U.S.-FRENCH CONSULTATIONS ON UN ISSUES: UN REFORM,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 003471

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/22/2016
TAGS: PREL UNGA UNSC AORC SU IV FR
SUBJECT: U.S.-FRENCH CONSULTATIONS ON UN ISSUES: UN REFORM,
SYG SUCCESSION, UNSC ELECTIONS, DARFUR, COTE D'IVOIRE

REF: PARIS 3432

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Bruce Turner, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: IO PDAS Jim Warlick's May 19 meeting with MFA
IO A/S-equivalent Sylvie Bermann focused primarily on UN
reform issues -- namely the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC),
Human Rights Council (HRC),and management reform -- with SYG
elections, Darfur, Cote d'Ivoire, and UNSC elections
discussed in less detail. (Reftel reports on Iran-related
discussion.) There was general agreement on potential scope
for the PBC and the need for the U.S. and France to work
together in the HRC, with both sides welcoming the defeat of
Sudan, Iran, and Venezuela in recent HRC elections. On
management reform, the French side echoed U.S. criticism of
the lack of effectiveness of the UNGA Fifth Committee, but
urged working towards a "package deal" with the G-77 to avoid
a UN budgetary crisis in June. Bermann also questioned U.S.
proposals to enhance the UN military staff committee, which
she viewed as too P-5 focused. On UNSYG succession, Bermann
expressed disdain for the current crop of declared candidates
and agreed that political stature and management capability,
not regional background, are the most important criteria.
On AF issues, the French side welcomed adoption of UNSCR
1679, briefed Warlick on recent GoF meetings with UN
officials in Darfur, and commended USG-GOF coordination on
increasing UNOCI troop numbers by reducing UNMEE. Bermann
sought an update on the UNSC election race between Guatemala
and Venezuela, but did not respond substantively to Warlick's
appeal for French help in rallying African support for
Guatemala. End summary.

UN REFORM: PBC, HRC, MANAGEMENT REFORM
--------------


2. (C) Bermann stressed the need to avoid being overly
ambitious in deciding the scope of the PBC, noting that
establishment of the PBC had been delayed too long by
wrangling over participation. In the GoF view, the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti were too complicated
for the PBC; Burundi was a more appropriate choice. Warlick
concurred on the importance of the PBC and stressed the need
for it to be funded from existing resources and have early
successes. He agreed that Burundi was a good choice, adding
also Liberia, Sierra Leone, and East Timor as possible
countries of focus for the PBC. Both sides concluded that
there was general USG-GOF agreement on the issue.


3. (C) Bermann reaffirmed GoF readiness to work with the U.S.
in the HRC, and welcomed Warlick's confirmation of U.S.
intent to be an "active observer." Bermann concurred with
Warlick that the recent defeats of Sudan, Iran and Venezuela
in HRC elections were welcome developments, though she added
that the GoF was "not totally satisfied" with the overall
results. Bermann stressed the importance of "peer reviews"
in the upcoming HRC as a means of obliging HRC members to
address human rights issues, and concluded that the upcoming
June HRC session should not deal with technical issues only.
She confirmed the likely attendance of French FM Douste-Blazy
at the June HRC opening session, and expressed hope that the
U.S. would participate as a full member in next year's HRC.
Warlick confirmed U.S. intent to send an appropriate-level
Washington-based official to the HRC opening and stressed the
need for the Council to have "early successes." Warlick was
clear that the HRC must not be allowed to become a political
vehicle to bash Israel.


4. (C) On management reform, Bermann urged working towards a
"package deal" with the G-77 which would head off a UN budget
crisis in June. She concurred that the G-77 was posing
serious obstacles and echoed U.S. criticism of the lack of
effectiveness of the UNGA Fifth Committee. At the same time,
she advocated focusing on areas where reforms were possible,
noting that this was not the case with respect to Fifth
Committee governance, for example. Bermann referred to a
French non-paper circulated in New York, and affirmed GOF
eagerness to work with the U.S. and other Europeans towards a
rapid solution. Warlick, for his part, stressed U.S.
readiness to engage and find common ground, while emphasizing
the need for concrete results by June in three critical
areas: transparency/accountability, Secretariat reform, and
mandate reviews.

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5. (C) Warlick stressed the need to break through the G-77
dynamic of voting as a bloc, and cautioned against the
potential negative repercussions of a possible G-77 effort to
lift the spending cap by returning to voting in the Fifth
Committee. Bermann stressed the need for continued dialogue
with key G-77 players, and noted a GoF meeting with the
Indonesian Vice-Minister, who had expressed misgivings about
the G-77 position. MFA PDAS-equivalent for IO/UN Affairs
Jean-Pierre Lacroix suggested considering ways to include key
G-77 players likely to be future major contributors to the UN
budget -- such as India, Brazil, and Mexico -- in management
reform discussions, without formally enlarging the Geneva
Group. Warlick questioned the effectiveness of such a larger
Geneva Group and said Washington would want to consider such
a proposal very carefully.


6. (C) Bermann briefly raised concerns on U.S. proposals to
enhance the long dormant UNSC military staff committee, which
she viewed as too P-5 focused. Bermann expressed concern
that a P-5 exclusive approach would give Russia and China
opportunity to block progress, and suggested a more informal,
expansive consultative group which would include all UNSC
members as well as major troop contributors. Such a group,
in Bermann's view, could advise the UNSC on military matters
and maintain informal dialogue with the UN Secretariat.
Warlick explained the U.S. proposal's P-5 focus as reflecting
the fact that the P-5 represents the "heart and soul" of the
UNSC. A P-5 focused military staff committee, in the U.S.
view, would also give Russia and China an opportunity to
engage constructively on such issues. Bermann agreed with
Warlick that there was a need for better military advice to
the UNSC, and both sides suggested that the issue should be
discussed further in New York.

NEXT UNSYG: AGREEMENT ON CRITERIA, DEARTH OF CANDIDATES
-------------- --------------


7. (C) Bermann expressed concern about the dearth of
well-qualified, declared candidates to replace SYG Annan, and
was particularly dismissive of the candidacies of Thai Deputy
Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and former U/SYG for
Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala. Bermann agreed with
Warlick that we should seek the best possible SYG candidate,
irrespective of geographic background. She stressed that
international political stature was more important for the
GoF than management capability, but agreed that both criteria
trumped regional background. Bermann demurred when asked by
Warlick if she saw any well-qualified, undeclared candidates
on the horizon. She downplayed prospects for a successful
East European candidate, noting categoric Russian opposition
to candidates from Poland and Latvia, and doubted that the
GoF could support UNSYG adviser Shashi Tharoor, whom she
dismissed as a "UN bureaucrat." She observed that Kemal
Dervish of Turkey could be a good candidate, though she did
not know his chances and wondered whether he could gain Asia
Group support.

DARFUR VISIT: UN SEEKING LARGE, AMBITIOUS OPERATION
-------------- --------------


8. (C) Bermann commended the recent UNSC adoption of UNSCR
1679, noting that the GoF had always favored a UN takeover of
the African Union mission in Darfur (AMIS). She conceded
that the GoF position had been initially misunderstood,
clarifying that France had posed questions about the takeover
only because it would become the UN's biggest operation, not
because the GoF opposed the move. MFA PDAS-equivalent for
IO/UN affairs Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Warlick on his
visit to Darfur over the May 13-14 weekend, during which he
met with a wide range of people in Darfur and Khartoum,
including representatives of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).
Lacroix noted that UNMIS representatives remained wary of
the intentions of the Khartoum government after signature of
the Darfur Peace Agreement, and told him that the Sudanese
government was most dangerous "when it said yes." Lacroix
concluded, based on his discussions with UNMIS, that the UN
was looking at a very broad, ambitious mandate in Darfur,
taking on all major elements of implementing the peace
accord. He described the UN as looking at numbers as high as
30,000 -- to include civilian officials, military, and police
-- an operation which would pose huge logistical challenges,
incomparable to any other operation in UN history. Lacroix

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observed that there was no infrastructure in Darfur, so
everything necessary for the UN operation, from water to
buildings, would have to be brought in.


9. (C) Lacroix expressed concern about the time lag between
signature of the Darfur Peace Accord and the UN takeover of
security responsibilities, during which parties could seek to
increase attacks. He noted that humanitarian agencies on the
ground in Darfur were most concerned about the security
situation, prospects for increased IDP's, potential hurdles
posed by the Khartoum government, and donor fatigue, which
was beginning to be felt on the ground. At the same time,
Lacroix noted some encouraging progress, and said he was
surprised to learn that the infant mortality rate in Darfur
is the lowest in Africa, due to the massive humanitarian
effort underway. Lacroix also described the food supply
situation as "not so worrying" for the medium term, with the
increased U.S. contribution to the World Food Program efforts
in Darfur likely to alleviate recent shortfalls.


10. (C) Lacroix confirmed that French UN Permrep De la
Sabliere planned to join the UNSC permreps mission to Darfur
in June, and that he would also lead the delegation's visit
to Chad. Lacroix reported that the GoF had urged UNMIS to do
more to ensure that instability in Darfur did not spread to
Chad. In response, UNMIS had told him that it was reluctant
to take on a Chad border monitoring mission, because of
excessive personnel requirements and concerns about possible
negative impact on the Darfur Peace Agreement.

COTE D'IVOIRE
--------------


11. (C) In brief comments on Cote d'Ivoire, Bermann commended
ongoing U.S-French discussions to increase UNOCI levels while
decreasing UNMEE as a good outcome. She expressed hope that
the UN could begin the force generation process for UNOCI
soon, stressing the importance of the issue to the GoF. She
added that greater stability in western Cote d'Ivoire would
have a positive impact in Liberia.

UNSC ELECTIONS: VENEZUELA VS GUATEMALA
--------------


12. (C) Bermann sought an update on the UNSC election race
between Venezuela and Guatemala, asking whether Venezuela's
defeat in HRC elections would bode well for Guatemala. She
betted that Guatemala's recognition of Taiwan would likely
cost it China's crucial support. Warlick observed that the
trend line was moving in a positive direction, with Guatemala
campaigning more actively, especially in Africa, though
CARICOM's endorsement of Venezuela had been a setback.
Warlick cautioned against over-confidence on a Guatemala
victory, and stressed the disastrous impact Venezuela would
have within the UNSC. He encouraged the GoF to do more to
support Guatemala, including efforts to build support for
Guatemala in West Africa. Warlick described Africa as the
key to a successful Guatemalan candidacy, with the GRULAC
divided and the WEOG supporting Guatemala already. Bermann
offered no substantive response to Warlick's appeal for
France to consider ways to advance discreetly Guatemala's
UNSC campaign in Africa, but she agreed to stay in touch on
the issue and concurred on the downsides of a Venezuelan
victory.


13. (U) PDAS Warlick cleared this message.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

HOFMANN