Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ROME2663
2006-09-21 09:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY: "CAPACITY TO PAY" KEY SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS
how-toVZCZCXRO5645 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHRO #2663 2640953 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 210953Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6004 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1871 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 1753 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 7694 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 1863 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0643
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002663
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR IO/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2016
TAGS: KUNR AORC UNGA IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: "CAPACITY TO PAY" KEY SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS
PRINCIPLE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002663
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR IO/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2016
TAGS: KUNR AORC UNGA IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: "CAPACITY TO PAY" KEY SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS
PRINCIPLE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary. Poloff met with Leonardo Bencini, Acting MFA
UN Office Director, and Gabriella Biondi, UN office,
September 19 to discuss the upcoming UN Scale of Assessments
negotiations, as per reftel. Poloff stressed that the United
States would not agree to a scale that eliminated or
increased the current 22 percent assessment ceiling. Bencini
and Biondi noted the EU was overpaying UN dues and was
considering various ways to decrease the EU's assessment/GNI
gap for 2007-2009. For Italy, according to Bencini, the
capacity to pay would be a guiding principle: Italy would not
accept scale of assessment changes based on the concept of
responsibility to pay. End Summary.
2. (C) Poloff expressed U.S. concerns regarding the
possibility that the EU was considering an assessment
methodology that would raise the current assessment ceiling.
Biondi noted that this was not part of the current EU
proposed strategy and provided Poloff with a September 14
draft of the strategy. Bencini said the ceiling was an open
issue, as was the idea of using purchasing power parity, and
the EU was considering all possibilities. He stressed that
Italy wanted to avoid a political debate, preferring to keep
assessment discussions technical.
3. (C) For Italy, the principle of capacity to pay would need
to be preserved in any agreement, according to Bencini. He
noted that Japan's proposal of a three to five percent floor
for UNSC permanent members would introduce a responsibility
to pay and that Italy opposed this. The EU would have a
solidly common position on the scale of assessments issue,
Bencini said, with its main objective to prevent an increase
in the assessment/GNI gap for Europe. Bencini noted that the
current ceiling level exacerbated the EU gap. Poloff
reiterated that, while the United States looked forward to
working constructively with the EU on a mutually acceptable
approach, increasing or eliminating the ceiling would make
consensus impossible. Bencini noted there were several
possible approaches to adjusting the scale of assessments.
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR IO/S
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2016
TAGS: KUNR AORC UNGA IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: "CAPACITY TO PAY" KEY SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS
PRINCIPLE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary. Poloff met with Leonardo Bencini, Acting MFA
UN Office Director, and Gabriella Biondi, UN office,
September 19 to discuss the upcoming UN Scale of Assessments
negotiations, as per reftel. Poloff stressed that the United
States would not agree to a scale that eliminated or
increased the current 22 percent assessment ceiling. Bencini
and Biondi noted the EU was overpaying UN dues and was
considering various ways to decrease the EU's assessment/GNI
gap for 2007-2009. For Italy, according to Bencini, the
capacity to pay would be a guiding principle: Italy would not
accept scale of assessment changes based on the concept of
responsibility to pay. End Summary.
2. (C) Poloff expressed U.S. concerns regarding the
possibility that the EU was considering an assessment
methodology that would raise the current assessment ceiling.
Biondi noted that this was not part of the current EU
proposed strategy and provided Poloff with a September 14
draft of the strategy. Bencini said the ceiling was an open
issue, as was the idea of using purchasing power parity, and
the EU was considering all possibilities. He stressed that
Italy wanted to avoid a political debate, preferring to keep
assessment discussions technical.
3. (C) For Italy, the principle of capacity to pay would need
to be preserved in any agreement, according to Bencini. He
noted that Japan's proposal of a three to five percent floor
for UNSC permanent members would introduce a responsibility
to pay and that Italy opposed this. The EU would have a
solidly common position on the scale of assessments issue,
Bencini said, with its main objective to prevent an increase
in the assessment/GNI gap for Europe. Bencini noted that the
current ceiling level exacerbated the EU gap. Poloff
reiterated that, while the United States looked forward to
working constructively with the EU on a mutually acceptable
approach, increasing or eliminating the ceiling would make
consensus impossible. Bencini noted there were several
possible approaches to adjusting the scale of assessments.
SPOGLI