FM FRATTINI ON UNSC REFORM

UNCLAS ROME 002636

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IT PINS PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: FM FRATTINI ON UNSC REFORM


1. (U) SUMMARY: IN A MAY 3 ARTICLE IN THE CENTRIST DAILY
CORRIERE DELLA SERA, ITALIAN FM FRATTINI LAID OUT IN DETAIL
ITALY'S VIEW ON SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM. END SUMMARY


2. (U) FRATTINI ARGUED THAT ITALY WANTS UNSC REFORM, NOT
REORGANIZATION. ITALY REALISTICALLY SUPPORTS, FOR NOW,
LEAVING CURRENT PERMANENT MEMBERS AND THEIR VETO POWER
UNTOUCHED, ACCEPTING THAT THE CURRENT PERMANENT MEMBERS ARE
UNLIKELY TO GIVE UP THEIR RIGHTS. HOWEVER, THE SECURITY
COUNCIL DOES NOT REFLECT DECOLONIALIZATION AND OTHER GLOBAL
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES. AN UPDATED MEMBERSHIP WOULD
GIVE THE SECURITY COUNCIL ADDED RELEVANCE AND HELP KEEP ITS
"CENTRAL ROLE" WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.


3. (U) IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, FRATTINI LAID OUT A
PLAN THE GOI HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR MANY YEARS. RATHER THAN
ADDING A LIMITED NUMBER OF ROTATING, GEOGRAPHICALLY
REPRESENTATIONAL MEMBERS, ITALY PROPOSES TO ADD A "WIDE
RANGE" OF FREQUENTLY ROTATING MEMBERS CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF
THEIR ECONOMIC WEIGHT AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE UN; THIS
COMMITMENT BEING MEASURED IN TERMS OF PEACEKEEPING AND
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE. PREVIOUSLY THE GOI SUPPORTED THE
ADDITION OF TEN NEW NON-PERMANENT SEATS, DIVIDED
GEOGRAPHICALLY, AMONG WHICH THIRTY COUNTRIES, CHOSEN BY THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY BASED ON "OBJECTIVE CRITERIA," WOULD ROTATE.


4. (U) ACCEPTING THAT THE CURRENT P-5 WILL NOT RELINQUISH
THEIR SPECIAL RIGHTS, ITALY NONETHELESS BELIEVES THE "THREAT
OR USE OF VETO" AGAINST A PREVAILING POSITION WITHIN THE
SECURITY COUNCIL WOULD BECOME MORE DIFFICULT WERE THE
SECURITY COUNCIL TO BECOME MORE DEMOCRATIC AND MORE
REPRESENTATIONAL. ITALY, FRATTINI SAID, "LOOKS FAR" AND
ENVISIONS ACHIEVING THIS BY IMPLEMENTING EU COORDINATION IN
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE EU
TREATIES. ACCORDING TO FRATTINI, THE TWO EU COUNTRIES
CURRENTLY IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL, THE U.K. AND FRANCE,
SHOULD COORDINATE WITH THEIR EU PARTNERS AND REFLECT THEIR
PARTNERS' INTERESTS WITHIN THE SECURITY COUNCIL. HE SAID
ITALY WOULD WORK WITH THIS OBJECTIVE IN MIND DURING ITS
UPCOMING EU PRESIDENCY AND POSSIBLY IN 2007-2008, WHEN IT
HOPES TO BE REELECTED TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL AS A ROTATIONAL
MEMBER.


5. (U) FRATTINI NOTED THAT THE EU CONVENTION IS ALSO WORKING
TOWARD THIS END AND WROTE, WITHOUT OFFERING TIME LIMITS, THAT
A SECOND STEP FORWARD WOULD BE TO EVENTUALLY ADD AN EU SEAT
WITHIN THE SECURITY COUNCIL: "IN PARTICULAR IF WE CONSIDER
THAT, IN A REFORMED COUNCIL, THE VOICE OF EUROPE WOULD
EXPRESS THE INTERESTS AND OBJECTIVES OF A PROSPEROUS AND
DEMOCRATIC REGION THAT EXTENDS FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE
BOUNDARIES WITH RUSSIA AND INCLUDES TURKEY." LOOKING FURTHER
AHEAD, HE SAID ITALY COULD EVENTUALLY ENVISION A SINGLE EU
REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE SECURITY COUNCIL -- I.E. WHERE THE
UK AND FRANCE WOULD GIVE UP THEIR INDIVIDUAL SEATS AND BE
INCLUDED IN THE EU SEAT.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: SINCE THE IDEA OF SECURITY COUNCIL
EXPANSION WAS FIRST RAISED MORE THAN TEN YEARS AGO, ITALY'S
MAIN GOAL HAS BEEN TO KEEP GERMANY FROM BECOMING A PERMANENT
MEMBER, THEREBY PERMANENTLY RELEGATING ITALY TO A "SECOND
CLASS" EUROPEAN COUNTRY. SINCE SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM IS
NOT A HOT TOPIC AT THE MOMENT, IT IS UNCLEAR WHY FRATTINI
CHOSE THIS TIME TO RE-STATE LONG-STANDING GOI THOUGHTS ON THE
SUBJECT. END COMMENT.
SKODON

NNNN
2003ROME02636 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED