GOA SUPPORTS UN DEMOCRACY FUND, SEEKS SEAT ON BOARD

UNCLAS CANBERRA 001270 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KUNR AS UNSC UNGA ECOSOC KPKP SUBJECT: GOA SUPPORTS UN DEMOCRACY FUND, SEEKS SEAT ON BOARD REF: A. STATE 133778 ¶B. MATTEI/LUCAS FAX OF 7/28/05 ¶1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Protect Accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) We delivered ref A demarche on July 21 to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) United Nations and Commonwealth Director Nicholas Turner, and at a July 28 follow up discussion with AusAid Acting Assistant Director General Neil McFarlane. McFarlane responded that Australia would soon determine its level of support for the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and hoped it would be enough gain one of the six UNDEF Advisory Board seats reserved for large donors. McFarlane added, however, that Australia would not join a "bidding war" for a seat. Its fallback would be to seek a "regional seat" on the Board if the GOA were not among the six largest donors. McFarlane argued that Australia would bring much to the Board due to its experience promoting democracy and good governance in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond (ref B). ¶3. (SBU) Turner and McFarlane expressed a strong desire to cooperate with the U.S. on UNDEF and other High Level Event (HLE) business. In particular, Turner said that DFAT officials were troubled by the current language on development goals and wanted to work with the USG to "rescue the HLE Outcomes Document from the morass it has fallen into." STANTON