission believes that a U.S. citizen candidate is by 
far the most qualified of the six candidates competing for the 
November 25 election for the next Director General (DG) of the 
International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and recommends 
that the American candidate, Thomas McInerney, be designated as 
the official U.S. candidate for this position.  If such a 
determination is made, Mission will advocate for McInerney among 
Rome-based delegations of the 21-member country organization and 
recommends that the Department send demarches to member states 
using the points in paragraph 9. End Summary and Action Request. 
 
 
 
 
 
IDLO Advances Rule-of-Law 
 
------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) Originally founded in 1983 with USAID seed money, IDLO 
has grown into a intergovernmental body with 22 member states 
and an annual budget of over 20 million Euro, all of which is 
provided by voluntary contributions.  IDLO has permanent 
observer status at the United Nations and enjoys a reputation as 
the premier organization at the nexus of law and development. 
IDLO has a clear strategy focusing on how to improve rule-of-law 
in countries in order to achieve development goals. During the 
Ambassador's presentation of credentials to IDLO on October 15, 
DG William Loris described the positive impact IDLO is making in 
promoting rule-of-law, particularly in Afghanistan, Sudan, Kenya 
and the Central African Republic. The largest contributors are 
the Netherlands, United States and Italy, in that order, with a 
U.S. contribution of 300,000 dollars last year. 
 
 
 
 
 
Six Candidates for DG Position 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) U.S. citizen William Loris, who helped establish the 
organization almost thirty years ago,  has served his full term 
and his successor will be elected at the November 25 meeting of 
the General Assembly.  Following the established rules of 
procedure, a short list of six candidates was selected, 
including Tom McInerney-of the United States.  On September 17 
and 18 interviews were conducted to determine the best qualified 
candidate for the position.  All member states were invited to 
participate in the interviews and most did.  The Mission 
representative to the interviews found McInerney to be by far 
the most qualified candidate given his demonstrated experience 
in rule-of-law and development.  In particular, McInerney has 
served with IDLO for seven years; first as General Counsel and 
currently as Director of Research, Policy, and Strategic 
Initiatives.  McInerney is the architect of IDLOs Strategic Plan 
which was adopted by the member states in November 2008. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mission believes the only completely unacceptable 
candidate on the short list is the well-connected Italian 
nominee, former Ambassador Antonio Badini.  Badini is retired 
from the Italian diplomatic service where he held the rank of 
Ambassador most recently from 2003-2007 in Egypt.  He also 
served as Ambassador to Norway and, at one point in his career, 
was a Foreign Policy Advisor to former Prime Minister Bettino 
Craxi.  Badini rambled throughout the interview session, failed 
to respond to specific questions, was visibly aggressive towards 
current IDLO management and has no legal background whatsoever. 
The other four candidates have relatively little job-related 
experience and none are being actively supported by member 
countries. 
 
 
 
UN ROME 00000063  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
 
Italy Seeks to Capture IDLO DG 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Despite the glaring shortcomings of its candidate, the 
Government of Italy  has already begun an aggressive lobbying 
campaign to promote Badini through advocacy to member state 
Ambassadors in Rome, demarches to capitals and interventions by 
Italian Undersecretary of State Stefania Craxi. The Italian 
effort has already led to solid support from Paraguay.  Mission 
has heard from another member state that the GOI is promising to 
increase its voluntary contributions to IDLO if the Italian 
candidate is selected.  The implication, of course, is that 
funding would be decreased if their candidate is not selected. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Action Request 
 
------------- 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Mission recommends that the Department designate 
McInerney as the official U.S. candidate and that both the 
Mission and Washington promote his candidacy with strong USG 
advocacy, especially since his election would help consolidate 
the recent governance and internal reorganizations that have set 
IDLO on a course for results-based management, transparency and 
accountability.  Ambassador Cousin would advocate on McInerney's 
behalf with the Rome-based ambassadors from other members states 
and also host a reception in his honor to further promote his 
candidacy.  In addition, we suggest that Washington send a 
demarche to the IDLO member states listed in paragraph 7 drawing 
on the following points: 
 
 
 
-  The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) has 
contributed toward development and improved rule-of-law 
throughout the world since 1983. 
 
 
 
-  The United States strongly supports IDLO as it consolidates 
its recent reorganization toward results-based management in 
order to best achieve its strategic goals. 
 
 
 
-  Toward this end, the U.S. would like to see the most 
qualified candidate for the position of Director General 
selected at the November 25 IDLO Assembly of Parties.  The 
United States supports Thomas McInerney and believes his 
experience over the past seven years at IDLO makes him uniquely 
qualified to serve as Director General. 
 
 
 
-   Mr. McInerney is the only candidate with the broad 
background in rule-of-law and development that is critical to 
the position.  In addition, Mr. McInerney was principally 
responsible for IDLO's Strategic Plan as adopted by the Assembly 
of Parties in November 2008. 
 
 
 
-  We encourage your government to support Mr. McInerney in the 
upcoming elections on November 25 in Rome so that IDLO can 
continue to contribute positively to development and the 
rule-of-law. 
 
 
 
-  We would appreciate knowing how your government intends to 
vote in the upcoming election and would be pleased to provide 
any additional information needed on Mr. McInerney. 
 
UN ROME 00000063  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) Suggested recipient countries for the demarche are: 
Australia, Jordan, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Bulgaria, 
China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Kenya, Paraguay, Philippines, 
Romania, Tunisia, Sudan, Italy, France, Burkina Faso, and 
Senegal. A similar demarche could also be delivered to the OPEC 
Fund for International Development in Vienna as it will have a 
vote as a new member at the November 25 meeting. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The point of contact at USUN Rome for IDLO is Keith 
Heffern, telephone: 39-06-4674-3528, e-mail: HeffernKL@state.gov. 
COUSIN