US MISSION/ROME 2003 SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS - AS

UNCLAS ROME 000008

SIPDIS


FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO/EDA BEHREND
USUN NEW YORK FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND LTAMLYN
NSC FOR JDWORKEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF
SUBJECT: US MISSION/ROME 2003 SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS - AS
REQUESTED BY A/S IO HOLMES FOR THE IO/COM CONFERENCE JANUARY
8-9, 2004

REF:(A) 03 STATE 348057, (B) 03 ROME 4996, (C) 03 ROME 5106

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT
SUITABLE FOR INTERNET POSTING.

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Summary
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1. (SBU) Kim: Thanks for the opportunity to lay out our past
year's accomplishments. In short, it was an extraordinary
year where our Mission, like many other IO posts, found
ourselves in the middle of some of the most difficult
challenges on our country's foreign policy agenda. In 2003
US Mission/Rome worked with WFP in gearing up for and
executing a 3 million ton food delivery program for Iraq
that effectively averted widespread hunger despite serious
logistical constraints. Overall, direct U.S. donations to
WFP's worldwide relief efforts exceeded USD 1.2 billion, the
largest single year U.S. Government donation to any UN
Agency in the history of the UN. We engaged with FAO
leadership/Rome in coordinating the complex purchases of
massive quantities of fertilizers and agricultural supplies
for Iraq. Fact finding visits were conducted in a number of
troubled areas including the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Ethiopia and Cote d'Ivoire. We worked with Executive Board
members and the WFP Secretariat to ensure passage (October
2003) of an allotment of up to USD 20 million from the
organization's Equalization Account to cover one time costs
for security upgrades in WFP's offices worldwide. Finally,
in tandem with the untiring efforts of WFP Executive
Director Jim Morris, we were able to secure sufficient
international food aid (particularly a generous donation
this year of 100,000 tons of U.S. P.L. 480 Title II
assistance) to keep WFP relief efforts running this year in
North Korea. End summary.

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Background
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2. (SBU) Our vision over this past year has been to "put
into action America's commitment to alleviate hunger and
build hope." The US Mission pursues U.S. interests with the
principal UN Agencies based in Rome and fosters relations
with more than 150 permanent diplomatic representations from
other countries. In particular, US Mission/Rome is at the
forefront of recasting the humanitarian assistance and
disaster response of multilateral organizations, leveraging
the United States' status as the dominant humanitarian donor
and ensuring that resources are deployed effectively in ways
that advance U.S. policies.


3. (U) In 2003, the United States donated over U.S. dollars
(USD) 1.2 billion in relief and recovery assistance through
the World Food Program (the largest single year U.S.
Government donation to any UN Agency in the history of the
UN) and over USD 10 million in voluntary, extra-budgetary
support through the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
for emergency seeds and tools. We worked with these entities
and their UN sister organizations on a daily basis to ensure
the proper stewardship of U.S. resources provided to benefit
vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters and
complex emergencies worldwide.

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The exemplary Iraq humanitarian response through WFP and FAO
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4. (SBU) For months before the U.S.-led coalition invaded
Iraq, we worked with WFP in gearing up for a massive food
distribution program to avert famine in the event of war. As
the war got closer, food was warehoused around the region,
humanitarian corridors were mapped out, and contracts were
drafted with shipping and trucking companies throughout the
region. This planning paid off: to date WFP has successfully
moved some 3 million tons of food into Iraq, effectively
stabilizing the food situation. We worked hard to convince
both WFP and FAO to take on prime responsibility for the
purchase of around 1.5 million tons of local Iraqi wheat and
barley production. We also engaged with FAO leadership in
coordinating the complex purchases of massive quantities of
fertilizers and agricultural supplies for Iraq, with funding
from the Oil-for-Food (OFF) Program. Note: US Mission had a
representative posted in the Iraq theatre for 100 days. End
note.

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Advocacy for upgraded security for humanitarian workers
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5. (SBU) All of us deeply mourned the tragic loss of the
lives of 23 of our UN humanitarian colleagues, victims of
the August 19 cowardly terrorist attack on the United
Nations Headquarters in Baghdad. At the WFP October 2003
Executive Board session (reported ref B),we worked with
Board members and the WFP Secretariat to ensure passage of
an allotment of up to USD 20 million from the organization's
Equalization Account to cover one time costs for security
upgrades in WFP's offices worldwide. And we followed up with
a meeting on November 7, 2003 at U.S. Embassy Rome, at which
our Regional Security Officer's team and WFP security
chiefs, reviewed WFP's planned worldwide security measures
and recommendations resulting from a comprehensive risk
assessment of its Rome installation using an independent
consultant. Note. For starters, reinforced barriers are
presently being installed at WFP Headquarters and all
windows have been duly treated with mylar. End note.


6. (U) The UN Security Office, UNSECOORD, which forms a key
part of the operation, has concluded (ref C) that the
present UN humanitarian field security management system
requires "significant and urgent enhancement." I want to
point out that WFP has lost 56 staffers -- killed in the
line of duty -- over the past decade. I strongly support the
position of then WFP Executive Director Catherine Bertini in
her appearance before the UN Security Council in early
February, 2000, which drew world attention to the issue that
"host countries must be responsible for the security of
humanitarian workers and must act to punish the perpetrators
of crimes against humanitarian workers." We stand ready to
assist WFP wherever appropriate in expanding and refining
training related to security awareness and practices of WFP
staff, their families and NGO partners.

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Fact Finding Visits to troubled areas
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7. (U) In 2003, I visited the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Ethiopia and Albania in my attempt to fulfill the
President's mandate and draw attention to problems of hunger
and communicate and demonstrate America's compassion for
people in need. My staff visited other troubled spots
including Iraq, Mauritania, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Georgia,
northern Uganda, Nepal, southern Bangladesh (which focused
attention on the forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees to
Burma),and more. One lesson that has been frequently
reinforced in these visits, which we are keen to communicate
to both traditional and emerging donors, is the value of
food aid.


8. (SBU) Our food leverages so much more in accomplishing
broader goals. I have seen it used to prevent human
trafficking, reforest mountains, assist farmers with
irrigation projects, and provide parents with an incentive
to ensure that their children get an education. It is clear
to see the benefit of school feeding programs around the
world, but especially on the front lines of the war on
terrorism. As one Pakistani teacher stated about the
training of terrorists, "It's poverty and hunger that drive
these students to the madrasahs. If their stomachs weren't
empty, they wouldn't come."

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Advocate for North Korea's hungry poor women and children
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9. (SBU) Finally, in tandem with the untiring efforts of WFP
Executive Director Jim Morris, we were able to secure
sufficient international food aid (particularly a generous
donation this year of 100,000 tons of U.S. P.L. 480 Title II
assistance) to keep WFP relief efforts on track this year in
North Korea. Let me emphasize that neither WFP nor we are
satisfied with the monitoring and access situation for food
aid programs in DPR Korea. We bear no illusions with the
constraints of dealing with the hideous regime still in
place there. But while we continue to make progress toward
our goal of reaching international accountability standards
for our food donations, we are also saving the lives of the
most vulnerable. We know there are millions of hungry,

needy North Korean women and children.


10. (SBU) Having visited North Korea six times since 1996,
I can attest that WFP food assistance is reaching many of
them, and is making a difference. And let me assure you that
achieving further progress on monitoring and access will
remain a top priority for me and my staff in our continuing
dialogue with WFP leadership and concerned donors.


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Comment
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11. (U) I can tell you that our small U.S. Mission/Rome is a
diamond in the rough. We are polishing it and I am
convinced that it is swiftly becoming one of the "jewels in
the crown" of the State Department. And thank you for all
the support you in IO gave us in 2003, and we look forward
to doing even more for the hungry in 2004. Tony. Hall


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2004ROME00008 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED