GOI ON UN REFORM PRIORITIES, LET DESIGNATION

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000085 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/CT, IO, SA, USUN FOR E TUNIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER EFIN PHUM KUNR KDEM IN SUBJECT: GOI ON UN REFORM PRIORITIES, LET DESIGNATION REF: A. 05 NEW DELHI 9755 ¶B. 05 STATE 229918 Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (S) Summary: PolCouns and Poloff conveyed Ref B demarche on LET surrogates' terrorist designation to the MEA officials responsible for UN affairs. New Delhi remains hopeful that the CCIT will be completed soon, despite its disappointment at a failure to finish the text in 2005, and would like increased USG efforts to resolve the remaining differences. GOI officials point out that India has been involved in all aspects of UN reform, and recognizes that UNSC expansion (a "long-term" goal) is only one of a broad swath of reforms. The GOI has supported many US priorities in UN reform, including the Human Rights Council and Peace Building Commission, for the sake of compromise, but feels the US should engage in more consultations to ensure that other nations' concerns are met. Embassy New Delhi recommends more frequent engagement with New Delhi to help reduce the resistance to US priorities in New York. End Summary. Terrorist Finance Pre-notification -------------- ¶2. (S) Following up on Ref A meeting, PolCouns and Poloff conveyed Ref B notification in a December 30 meeting with MEA Joint Secretary (UN Political) Sanjiv Arora and his deputies Director (UNP) Ravi Shankar and Under Secretary (UNP) Manish. Arora noted that his office had already received word of the US initiative, as the Indian government coordinates very quickly on terrorism-related issues. CCIT Still Moving -------------- ¶3. (C) Continuing on the subject of the UN and counter-terrorism, Arora told us that India was "disappointed by the slow pace of movement" toward adopting the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in 2005, but believed that the current text being negotiated is a "good basis to proceed further." New Delhi does not have any problems with the "small additions," including general references to self-determination in the preamble and an addition to Article 18 related to military actions. However, he admitted, the GOI recognizes that the US and some European countries (including France and the UK) are "not comfortable" with these additions. New Delhi expected and would welcome a more proactive US role in finalizing these details, he concluded. Seeing a Bit More Eye-to-Eye -------------- ¶4. (C) PolCouns reviewed the progress of US priorities for UN reform, noted the broad overlap of US and Indian goals, and asked Arora what we could do in our capitals and New York to work more closely together on items of common interest. Arora responded that more frequent high-level interaction, such as the successful November visit of S/UNR Ambassador Tahir-Kheli would help both sides understand each other. For example, he elaborated, the US should not hold on to the NEW DELHI 00000085 002 OF 003 "misconception" that UNSC reform is India's obsession. In fact, India was "very active" in negotiating all substantial reform-related sections of the Outcome Document, he insisted. Although New Delhi believes that an Indian permanent UNSC seat is "long overdue," he continued, "we are prepared for the long haul" to accomplish it, including working through other reforms. On the GOI's next steps in relation to the G-4 effort, Arora qualified New Delhi's commitment, saying, "India will not be the first to leave the G-4 on its own." Small Differences on the HRC and PBC -------------- ¶5. (C) Regarding the Human Rights Council proposal, Arora reiterated New Delhi's preference that its mission be to assist nations to improve their human rights performance, as opposed to being "punitive." The GOI is "not comfortable" with the peer review concept for HRC members, but would prefer a universal country review system. (NOTE: Post will report additional MEA consultations on the HRC septel. END NOTE) ¶6. (C) Similarly, while India supported the Peace Building Commission (PBC) for the sake of compromise, it was "not entirely satisfied" at the "strong UNSC hold" over the PBC, which was far beyond what the Outcome Document envisaged, Arora stated. New Delhi considers itself to be a champion of the interests of developing countries, in a way that is "principled" because of India's constant emphasis on multilateral action and consensus, and "pragmatic" as New Delhi will need broad UNGA support to accomplish its UN reform goals. ¶7. (C) Arora pointed out that while US and India voting patterns are often divergent in the UN (a point we underlined with data from USUN),New Delhi believes that this is often a result of the US taking positions with a tiny minority on many issues (for example, Palestinian resolutions). India appreciates the US's "compulsions," and hopes that Washington will also appreciate India's, Arora said. However, he admitted, "multilateralists can dabble in too much rhetoric," conceding that some of the Indian PermRep's comments in New York could be viewed as unhelpful. He added that the solution to US-India misunderstandings on UN issues was greater bilateral engagement. Comment: Getting Closer -------------- ¶8. (C) Arora's comments illustrate the continuing evolution in thinking about the UN that is taking place in New Delhi, despite the presence of old-think holdovers in the Indian Mission in New York. While the GOI is not yet ready to jettison NAM-type rhetoric (and the constituency this provides for India's UNSC campaign),many thinkers in the capital (in and out of government) recognize that, in the long term, India's interests are better served by joining forces with other liberal democracies in multilateral fora like the UN. Arora's request for increased consultations with us on UN issues should hasten the penetration of this message within the GOI, and help break down the resistance rooted in tradition to helpful initiatives in New York. Post NEW DELHI 00000085 003 OF 003 recommends and would welcome more visits by S/UNR and senior IO officials, as well as consultations in Washington for Indian travelers to New York. ¶9. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) BLAKE