SYG SELECTION: SECURITY COUNCIL INFORMALS MAY 31,

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001119 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2011 TAGS: PREL UNSC UN DA SUBJECT: SYG SELECTION: SECURITY COUNCIL INFORMALS MAY 31, 2006 REF: USUN 1086 Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent Representative For Reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Security Council Ambassadors met May 31 in "informal informals" to continue last week's discussion on the process of selecting the next Secretary-General (reftel) and to agree on the text of a letter from the incoming Security Council President (Denmark) to the President of the General Assembly. Danish PR Loj later circulated a proposed letter, along with talking points for her to use on the subject in the regular monthly meeting with Eliasson (texts at para 3 and 4). During consultations of the Council on Friday, June 2, Loj will seek the Council's approval to sign the letter, which would be transmitted immediately to Eliasson. Loj would then use the incoming President's regular press briefing following the June 2 consultations to note the Council's communication to the broader membership and emphasize the transparency of the Council's ongoing process to select the next Secretary-General. SIPDIS ¶2. (C) A number of Security Council Ambassadors, including Loj, stressed the importance of the Council being as forthcoming as possible with the General Assembly while adhering strictly to the Charter and maintaining the necessary flexibility to deal with unexpected developments. UK PR Jones Parry suggested that Security Council openness was necessary to help fend off unwanted initiatives in the General Assembly. The discussion included a few additional areas of agreement among Council members: -- The candidate list should remain open until the final decision is taken, even, in the words of Russian PR Churkin, "if that means a new candidate emerges minutes before the formal vote is taken." -- Candidates should only be added to the official candidate list if sponsored by a Member State (even if not their own). Self-declared candidates will need to get at least one Member State to support them. (Jones Parry called it a "reasonable threshold." He noted that there was a UK citizen of Sri Lankan origin (Nirj Deva) running a self-declared campaign for the job. Jones Parry went out of his way to signal that the UK had no intention of sponsoring Mr. Deva for the post.) -- Candidates can be presented to the Council President either verbally or in writing. The Qatari Counsellor tried 
to argue that candidates should only be submitted in writing, leading someone to comment derisively: "This is the Security Council, not the General Assembly." French PR de La Sabliere warned that a requirement for every nomination to be in writing might send a signal that unsuccessful candidates would similarly need to withdraw by a potentially embarrassing letter. Ambassador Sanders noted that the Council should maintain maximum flexibility so as not to discourage candidates from coming forward, including those also serving in high political office in their home countries. -- The Ambassadors agreed that decisions on specific issues related to straw polling, including the mechanics of the voting and design of the ballots, were better left until July. ¶3. (C) Text of proposed letter from the President of the Security Council to the President of the General Assembly: -- The Charter gives important roles to the Security Council and the General Assembly regarding one of the most essential decisions for the United Nations, the selection of the Secretary-General. SIPDIS -- The Security Council is committed to working closely with the General Assembly on this important matter, in a spirit of transparency and dialogue. -- In this spirit, and following up on your conversation with the President of the Security Council on 18 April, I wish to inform you that the Security Council intends to start in early July the process of consideration of candidacies which will have been presented to its President by a member State. As in the past, a member State may present candidate, nationals and/or non-nationals of that State, at any stage of the process. -- The President of the Security Council will continue, on behalf of all members, to keep you informed, and through you the membership at large, of developments in the process within the council. -- I look forward to meeting you in the coming days to exchange views on this important issue. End text of letter. ¶4. (C) Text of proposed talking points for use by the President of the Security Council in her meeting with the President of the General Assembly: -- The SC agreed this year to further increase the transparency of the selection process in the SC and interactions with GA. -- This meeting therefore is a follow-up to meetings with previous Presidents of the SC (since February),which have been an opportunity for the council's views to be set out, in particular in the April meeting which your office memo records. -- The SC intends to start in early July, initially through informal consultations, the process of consideration of candidacies which will have been presented to its President by a member State. As in the past, a member State may present candidates, nationals and/or non-nationals of that State, at any stage of the process. -- Council members remain interested in hearing views from PGA on the process, for instance in being informed if candidates express the wish to present their candidatures and their vision of the UN, including through informal dialogues with member States, for example during meetings with the regional groups. -- Commitment to continue to inform on the next steps. End text of talking points. BOLTON