SYG SELECTION: ASHRAF GHANI MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001883 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC UN AF SUBJECT: SYG SELECTION: ASHRAF GHANI MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NY ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador Bolton met briefly with Afghan candidate for Secretary-General Ashraf Ghani on Friday, September 29. Ghani said that he had met with A/S Silverberg in Washington on 9/28, but was just beginning his rounds in New York. Ambassador Bolton expressed appreciation for Ghani's willingness to enter the race, noting that the U.S. had long argued for a larger field of candidates as being in the best interest of the UN. Recognizing that the decision on whether or not to enter the race was a difficult one and carried certain risks, the Ambassador noted that the U.S. was grateful that Ghani decided to put himself forward. Whatever the eventual outcome, the UN will benefit if the Council is able to weigh the pros and cons of more candidates. ¶2. (SBU) Ghani noted that he would meet with a number of Council members prior to the next straw poll (planned for the afternoon of October 2) in an effort to improve his results. He said that it was "exactly right" that the Council should aim to make a recommendation as soon as possible so the incoming SYG has adequate transition time. ¶3. (SBU) Turning to the issue of reform, Ghani said that he thought the UN had so far adopted a "piecemeal approach" and needed to develop a clearer agenda to address the "gap" between the UN's abilities and the role it is being asked to play in the world. He noted that in reviewing recent peace agreements that the UN had brokered or was helping to implement, he had come to the conclusion that the UN's approach was not methodical enough to ensure success. The UN needed a more strategic approach, tied to specific and achievable benchmarks, Ghani argued, in order to facilitate full implementation and prevent the recurrence of conflict in these countries. Even the UN's reporting methodology was flawed, he said, and did not provide a useful mechanism for Member States to make the critical decisions. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Bolton noted that, with the increasing numbers of peacekeepers in the field, the UN needed to focus on oversight of these complicated operations. The lack of effective oversight left the UN potentially vulnerable to a very damaging failure in the field. In closing, Ambassador Bolton offered to be of assistance to Ghani in New York, including by making relevant USUN offices available on specific subjects of interest to the candidate. Ghani noted his appreciation for the Ambassador's assistance on such short notice, and promised to keep in touch as he met with other Council members in coming days. BOLTON