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
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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
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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
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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