SPAIN ON UN SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS

UNCLAS MADRID 002512 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AORC KUNR UNGA SP SUBJECT: SPAIN ON UN SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS REF: STATE 153946 ¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Juan Manuel Gonzalez de Linares, Subdirector General for the United Nations, on October 2. Linares told Emboff that the GOS clearly understands that 22 percent is a red line for the U.S. in terms of reaching a consensus on the scale of assessments framework. However, he pointed out that the EU is currently paying over 10 percent more than their total share of GDP. Linares stated that the EU's bottom-line goal is to make sure that the overall EU assessment does not increase, even though Spain's assessment is likely to increase by about a half percent (to 2.97),making them the eight largest contributor. Spain is not interested in alienating the United States in this debate. ¶2. (SBU) Additionally, Linares said that Spain is very pleased with the Japanese proposal to implement an assessment floor of from three to five percent for permanent Security Council members, although he acknowledged that such a floor would be highly unlikely to be adopted. Linares said that the Spanish would remember the Japanese effort in the future. Spain prefers using the six-year average. Spain is considering the concept of factoring purchasing power parity into the equation, and the GOS also is considering whether the debt burden adjustment should be excluded. ¶3. (SBU) Spain's top priorities for the scale of assessments discussion are to get increased contributions from "large emerging economies," namely Nigeria, Russia, and China, based on their capacity to pay more than they currently do. He said the EU would seek "no mercy" for these three nations. ¶4. (SBU) With regards to the specific U.S. issue of raising the 22 percent ceiling, Linares said he thought the USG could help its cause by paying any outstanding arrears and by moving forward with a generous contribution and financing offer for the Capital Master Plan. Linares said that Spain expects the U.S., as host nation and leading contributor, to be generous in upgrading existing UN facilities. ¶5. (SBU) Finally, Linares sounded a cautionary note about EU politics on this issue, noting that the new additions to the EU were likely to see their assessment burdens quadruple or quintuple as a result of their EU membership. This will present a shock to these nations and will factor heavily in the EU's internal deliberations on the matter. Linares said that the EU will be dealing with both an external and internal struggle on this issue. -------------- Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ -------------- AGUIRRE