HUBS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIPLOMACY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001851

SIPDIS

FROM EST COUNSELOR MULENEX FOR OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENVSENV
SUBJECT: HUBS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIPLOMACY

REF: STATE 64043


1. SUMMARY. MY STINT AS EST HUB OFFICER IN COPENHAGEN
FOLLOWED MY ASSIGNMENT AS SCIENCE OFFICER IN TEL AVIV,AND
PRECEDED MY CURRENT ASSIGNMENT AS SCIENCE OFFICER IN ROME.
OF THE THREE, ONLY THE ROME ASSIGNMENT IS STRICTLY BILATERAL.
REGIONAL WORK, WHETHER ORGANIZED INFORMALLY, AS IN TEL AVIV,
OR FORMALLY, AS IN COPENHAGEN, PROVIDES MORE SCOPE FOR
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 01851 01 OF 02 121558Z
INFLUENCE THAN A BILATERAL ASSIGNMENT CAN, IF THE REGIONAL
WORK IS SUPPORTED BY DEPT. AND WASHINGTON AGENCIES AND BY THE
COUNTRY TEAMS OF ALL THE U.S. MISSIONS IN THE ASSIGNED
REGION. ADEQUATE PERMAMENT STAFF, MONIES SUFFICIENT TO
SUPPORT AT LEAST BI-MONTHLY TRAVEL TO ASSIGNED POSTS, AND
ENOUGH MONEY FOR REGIONAL SEED PROGRAMS ARE FUNDAMENTAL FOR
SUCCESS. AN EFFECTIVE OFFICER WITHOUT THE CONFIDENCE AND
TRUST OF COLLEAGUES, OR WITHOUT THE RESOURCES TO GET A SEAT
AT THE MULTILATERAL OR REGIONAL PROJECT TABLE, WILL ENJOY
VERY LIMITED SUCCESS. IN EVERY CASE, THE SMALLNESS OF HUB
OPERATIONS REQUIRES CAREFUL SELECTION OF JUST A FEW ISSUES,
WHICH ARE HIGH INTEREST AND HIGH VALUE FOR THE REGION, AND ON
WHICH THE HUB CAN MAKE MEASURABLE PROGRESS. END SUMMARY.

INSIDE, OUTSIDE, OR ON THE EDGE?


2. THERE ARE THREE CONTEXTS IN WHICH A SUCCESSFUL HUB HAS TO
BE AN INSIDE PLAYER: (1) WITHIN THE COUNTRY TEAMS OF THE
EMBASSIES IN THE DESIGNATED REGION;(2)WITHIN THE RELEVANT
PARTS OF HOST GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS, AND (3) WITHIN THE POLICY FORMATION AND
RESOURCE ALLOCATION PROCESS IN THE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER USG
AGENCIES. A WELL-STAFFED AND FUNDED HUB WILL BE ABLE TO
SUCCEED BY DELIVERING POLICY POSITIONS AND PROGRAMMING OF
HIGH VALUE TO SERVICED EMBASSIES, BY REPRESENTING U.S. POLICY
AUTHORITATIVELY IN REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS, AND BY BECOMING THE
KEY COORDINATOR FOR USG AGENCIES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
U.S. EST POLICIES. THE INTELLECTUAL INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE
HUB AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO BE REAL--NOT OFF THE SHELF AND
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 01851 01 OF 02 121558Z
GENERIC --AND THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO ACCEPT THE SPECIAL
OBLIGATION TO CONSULT WITH THE HUB ON ITS CORE ISSUES. THIS
IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR OES, WHERE MULTIPLE, OFTEN
MULTILATERAL TASKS TOO FREQUENTLY BECOME WASHINGTON-CENTRIC,
AND THE PRESS TO COORDINATE THE WASHINGTON INTERAGENCY
PROCESS, RESULTS IN A LACK OF TIMELY AND PROPERLY TARGETED
INFORMATION TO THE FIELD. CATCHING THE HUB UNAWARE WITH A
CHANGE OF POSITION CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM.

WHAT'S THE RIGHT SIZE FOR HUBS?


3. A HUB BY ITS NATURE IS NOT A BILATERAL CREATURE, BUT
ADDRESSES CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES. ITS RESOURCE PACKAGE MAY VARY
BETWEEN REGIONS, AND RESOURCES MAY BE APPLIED UNEVENLY TO
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, OR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES,
E.G. CONCENTRATING ON WATERSHED MANAGEMENT RATHER THAN
COASTAL ZONES AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. A FIRST GENERAL RULE
MIGHT BE: DON'T COMPETE WITH INDIVIDUAL MISSION RESOURCES.
WHILE IN COPENHAGEN, I FOUND THAT EMBASSY STOCKHOLM ASSIGNED
AN ECONOMIC OFFICER ALMOST FULLTIME TO EST WORK, PROVIDING
MORE BREADTH AND DEPTH THAN I COULD HOPE TO WITH EVEN MONTHLY
VISITS. A SECOND RULE IS TO RECOGNIZE IMPORTANT BILATERAL
EST ISSUES AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE BILATERAL MISSION IS BEST
PLACED TO FOLLOW THOSE ISSUES. IN NORWAY, WHALING WAS SUCH AN
ISSUE WHILE I WAS IN COPENHAGEN; SO WAS THE TRILATERAL WORK
ON NUCLEAR WASTE. IN GENERAL, I BELIEVE ABOUT ONE-HALF FTE
IS NEEDED AT THE HUB FOR EACH POST TO BE SERVED. LESS THAN
THIS MEANS THE HUB IS JUST ANOTHER TDY CIRCUIT-RIDER; MORE
THAN THIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER ADDITIONAL
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 ROME 01851 01 OF 02 121558Z
POSITIONS, WHETHER FSN OR AMERICAN, SHOULDN'T BE DEVELOPED
FOR SERVICED POSTS. WHATEVER THE LEVEL OF HUB STAFFING, AN
EXTENDED TEAM CONCEPT IS NEEDED THAT ALLOWS RAPID EXCHANGE OF
INFORMATION AMONG POSTS IN THE HUB REGION ON CROSS-CUTTING
ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY THE HUB.

LEADING BY TRAVELING,COMMUNICATING, AND NETWORKING LOCALLY


4. WHAT MAKES A HUB VISIT DIFFERENT THAN A VISIT FROM A
WASHINGTON TECHNICAL EXPERT OR A POLICY OFFICIAL? IT'S NOT
USUALLY SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION OR FIELD WORK, AND EVEN LESS
OFTEN THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS. IT HAS TO BE
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEMS, OF INSTITUTIONS (INCLUDING
SPECIAL INTERESTS AND RIVALRIES),AND OF PEOPLE. IN PRACTICAL
TERMS, THIS MEANS A VISIT TO EACH HUB POST EVERY 6-8 WEEKS,
WHICH TELLS YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU NEED FOR TRAVEL AND
HOW MANY POSITIONS YOU NEED AT THE HUB. IN COPENHAGEN, I
LEARNED THAT THE REAL DECISIONS FOR BALTIC-NORDIC COOPERATION
WERE TAKEN IN A VARIETY OF EU AND OTHER REGIONAL FORA, AND
GAINING ACCESS TO THOSE MEETINGS AS A QUALIFIED OBSERVER WAS
THE KEY TO INTRODUCING U.S. IDEAS INTO PROGRAMS WE HAD FEW
FUNDS TO SUPPORT. WE COULD HELP WITH EXPERTS IN MANY CASES,
AND BUILD JOINT WORKSHOPS AND TECHNICAL EXCHANGES. TO MANAGE

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3232

PAGE 01 ROME 01851 02 OF 02 121559Z
ACTION OES-01

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 CIP-00 COME-00
DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00
E-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00
ITC-01 L-00 NASA-01 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 NSF-01
OIC-02 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00
SS-00 STR-00 TEST-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 ECA-00
PMB-00 G-00 SAS-00 /008W
-------------- 856E21 121559Z /38
P 121506Z APR 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3261

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001851

SIPDIS

FROM EST COUNSELOR MULENEX FOR OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENVSENV
SUBJECT: HUBS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIPLOMACY

AN EFFECTIVE HUB REQUIRES NEAR STATE OF THE ART INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGIES AND AN OPEN NET SYSTEM, SUPPORTED BY SCANNERS,
FAXES, LAPTOPS FOR TRAVELLING, AND CELL PHONES. THE HUB HAS
TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH ITS USG CONSTITUENCY AND ITS BROADER
NETWORK OF COOPERATING INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS.

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 01851 02 OF 02 121559Z


5. HUBS UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT RELIEVE SHORTSTAFFED MISSIONS OR
SEP POSTS OF THE BURDEN FOR PREPARING, DELIVERING AND
REPORTING ON DEMARCHES, ALTHOUGH THE HUB SHOULD BE A LOCAL
RESOURCE HELPFUL IN PROVIDING THE BACKGROUND TO AN ISSUE, OR
IN CLARIFYING THE SOMETIMES LENGTHY TECHNICAL INFORMATION
PROVIDED ON ISSUES LIKE CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT. ON A FEW
OCCASIONS I WAS ASKED TO JOIN A SERVICED POST TEAM IN MAKING
A PARTICULAR DEMARCHE, BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT
COUNTRY WAS EXPECTED TO PLAY IN MULTILATERAL DISCUSSIONS. HUB
OFFICER SHOULD BE MORE CONVERSANT WITH EST ISSUES THAN MOST
OF THE OFFICERS ON THEIR REGIONAL TEAM. FOR THIS REASON, IT
IS PROBABLY UNWISE TO NAME AN OFFICER TO A HUB WHO HAS
NEITHER DEPT., OTHER AGENCY, OR PREVIOUS OVERSEAS EST
EXPERIENCE.


6. PROGRAMMATICALLY,THE SAME RULE APPLIES. AN EXPERIENCED
OFFICER IS MORE LIKELY TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN DISCUSSIONS
WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS, NGOS,AND REGIONAL BODIES THAN A
NOVICE. EXPERIENCED OFFICERS ARE ALSO LIKELY TO HAVE A
NETWORK OF CONTACTS INTO OTHER AGENCIES WHICH ARE, FRANKLY
SPEAKING, MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SUPPORTING EXPERTISE AND
FINANCIAL RESOURCES. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT WITH MULTIPLE
PARTNERS IS A COMPLEX UNDERTAKING, AND EXPERIENCE IS A REAL
ASSET IN SORTING OUT WHO DOES WHAT, WHEN, AND HOW. I LEARNED
A GREAT DEAL ABOUT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT FROM MY WORK AS A GRANT
OFFICER FOR USAID PROGRAMS IN TEL AVIV, AND WITHOUT THE
EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING SCIENCE COOPERATIVE GRANTS IN TWENTY
COUNTRIES, I COULD NOT HAVE MANAGED THE COPENHAGEN START-UP.

GLOBAL WARRIORS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY?
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 ROME 01851 02 OF 02 121559Z


7. SOME WILL RECALL THESE WORDS OF TIM WIRTH; THOSE WHO DO
RECALL THAT THE WORDS WERE JUST THAT. THE HUBS REPRESENT A
HALFWAY HOUSE IN THE MOVE FROM OUR LONG-STANDING ADDICTION TO
BILATERAL ACTION IN A MULTILATERAL EST WORLD. WHILE THERE
WILL REMAIN SOME NEED FOR BILATERAL APPROACHES AND COUNTRY
SPECIFIC S&T RELATIONSHIPS, THE NEED FOR THE MOST EXPERIENCED
EST OFFICERS TO FILL EXCLUSIVELY BILATERAL JOBS MAY BE
CHANGING IF THE PROGRAM ANALYSIS PERFORMED BY THE DEPT.
CONFIRMS MY EXPERIENCE, HUBS REPRESENT A VALID APPROACH TO
THE PERSONAL NETWORK BUILDING NEEDED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE
ACTION ON A REGIONAL LEVEL. PROBABLY MORE SUPPORT IN TERMS OF
POSITIONS, BUDGET, AND EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED, CONSISTENT WITH
WHAT I'VE ALREADY SAID.


8. IT'S THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO PUT SOLID EXPERIENCED OFFICERS
IN THE HUBS. FROM MY BILATERAL POSITION IN ROME, I RUB UP
EVERY DAY AGAINST ISSUES WHICH I COULD WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY
ACROSS THE REGION. YET THE ROME BILATERAL POSITION IS MORE
SENIOR, RANK-WISE, THAN THE HUB POSITIONS WHICH OFFER MORE
SCOPE TO WORK OUR MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES. THIS IS AN ARTIFACT
OF A PRE-INTERNET, COLD WAR APPROACH TO EST "IN CAPITALS", AS
THE CABLES SAY. THE DEPT. MAY WANT TO USE THE HUB STUDY AS A
FOIL FOR A CAREFUL RECONSIDERATION OF OVERALL EST POSITIONS
ABROAD.


9. A FINAL NOTE: THE HUBS ESTABLISHED TO DATE HAVE
GEOGRAPHIC, NOT INTELLECTUAL,PROPERTY. WHILE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS ARE LOCAL, THEY OFTEN HAVE REGIONAL OR GLOBAL CAUSES
AND INFLUENCES. I HAVE LONG ADVOCATED THE NEED TO INTEGRATE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 ROME 01851 02 OF 02 121559Z
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN OUR HUB WORK, AND
THAT WAS MY PRACTICE BOTH IN TEL AVIV AND COPENHAGEN. PERHAPS
IT'S TIME TO CONSIDER THE MERITS OF A HUB THAT TAKES AS ITS
CORE WORK A MAJOR THEME, LIKE SUSTAINABILITY IN ALL ITS
MULTIPLE AND CONFLICTING MEANING, AND ITS CHALLENGES TO
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, TRADE AND
INVESTMENT, INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.
THIS IS TAILOR MADE FOR THE U.S-EU AGENDA, AND FOR ITALY IN
PARTICULAR AS IT LOOKS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN AND TO
AFRICA. IT'S MY MODEST SUGGESTION FOR A HUB WE COULD CREATE
AND STAFF TO SUPPORT THE POST-JOHANNNESBURG AGENDA.


9. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IDEAS IN SUCH A
PERSONAL WAY.
SEMBLER

UNCLASSIFIED

>
2002ROME01851 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED