VZCZCXRO1607
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #1051/01 3221539
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181539Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7659
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1697
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0722
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0472
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2019 
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV UNSC IZ SY TY
SUBJECT: SRSG MELKERT BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON UNAMI 
ACTIVITIES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  On November 16 Special Representative of the 
Secretary-General (SRSG) Ad Melkert briefed the Security 
Council regarding UNAMI activities during the last quarter, 
emphasizing the recent successful passage of an election law 
while highlighting the work remaining to hold credible 
elections in January 2010.  Melkert also set the stage for 
post-election UNAMI priorities: deep engagement with the 
issue of internal boundaries via the High-Level Task Force; 
continued support in the formulation of and action on the 
National Development Plan; and, normalization of regional 
relations, especially with Kuwait.  Iraqi PermRep Bayati also 
addressed the Council, highlighting the upcoming elections 
and the continued security concerns raised following recent 
Baghdad bombings.  He also reiterated the Government of 
Iraq's hope that the Security Council will "undertake its 
duty" to enable Iraq to restore its international standing to 
that which it enjoyed prior to 1990.  During closed 
consultations members made interventions expressing thanks to 
UNAMI for its continued good work, especially in support of 
the recent passage of the election law, and the importance of 
ongoing national reconciliation efforts.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) 
Ad Melkert briefed the Security Council on UNAMI on November 
¶16.  This was Melkert's second address to the Council, but 
the first time Council members have heard from him following 
his first quarter on the ground in Iraq.  Melkert used the 
occasion to provide an overview of significant developments 
during the reporting period, calling it a "period of great 
challenges and achievements."  His briefing closely followed 
the recently released Secretary-General UNAMI report, 
focusing on the forthcoming January elections made possible 
following the passage of the election law by the Council of 
Representatives (COR) on November 8.  He underscored UNAMI's 
serious concerns about the impact on election preparations of 
the late date in finalizing the law, calling it a "Herculean 
task to ensure that basic standards can be met."  Melkert 
also set the stage for post-election UNAMI priorities: deep 
engagement with the issue of internal boundaries via the 
High-Level Task Force; continued support in the formulation 
of and action on the National Development Plan; normalization 
of regional relations, especially with Kuwait; and, an 
emphasis on promotion of human rights, especially for women. 
While his remarks did not expand greatly on the UN role with 
regard to refugees and IDPs, Melkert called the return of 
refugees and IDPs an "uphill task ahead." 
 
¶3. (U) Iraqi PermRep Bayati also briefed the Council.  He 
optimistically described the recent consensus reached by the 
COR on the election law as the initiation of a "new phase of 
responsible competition and collective work in Iraq, moving 
away from narrow loyalties in order to serve the general 
interests of the country," and thanked UNAMI for the 
important assistance it provided to the Iraqi Government, in 
particular the Parliament.  Bayati reminded Council members 
of the severity of the August 19 and October 25 Baghdad 
attacks, calling them operations "to cripple the capacity of 
the Iraqi state and its institutions and to disrupt the 
democratic political process" and recalled Iraqi Government 
requests to the Secretary-General seeking UN assistance on 
issues related to the security and sovereignty of Iraq.  He 
welcomed the SYG's decision to send an international team 
headed by A/SYGOscar Fernandez-Taranco to Iraq for 
preliminary consultations, calling the visit a "first step, 
to be followed by subsequent steps, leading to the 
fulfillment of my Government's request to uncover those 
behind the deadly bombings in Baghdad."  In conclusion, 
Bayati reiterated PM Maliki's affirmation to the 
Secretary-General last September, "that Iraq no longer poses 
a threat to international peace and security and that Iraq 
has fulfilled many of the international obligations imposed 
on it over the years, including those related to the 
situation between Iraq and Kuwait."  He stated the Government 
of Iraq's hope that the Security Council will "undertake its 
duty" to enable Iraq to restore its international standing to 
that which it enjoyed prior to 1990. 
 
 
CLOSED CONSULTATIONS 
-------------------- 
¶4. (C) Melkert expanded upon the recent adoption of the 
election law in closed consultations, noting that it now 
resides with the Presidency Council, which has ten days to 
accept or reject the law.  If not rejected the law will 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001051  002 OF 002 
 
 
automatically be adopted on November 19.  He highlighted 
concerns regarding VP Hashami's threat to veto the law over 
out-of-country voting (OCV) and compensatory seats, noting 
that UNAMI and the Independent High Electoral Commission 
(IHEC) are in intensive talks with all concerned parties 
regarding this possible spoiler.  In response to Council 
member questions, Melkert advised that the GOI may need 
enhanced MNF-I support to secure Baghdad-based election 
institutions.  He also expressed concern regarding the 
increased complexity of OCV following the late passage of the 
election law. 
 
¶5. (C) All Council members made interventions during closed 
consultations, expressing thanks to UNAMI for its continued 
good work, especially in support of the recent passage of the 
election law, and the continued election support UNAMI will 
provide in the coming months.  Members expressed the need for 
January's elections to be free, fair, and secure.  The 
majority of members highlighted the importance of national 
reconciliation, while Turkey said directly, "national 
reconciliation (in Iraq) remains elusive."  Most members 
noted the August and October bombings and their concerns for 
Iraq's stability, with China expressing its hope that the GOI 
continues to build its national security force capacity so it 
can assume full responsibility and provide needed security. 
Russia called for inter-Arab cooperation in regards to Iraq's 
security concerns with Syria, and Turkey reiterated its offer 
to "play a constructive role in the region, to create a 
better atmosphere."  Turkey also expressed its displeasure 
with the SYG's report language calling Turkish brokered talks 
between Iraq and Syria following the August bombings 
"inconclusive."  A number of members, including Vietnam, 
Croatia, and Austria expressed support for 
Fernandez-Taranco's visit to Iraq.  The UK, Japan, Burkina 
Faso, France, Mexico, Costa Rica and Libya called for Iraq to 
move forward on Iraq-Kuwait issues, including reaffirmation 
of the border. 
 
Wolff