AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S FIRST

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 005072

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/I, USUN, IO

E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PNAT PREL IZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S FIRST
MEETING WITH MINISTER OF MUNICIPALITIES AND
PUBLIC WORKS


1. (U) Action request, para seven.


2. (U) BEGIN SUMMARY. Ambassador Khalilzad and IRMO
Director Speckhard met with Minister Nasreen Berwari,
Iraq Minister of Ministry of Municipalities and Public
Works (MMPW),on December 10 to discuss several
substantive issues. Ms. Berwari suggested that the USG
should help Iraq to obtain infrastructure project
financing from Japan and the World Bank. Ms. Berwari
briefly talked about constitutional concerns. Given
the devolution of power to the provinces, she said the
MMPW should focus on strategy and the provincial
governments on project implementation. She also
requested USG support for her application for a
position within the UNDP. END SUMMARY.


3. (U) Minister Berwari, the head of the Ministry of
Municipalities and Public Works (MMPW) since 2003, said
Iraq has tremendous unmet needs for infrastructure
reconstruction and institution capacity building. USG
funds will not be enough to address all of these needs,
so the MMPW is pursuing Government of Japan and World
Bank financing. Ms. Berwari said that sound master
plans and feasibility studies are key to obtaining
other donor financing and requested additional USG
support to prepare such documents. (Comment. The USG is
preparing three standard design packages for water
treatment plants for the MMPW that can easily be
modified for other projects not financed by the USG.
By using these standard designs, the MMPW will be
better positioned to seek international donor financing
for new projects or to complete on-going projects. End
Comment.)


4. (U) The Minister also discussed the role of the
governorates in project implementation under the new
constitution. Given the devolution of authority to the
provinces, Ms. Berwari said the MMPW should focus on
policy and strategic planning and the governorates on
project implementation and follow-up. She expressed
concern about decentralization and highlighted the need
for the Provincial Reconstruction Teams to coordinate
across levels of government to ensure success.


5. (U) The Minister raised two areas of concern with
respect to the new constitution: provisions affecting
women's rights, especially as they relate to judicial
proceedings, and provisions related to federalism. She
asserted that the Kurds want to retain the provisions
on federalism, but hope to revert to the provisions on
judicial proceedings that were in effect before the new
constitution was adopted by referendum on October 15,

2005.


6. (U) The Minister discussed her recent application to
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the
position of Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab
States. (The Bureau is the headquarters for UNDP
offices in 17 countries that provide development
assistance in the Arab region.) She is requesting USG
support for her application. (Comment. Ambassador
Khalilzad believes that Ms. Berwari is a good candidate
for the position, iven he prior experience with the
UN Human Settlements Program, the UN Office of the
Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, and the Iraq Relief
Coordination Unit of the UN Department of Humanitarian
Affairs, as well as her experience as Minister of MMPW
and her commitment to reform. Ms. Berwari, however,
has been the subject of a recent investigation by the
MMPW Inspector General, who claims that she directed
Ministry contracts to a specific company. Ms. Berwari
asserts that she has evidence to prove her innocence
and that the charges are politically motivated. Given
that the case is in the early stages, we cannot make a
final assessment at this time. End comment.)


7. (U) Action Request. Ambassador requests Washington
consider Ms. Berwari's request for support in her
candidacy, taking into consideration the ongoing
investigation.

Khalilzad