GOI VIEWS ON HLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 001097

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID ECIN UNGA
SUBJECT: GOI VIEWS ON HLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

REF: A. STATE 160880


B. STATE 162146

C. STATE 162169

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan S. Benton; Reasons 1.4
(B) and (D).


1. (C) Summary: Ireland shares a number of USG concerns
about the development chapter of the UN High-Level Event
(HLE) outcome document, but advocates flexibility to reach
agreement on the document's interlocking elements, GOI
officials told DCM on September 2. The Office of the
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) said that the GOI would prefer a
shorter development chapter with stronger references to the
Monterrey Consensus and without commitments on global
development taxes and an International Financing Facility.
Ireland, however, was prepared to announce targets/timetables
for official development assistance (ODA) that were scaled to
national GDP. Foreign Affairs officials highlighted the
outcome document's cross-cutting links on development,
security, and human rights, and they cautioned that
"line-by-line" negotiations would play into the hands of
those who opposed strengthening the UN through reform.
Foreign Affairs officials also sought USG support for UNSYG
Annan's proposal to have the Peacebuilding Commission report
principally to the UN Security Council, with ECOSOC's
follow-up involvement in the development issues underpinning
conflict situations. End summary.

The Taoiseach's Office: Mostly Sympathetic to U.S. Views
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2. (C) Ireland is largely sympathetic to U.S. positions
regarding development issues at the UN High-Level Event
(HLE),Michael Collins, Secretary General in the Office of
the Taoiseach (Prime Minister),and Tom Haney, Principal
Officer for Europe and Development in the same office, told
DCM during a September 2 discussion on reftels' demarche
points. Haney said that the GOI, like the USG, would prefer
a shorter, more politically focused chapter on development in
the HLE outcome document, as compared to the longer,
jargon-filled current version. He observed that Ireland also
favored the U.S. preference for clearer references in the
draft to the Monterrey Consensus, the role of the private
sector, and the responsibilities of aid recipients.
Similarly, the GOI shared USG concerns about proposals for an
International Financing Facility (IFF) and for global
development taxes. Haney said that, unlike the United
States, however, Ireland was comfortable with specific
targets/timetables for official development assistance (ODA),
with front-loading ODA, and with references to the Millennium
Development Goals in the HLE outcome document. He added that
the GOI regretted increased wrangling over the document,
particularly at a moment that UNSYG Annan had described as a
crossroads for the UN.


3. (C) For the Irish public, HLE development issues boiled
down to tangible commitments on the amount of, and timetable
for, GOI contributions to ODA, commented Collins. He noted
that the GOI would announce these commitments most likely the
week of September 5, but certainly before Taoiseach Bertie
Ahern's HLE speech on September 14. He added that Ahern
would focus his speech on the centrality of HIV funding to
Ireland's ODA commitments. Collins commented that Ireland's
aim to fund ODA at a percentage target level of GDP was
increasingly a challenge, given continued robust economic
growth. (In 2000, Prime Minister Ahern committed Ireland to
reach 0.7 percent of GDP for ODA by 2007; Irish ODA is
currently 0.4 percent of GDP.) Collins pointed out that
Ireland "was in good shape" to reach 0.5 percent of GDP for
ODA by 2007, which, with current prices, would require a
total allocation of euro 700 million. To reach the 0.7
percent level would currently entail an ODA allocation
topping euro 1 billion.

Foreign Affairs Officials: The Need for a Political Deal
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4. (C) The GOI shares several USG concerns about the
development chapter of the HLE outcome document, but
advocates flexibility by all sides to reach agreement on the
document's interlocking elements, said Rory Montgomery,
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Political Director, and
John Deady, DFA Counsellor for UN Affairs, in September 2
follow-up discussions with the DCM on reftels' points.
According to Montgomery, Ireland agrees with U.S. views that
the development chapter is too long and should highlight the
role of the private sector and good governance. Deady,
however, noted cross-cutting ties among the development,
security, and human rights sections of the outcome document
and cited the need to strike a political deal that would
"include all elements important to everyone." He observed
that a "close, line-by-line negotiation" would yield a
document with "a low level of ambition" -- an approach that
would comfort parties that did not want to make the UN a more
effective body. Deady added that Ireland had a special
interest in a successful HLE, having drafted the EU's input
to the UN High Level Panel Report during its EU presidency in

2004. In response, DCM made clear that an outcome document
worded imprecisely to maximize the number of signatories
would not help to strengthen the UN.


5. (C) Deady explained that the GOI attached special
interest to the Peacebuilding Commission, since Ireland was
one of the first countries to propose such a body in a
February 2004 report preceding its input to the High Level
Panel Report. He noted that Ireland originally envisioned
the Commission as a subcommittee of the UN Security Council,
similar to the current U.S. view. Other EU Member States,
however, had advocated a significant role for ECOSOC in the
Commission, a position that Ireland initially resisted.
Deady said that the GOI now favored UNSYG's Annan
recommendation that, in the initial phase of conflict
situations, the Commission report first to the UNSC, which
would over time refer the matter to ECOSOC. This approach
reflected the "natural continuum" between the urgency of a
conflict and the developmental issues underpinning a
conflict. Deady requested that the USG add its support to
Annan's proposal, which involved ECOSOC to the degree
necessary to win widespread support for the Commission.
KENNY