AMBASSADOR TAHIR-KHELI MEETINGS ON UN REFORM IN UAE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 004953

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S, U/S BURNS, IO A/S SILVERBERG, USUN AMB BOLTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2010
TAGS: PREL UN AE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TAHIR-KHELI MEETINGS ON UN REFORM IN UAE

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Senior Advisor to the Secretary on UN Reform
Ambassador Tahir-Kheli visited the UAE December 4-5 for
separate meetings on proposed UN reforms with Information
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and with MFA U/S Abdullah
Rashid Al Noaimi and MFA International Organizations Director
Yacub Al Hosani. The UAE indicated support for the USG
positions on implementing management reform, establishing a
Human Rights Council, and establishing a Peacebuilding
Commission. Tahir-Kheli stressed the urgency and benefit of
even quiet diplomacy. The UAE also expressed support for the
Comprehensive Convention Against International Terrorism
(CCIT).


2. (U) Summary continued: Ambassador Tahir-Kheli, who was
accompanied by Ambassador Sison throughout her stay, did a
live interview on Al Arabiya television in Dubai as well as
interviews with Arabic and English language local newspapers,
met with students at the all-women's Zayed University, and
discussed UN reform over lunch with UAE Ambassador-designate
to the U.S. Saqr Ghobash and MFA Assistant U/S for Special
Affairs Abdul Rahman Al Jarman. Tahir-Kheli's deputy, Jane
Cowley, and PolChief attended the discussions on UN reform.

Meeting with Information Minister
--------------


3. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met December 5 with UAE
Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who headed
the UAE delegation to UNGA. She underscored the importance
Secretary Rice attaches to UN reform, and outlined the key

SIPDIS
USG priorities before UNGA adopts the two-year UN budget on
December 23: management reform and the establishment of a new
Human Rights Council. She said that the USG is focused on UN
management reform and is seeking immediate action in five key
areas: strengthening the audit and investigations function of
the Office of Internal Oversight Services; creating an
independent Oversight Advisory Committee; establishing an
independent Ethics Office; reviewing obsolete mandates; and
expanding and extending the UNSYG's authority to redeploy
staff and resources. The USG is trying to push for as many
of these proposals before the two-week Christmas break, she
said. Most UN members want management reforms because they
want their contributions to be used effectively and
efficiently, she added. Tahir-Kheli acknowledged that the
review of mandates was complex, but the USG would try to act
on those mandates that are obvious before the 2006-2007
budget is adopted. "It's time to stop talking and time to
start implementing," she said.


4. (C) The establishment of a Human Rights Council is also
"very high priority" for the USG, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli told
Sheikh Abdullah. She said a working group has been
negotiating all aspects of the new council, including its
mandate, working methods, and election procedures. "Let's
agree to wrap up this issue. We can get the agreed items
implemented," she said. Difficult issues can be tackled
after, she added. Tahir-Kheli also briefly mentioned the
USG,s position on the establishment of a Peacebuilding
Commission.


5. (C) Sheikh Abdullah responded that the UAE viewed the UN
as a very important body, and that reforms would relieve
pressure on the U.S. and the role the West is playing with
respect to terrorism, stabilizing Iraq, and achieving peace
between Palestinians and Israelis. Reforms would add more
credibility and transparency to the organization, he added.


6. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli again underscored the need for
urgent action. If the USG does not obtain some "initial
results" to show Congress before the UN adopts its two-year
budget on December 23, Congress has said it "will take away
50 percent of U.S. funding" for the UN. "That would mean an
end to a lot of things,8 she warned. &We don,t want to
see that happen.8 Sheikh Abdullah replied, "It depends on
how fast you want to reform the UN."


7. (C) Sheikh Abdullah asked what the U.S. position was on
the UN's bureaucracy. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli replied that it
was important to "retool" the UN staff and "rationalize"
their work to respond to the current needs of the
organization. Sheikh Abdullah also asked which countries
were the largest financial contributors to the UN and what
their positions were on reform. Tahir-Kheli said "almost
everybody wants reform" regardless of their level of
contribution. What are the "clear disagreements" among
member states? Sheikh Abdullah inquired. The issue of
obsolete mandates, such as the Decolonization Committee and
the Trusteeship Council, Tahir-Kheli replied. Any
programmatic shift would affect jobs, and require
"rationalization" or work for new, more important issues,
such as peacekeeping, relief aid, and peacebuilding. There
is still a "head in the sand approach" among some UN members
on this issue, with some insisting that UNGA is "paramount"
and only UNGA has the prerogative to conduct a review of
mandates.


8. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli shared with Sheikh Abdullah an
earlier conversation with Pakistan's President Musharraf, who
agreed on the need for reform and was proposing reforms for
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). She said
that Musharraf's view was, "If institutions are going to stay
relevant, they have to reform themselves." Sheikh Abdullah
noted that he would be attending the OIC summit in Mecca
December 7-8.


9. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli requested that the UAE speak
out on these issues. "At the UN, silence does not imply
consent," she said. The USG wants other countries to be more
vocal so the issues are not perceived as being U.S. issues
alone. "It's a common agenda we want to share," she said.
Sheikh Abdullah replied by saying that if the UAE can "do
some convincing of others, we will do our very best," but he
added that the USG should not expect the UAE to be vocal
because "we are not known for being outspoken." Tahir-Kheli
thanked Sheikh Abdullah for his support, adding that "quiet
diplomacy works fine if it supports the common agenda for
reform."

Meeting with Foreign Ministry Officials
--------------


10. (C) Earlier in the day, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met at MFA
with U/S Abdullah Rashid Al Noaimi and MFA Director for
International Organizations Yacub Al Hosani, where she
stressed the urgency of achieving some results before the UN
budget vote. Al Noaimi replied that the UAEG was in total
agreement with the USG that the UN was "overdue" for reform.
"Today's world is totally different and the agenda is totally
different," he added. Al Noaimi agreed that some issues
could be resolved before the budget deadline and that "the
devil was in the details." Tahir-Kheli reviewed the need for
management reform, and said it was time to eliminate obsolete
mandates, such as the Trusteeship Council, which still has a
staff, and produces reports in six languages that people
don't read. Such reports cost $2,000 per page, she said,
although Al Hosani had heard a figure of $8,000. The money
would be better spent on eradicating malaria, Tahir-Kheli
said. "Everyone wants good management, efficiency, and
transparency," Al Noaimi said. Tahir-Kheli also said that
the $85 million reform package proposed by SYG Annan could be
reduced by jettisoning unneeded programs. She said the UAE
could play a positive role on the UN Fifth Committee. Al
Hosani noted that the UAEG had supported the USG in the past,
only to see the USG withdraw its resolutions. "We are not
withdrawing it this time," Tahir-Kheli assured him.


11. (C) With regard to the establishment of a Human Rights
Council, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said the work of the last UN
Human Rights Commission was "a painful experience" for all
parties involved, and that countries such as Zimbabwe,
Belarus, Cuba, and Sudan had sought seats on the commission
"to protect their bad record rather than to protect human
rights." She said the USG is seeking a smaller council
membership drawn from the UNGA membership rather than the
more limited ECOSOC membership. The Human Rights Council
also should have a "threshold to get better, modernizing
countries to join." Some countries would like to see the new
Human Rights Council provide capacity-building assistance and
technical support to them, she added. Al Noaimi agreed that
it was a problem when human rights became "politicized." Al
Hosani asked who the Human Rights Council would report to.
Tahir-Kheli said the council should have the support of the
UN Commissioner on Human Rights, and it would be a standing
body reporting to the UNGA, not ECOSOC. "The protection of
people is going to be the responsibility of all countries,"
she said. The Emiratis asked to see a copy of the "Options
Paper" that lays out the positions of delegations. Al Hosani
opined that the membership selection process would be
troublesome. Tahir-Kheli agreed that some things would take
time, but that it was important to work on the issues that
could be resolved.

Terrorism Convention
--------------


12. (C) In her meetings, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli also
discussed the Comprehensive Convention Against International
Terrorism (CCIT),and the USG's hope to have that signed by
year's end. She said that Secretary Rice wanted the text to
make clear that the international community would not
tolerate terrorist attacks on innocent civilians. She noted
that "some within the OIC, and Egypt in particular, have made
adoption of the Convention more difficult." At the MFA
meeting, Al Noaimi said the definition of terrorism was an
issue, but he was also interested in knowing how a country
would deal with an act of terrorism, and what that country's
responsibilities would be. Tahir-Kheli said she would seek
Washington's view on the legal aspects of the convention and
respond to the UAE's queries. Al Noaimi said the UAE
supported SYG Annan on this issue, and it would let Egypt
defend its position. Sheikh Abdullah also raised the CCIT
issue in his meeting. "If we can all agree that attacking
innocent civilians is a crime, at least let's start there,"
he said. "We all have to work very hard on terrorism, at the
UN and elsewhere. ... Terrorists are talking right now in a
better way than we are." Everyone agreed that attacks on
civilians only harmed the cause of terrorists.

Visit to Zayed University
--------------


13. (U) During a visit to Zayed University, an all-women's
college in Abu Dhabi, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met with first-
through third-year students. Some of the students were
clearer than others about their future career and life goals,
and almost all appeared confident, outspoken, and engaged.
They were convinced of their ability to make a difference and
to play important roles in the future. The students asked
Ambassadors Tahir-Kheli and Sison about the role of women in
the U.S., and inquired about how American women juggle
professional and family responsibilities. The students also
talked about the influence of their parents and the
differences between their parents' and their own generations.
One student said she did not appreciate the USG's
International Religious Freedom report's analysis of Muslim
countries, and asked if the U.S. analyzed its domestic
religious freedom issues. Ambassador Tahir-Kheli responded
on the important role such a review plays in ensuring the
right to religious freedom.


14. (U) This message was cleared by Ambassador Tahir-Kheli.
SISON