JAPAN SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT IN HALTING UNDP

S E C R E T TOKYO 007132 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/25/2016 TAGS: EAID KFPC KWBG KNNP KUNR PGOV JA UNDP SUBJECT: JAPAN SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT IN HALTING UNDP ACTIVITIES IN NORTH KOREA REF: USUN 02273 Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Joe Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (C) Summary: In a December 26 meeting with Charge, MOFA Director-General for Global Affairs Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka asked the United States to support its effort to suspend UNDP activities in the DPRK. Tsuruoka cited two reasons for this step: the DPRK's failure to accept UNSCR 1718, and the UNDP's failure to properly manage its programs in North Korea. Tsuruoka further requested U.S. support in encouraging other SIPDIS countries to join in this effort. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Director-General for Global Issues Ambassador Koji Tsuruoka requested a meeting with Charge December 26 to SIPDIS discuss Japan's proposed stop on United Nations Development Programme support for North Korea. Tsuruoka told Charge that the situation had changed since the September Executive Board meeting of the UNDP and called for like-minded countries to join together to halt the North Korea program by submitting written requests to the UNDP Executive Board before its automatic approval on January 25. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) both have sufficient monitoring programs and could be allowed to continue, Tsuruoka said. ¶3. (S) The DPRK should not be allowed to benefit from the UN system if it is unwilling to accept the opinion of UN member states, stated Tsuruoka. It is unacceptable for North Korea to reject UN resolutions and still expect to receive development assistance from the UNDP. When Charge asked if Japan had brought its concerns to the UN Sanctions Committee, Tsuruoka said that Japan's primary concerns were not whether SIPDIS the UNDP is providing items to North Korea prohibited under UNSCR 1718. ¶4. (S) In addition, the UNDP country program for North Korea is badly managed, Tsuruoka told Charge. The inventory of UNDP aid looks more like a North Korean shopping list than a plan for economic development, said Tsuruoka, calling the lack of monitoring "quite shocking." Japan has already approached UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis about its concerns, and any long-term revival of the North Korea country program must include strict monitoring protocols to avoid the diversion of aid. Tsuruoka asked for further consultation with the United States on how to make the development program more accountable in the future. ¶5. (C) Tsuruoka requested that the United States write a letter to the UNDP Executive Board to this effect. Tsuruoka provided a template that he said Japan had distributed to the other 36 Executive Board member countries. Japan also hoped the United States would demarche the other executive board member countries, requesting them to write their own letters expressing the intent to suspend the UNDP program in North Korea, Tsuruoka said. ¶6. (S) Charge thanked Tsuruoka for the information, saying that the United States shares Japan's concerns about the administration of the UNDP in the DPRK, and told him that he would pass Japan's demarche on to Washington. Tsuruoka said that any U.S. policy decision reached during the Japanese New Year Holiday (Dec 29 - Jan 3) should be passed on to the Japanese missions in New York and Washington. ¶7. (SBU) Embassy Tokyo has sent the inventory of UNDP aid to North Korea provided by Tsuruoka and the template letter to the UNDP Executive Board to EAP/J by fax December 26. DONOVAN