IRELAND/UN: VENEZUELA, THE PEACEBUILDING

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 000206

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC GT VE EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND/UN: VENEZUELA, THE PEACEBUILDING
COMMISSION, AND UNSYG SUCCESSION

REF: A. STATE 20173

B. STATE 23591

C. STATE 22833

Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary E. Daly; Reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D).


1. (C) Like the United States, Ireland believes that
Venezuela would bring neither strength nor diplomatic
credentials to the 2007-2008 Latin America non-permanent seat
on the UN Security Council, according to John Deady and Brian
Cahalane, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Counselor and
First Secretary, respectively, for UN Affairs, to whom
emboffs delivered reftels' demarches on February 17. While
Ireland would not take a public position on the Latin America
seat until closer to the UNGA ballot, the GOI nevertheless
regarded Guatemala as the better candidate, explained Deady.
He cautioned, however, that Venezuela's influence among the
Group of Latin American Countries (GRULAC) seemed to be
growing, and he believed that Bolivia might now favor
Venezuela's candidacy for the UNSC seat.


2. (C) Ireland is not actively considering candidacy for the
Organizational Committee (OC) of the UN's new Peacebuilding
Commission (PBC),said Deady. He noted that the OC would
likely draw representatives from six geographic regions and
that Europe already had three candidates (Bosnia, Croatia,
and Switzerland). The GOI saw Ireland's current role as
working with Switzerland and other Western Europe and Others
Group (WEOG) members in defining the PBC's mission. Deady
stressed, however, that the GOI attached great importance to
the PBC, having written the EU paper supporting the
Commission's creation during Ireland's 2004 EU presidency.
Ireland has also been a long-standing troops contributor to
UN peacekeeping missions, such as currently in Liberia, he
added.


3. (C) Regarding the appointment of the next UN
Secretary-General, Deady said that Ireland was "officially

SIPDIS
agnostic" on the need for regional variation of the post. He
observed, however, that regional rotation was a factor worth
considering in the UNSYG succession process; moreover, the
U.S. preference to find the most qualified person might be
politically difficult to achieve. He elaborated that both
Eastern Europe and East Asia could make strong cases for
candidates from their regions to succeed UNSYG Annan. Deady
also cited recent comments from Ambassador Bolton that, under
Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Secretary-General should be
qualified to act as the UN's chief administrative officer.
Deady highlighted Articles 98 and 99, which also require the
UNSYG to have the necessary political/diplomatic skills to
carry out the office. "A mere administrator," observed
Deady, "would not fit the bill."
KENNY