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