UNHCR: STILL NO REPLACEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 001809 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR PRM/ANE PITOTTI, USEU FOR MEZNAR AND GAGNE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2010 TAGS: PREF PREL IN CH NP PHUM UNHCR SUBJECT: UNHCR: STILL NO REPLACEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER FOR TIBETAN REFUGEE PROGRAM IN NEPAL REF: A. STATE 136561 ¶B. SPATT-PITOTTI E-MAILS (7/26 & 7/19) Classified By: RefCouns Piper Campbell; Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) UNHCR continues to seek an Implementation Partner (IP) in Nepal to replace the deregistered Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office (TRWO) in providing assistance to Tibetan refugees transiting to India. In a June 26 meeting, UNHCR's Asia Desk Chief Catherine Huck and Senior Legal Advisor Peter Janssen appeared more confident than they were last week (ref B) that UNHCR field officers will be able to continue providing services until a suitable IP is found. Janssen was not able to provide names of specific NGOs that UNHCR is actively pursuing and asked for USG suggestions. ¶2. (C) While UNHCR has not given up on the possibility of Nepali government registration of Snow Lion or indeed the Tibetan Welfare Service (TWS),Huck and Janssen acknowledged they are not confident. Janssen agreed that any new IP would need to include Tibetan guides because they have contacts on both sides of the border and know the geography of the border crossings. US Mission Geneva will continue to follow up on this issue. Moley