RESULTS OF UNRWA ADCOM MEETING ON PA ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000646 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAL PREF PGOV PREL JO SUBJECT: RESULTS OF UNRWA ADCOM MEETING ON PA ELECTIONS REF: A. STATE 12183 ¶B. AMMAN 471 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNRWA rejected the PLO's request that it allow locally-recruited UNRWA staff in Gaza and the West Bank to simultaneously hold municipal council seats after consulting its UNGA-mandated Advisory Commission (AdCom) in Amman January 24. In an unexpected move, the PLO delegation questioned the impending change in UNRWA leadership, proposing that the AdCom protest the SYG's "failure to consult host nations" in denying ComGen Peter Hansen a fourth term. The U.S. and Jordan fended off this request -- with surprising support from members that had lobbied for Hansen's extension this fall. Jordan, as AdCom Chair, used the meeting to renew its campaign to return the Advisory Commission to the policy formulating body it used to be in the 1950-1980s, signaling that it would ask the upcoming semi-annual Major Donors Meeting to define the AdCom's mandate. END SUMMARY. UNRWA REJECTS CALL TO ALLOW STAFF TO HOLD ELECTED OFFICE -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UNRWA's UNGA-mandated Advisory Commission (Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, U.K., U.S. and the PLO, as observer) met in a rare extraordinary session at the UN Agency's Amman Headquarters January 24. All Commission members, with the exception of the UK, were in attendance. The U.S. delegation was led by Embassy Amman A/DCM Christopher Henzel, and included Amman-based Refcoord Kaneshiro. Acknowledging that this was the first time "in decades" that UNRWA's AdCom had been convened to discuss a governance issue, ComGen Peter Hansen explained that the recent intervention by the PLO Minister of Interior and Refugee Affairs Department Head -- asking UNRWA to allow its locally-recruited staff in the West Bank and Gaza to simultaneously hold positions on PA municipal councils -- had, in his view, raised "difficult questions" about UNRWA's long-standing effort to enforce "clear UN neutrality rules." Hansen acknowledged the PLO's argument that there are "special" circumstances regarding UNRWA staff, as well as the elections that are underway, highlighting the following points: -- The PLO argues the elections are in a territory that is not yet a state and are "one-time" nation-building exercises designed, at the municipal level, to identify skilled technocrats. -- UNRWA's 12,501 local staff in Gaza and the West Bank constitute an unusually high percentage of the population (UNRWA's Gaza Field Chief reported that 10-15% of the candidates in the January 27 round of municipal elections are UNRWA employees. The West Bank declined to share figures, noting that they were "too preliminary" to be trusted.) -- UNRWA local staff are classified by the UN under a unique designation that does not entitle them to the benefits other locally-recruited UN staff enjoy, including hazard pay. ¶3. (SBU) As anticipated, Hansen refrained from offering an UNRWA position, explaining that strong arguments could be made both for and against the PLO proposal. He said he preferred to solicit "clear and unambiguous advice" from AdCom members before making a decision -- which he promised to reach quickly given that elections were already underway and that UNRWA had originally hoped Jordan would convene the AdCom before the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the January 27 round had passed. (COMMENT: Several delegations commended Hansen for his effort to thoroughly frame the issues surrounding the PLO proposal, which included, in his list of counter-arguments, a frank acknowledgment that the speculation he had made about his staff's political sympathies in press interviews had placed UNRWA's neutrality under particular scrutiny this past year. END COMMENT.) ¶4. (SBU) Donor countries (Japan, Belgium, France and the U.S.) uniformly opposed the PLO proposal, arguing that the principle of UN neutrality could not be modified to assist the PA to recruit skilled council members. France and Egypt suggested that UNRWA offer technical assistance to the PA councils instead, and also urged UNRWA to refrain from firing the 12 or so Gaza staff members running in the January 27 round who had refused to tender their resignations. Host nations were split, highlighting differences in their political systems. While Jordan opposed the PLO request, arguing that Jordanian law governing municipal elections clearly required candidates to severe any affiliations they have to governmental or other international organizations, Syria argued in favor of the PLO proposal, noting that the SARG considered municipal councils apolitical technical advisory bodies and that UNRWA could fire any staff member holding municipal council office who appeared affiliated with a political party. Lebanon suggested that UNRWA require its staff to resign only if they won council seats, a proposal that was essentially negated by Japan which had argued in its statement that UNRWA affiliation would provide an unfair advantage to candidates. ¶5. (SBU) Deputy ComGen Karen Abu Zayd confirmed for the U.S. delegation immediately following the meeting that Hansen had concluded that the members were "clearly in support" of UNRWA maintaining its current prohibitions. She indicated that UNRWA would also take up the French suggestion to offer to provide PA municipal councils with technical advice, which she noted was already the case in Gaza. She also said that UNRWA would not penalize those Gaza staff members who had refused to tender their resignations, which she hoped would placate UNRWA union leaders. PLO RAISES ISSUE OF HANSEN'S TENURE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In an unexpected move, the head of the PLO delegation, Refugee Affairs Department DG Saji Khalil, used the extraordinary meeting to question the impending change in UNRWA's leadership. Arguing that the SYG had not consulted refugee hosting nations, which opposed changing the ComGen at a time when the political landscape is in "complete transition," Khalil requested that the AdCom deliver a letter to the SYG protesting his decision to deny Hansen a fourth term. Hansen noted that he had not solicited the intervention and excused himself from the proceedings. The U.S. and Jordan opposed the proposal with backing from Belgium, which effectively ended debate by reminding attendeees that it had lobbied for Hansen's extension during the fall. At the suggestion of France, the AdCom Chair verbally acknowledged Hansen's service when he rejoined the meeting. JORDAN RENEWS ITS CAMPAIGN TO REVITALIZE THE ADCOM -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Hansen left his final AdCom with a mixed message on the role stakeholders should play in UNRWA policymaking. While noting that the UNRWA ComGen position had "more discretion and leeway" to take policy decisions than in any other UN organization, he praised the AdCom as a valuable "governance body." New Jordanian Department of Palestinian Affairs DG Azazyeh used the opening to renew the GOJ's campaign to revitalize the AdCom under its chairmanship, informing members that he would raise the issue of defining the AdCom's mandate when UNRWA's key stakeholders met in Amman in May at the Agency's informal semi-annual Major Donors Meeting. HALE