Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TUNIS1438
2005-07-01 12:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tunis
Cable title:  

TUNISIA: UN REFORM DEMARCHE

Tags:  PREL TS UN UNSC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001438 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG (LAWRENCE) AND NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2015
TAGS: PREL TS UN UNSC
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: UN REFORM DEMARCHE

REF: A. STATE 119897


B. STATE 114051

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Hudson; reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001438

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG (LAWRENCE) AND NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2015
TAGS: PREL TS UN UNSC
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: UN REFORM DEMARCHE

REF: A. STATE 119897


B. STATE 114051

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Hudson; reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (C) In a meeting on several topics June 29, the
Ambassador offered MFA Director of Americas and Asia
Department Hatem Atallah (A/S equivalent) a comprehensive
summary of U.S. priorities on UN reform, covering support for
the Democracy Fund, management reform, the creation of a
Human Rights Council and a Peacebuilding Commission, the
adoption of the CCT, and UNSC Reform.


2. (C) Atallah focused on UNSC reform, and said that the aim
was to achieve some kind of consensus at the AU Summit in
Libya on the AU approach; before that, members had agreed not
to take public positions on any of the proposals. Atallah
said Tunisia wanted the AU to focus not on which countries
could be added to the Council, but rather get consensus on
the modalities and approach. For instance, Tunisia had not
commented publicly on its support for any new members,
permanent or non-permanent, although Atallah told us they
would support Japan as a permanent member. (NB: Tunisia has a
very fruitful development aid relationship with Japan.)
Atallah hinted that consensus might be elusive, however,
concluding that if there was no agreement at the Summit in
Libya, "each country would have to go its own way on the
issue." The Ambassador said that we understood that current
global realities required a change in the Security Council,
and we welcomed African participation, but he repeated our
position that the U.S. envisioned "two or so" new permanent
members. Atallah made no further comment, but said he would
brief us after the AU Summit.


3. (C) On the issue of the Democracy Fund, Atallah was
predictably non-committal, but did not bring up the fact that
Tunisia already supported a UN Solidarity Fund which sought
to support development in the most needy nations, principally
in Africa. He sought confirmation that contributions to the
Fund would be on a voluntary basis. He did not offer
substantive comment on other issues.


4. (C) Comment: We will follow up with Atallah after the AU
Summit, but we add that the Japanese DCM commented at a
social function June 30 that the GOT had told Japan it would
support permanent seats for Japan and Germany and probably
two others, which slightly contradicts Atallah's statement.
Atallah made no comment on the creation of a Human Rights
Council, but Tunisia will see no interest in supporting the
initiative publicly.


HUDSON