UN AFGHAN SRSG KOENIGS COMMITTED TO EXPANDED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000507 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E C O P Y ( ADDED SENSITIVE CAPTION) SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV AF SUBJECT: UN AFGHAN SRSG KOENIGS COMMITTED TO EXPANDED FORMAT FOR DONOR COORDINATION BOARD REF: A. STATE 35806 ¶B. USUN 503 USUN NEW Y 00000507 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Ambassador Wolff pressed ref A points on the composition of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) during an introductory meeting with UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Afghanistan Tom Koenigs on March 14. The Ambassador emphasized USG concern that agreeing to 20 international members of the Board would make the mechanism unwieldy and distract it from the goal of effectively coordinating international reconstruction assistance. Recalling his initial preference for a Board with only seven international representatives, Koenigs said he agreed to include Italy and Canada only after the USG strongly supported their bid for membership. In his view, this decision opened the floodgates to all other would-be members. With France among those countries now demanding a permanent seat, Koenigs said that the widespread interest has led him to favor a JCMB that would include 21 international and seven Afghan members. Citing the appeals in Kabul and New York for inclusion by multiple countries, he emphasized it is now "impossible" for either the UN or Afghan President Karzai to scale back membership of the Board, but suggested important work could take place in a much smaller "tea club" that would meet discreetly every few months. Keying off an introductory conversation about the debated Human Rights Council, Koenigs argued that the USG should grant the independent Afghan Human Rights Commission access to the Coalition detention facility at the Bagram Air Base to counter potential disinformation about conditions there. End Summary. Koenigs: "Impossible" to Now Scale Back Composition of JCMB -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Raising the composition of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board, Ambassador Wolff conveyed to Koenigs ref A points in favor of a 14-member Board. The Ambassador noted that this issue was of great concern to Washington because of our considered assessment that a Board with 20 international members would become so unwieldy that it would likely pass the point of diminishing returns. He also emphasized that granting permanent seats to Afghanistan's neighbors, most of which are not signficant contributors to Afghanistan's reconstruction, could turn the Board into a vehicle to advance regional political interests rather than coordinate international assistance. Ambassador Wolff noted that Koenigs should expect to discuss the Board extensively during his consultations in Washington March 15-16. ¶3. (SBU) Koenigs said his initial preference was for a Board with only seven international and seven Afghan representatives. The seven internationals would have come from the U.S., UK, EU, ISAF, OEF, one international development bank, and a rotating seat for regional partners. The Italians and Canadians then repeatedly demarched him seeking permanent seats, Koenigs recalled, but he resisted their entreaties until the USG decided to support their bids for membership. Once Italy and Canada were included, Koenigs opined, the floodgates opened and everyone began demanding membership. Explaining that the UN could not appear to arbitrarily handpick select states for membership, Koenigs then outlined his proposal for 20 international members described in ref B. With the French now joining the chorus of those demanding a seat, arguing Paris would otherwise be the only UNSC P-5 member excluded, Koenigs said he now favors 21 international representatives. Asserting that Afghan President Karzai supported the expanded Board and had himself advocated seats for several neighbors and regional states, Koenigs predicted Karzai would not now decide to oppose the format, even under significant U.S. pressure, since he was loath to irritate any donors. ¶4. (SBU) Now that word of the 21 7 format had spread, Koenigs argued it would be "impossible" to scale back international membership on the Board. He said Russia was "adamant" about a permanent seat and had linked this issue to Moscow's willingness to write off its substantial holding of Afghan debt. Koenigs also argued that a rotating seat for regional/neighboring states would not be possible, because India and Pakistan would insist on membership at the same time. He also noted that Iran and Pakistan had announced aid pledges to Afghanistan worth several hundred million dollars each, which argued for their inclusion in the larger format. If the 21 7 format proves unwieldy, Koenigs suggested major donors -- the U.S., UK, EU, and Japan -- could meet in a smaller "tea club" format every few months to iron out coordination issues. But he cautioned this "tea club" idea should not become public, lest it antagonize other Board members not invited to the smaller discussions. USUN NEW Y 00000507 002.2 OF 002 Afghan Human Rights Commission Access to Bagram Air Base Prison -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Keying off an introductory conversation about the formation of the new UN Human Rights Council (HRC),Koenigs praised historical American leadership on the protection of human rights. He then said he had one issue to raise pertaining to human rights in Afghanistan. Noting that the last thing the international community needs in Afghanistan is news that will increase support for insurgents, the SRSG argued that the USG should grant the independent Afghan Human Rights Commission (AHRC) access to the Coalition-run detention facility at the Bagram Air Base to report on conditions there. He said he worried about eventual allegations by released detainees regarding ill-treatment at the prison that could be countered in advance by providing such access. Koenigs said visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Bagram were not sufficient because the ICRC could not publicize its findings. He opined that unlike Guantanamo, the USG would eventually transfer control of the Bagram jail to Afghan authorities, so it would be reasonable to grant those authorities access to the facility now. Koenigs recalled that he had discussed the issue with U.S. General Ikenberry in Kabul, who reportedly made progress in negotiating access for the AHRC until the issue was referred to Washington, where Koenigs believes the decision remains. The SRSG emphasized that he was not traveling to Washington to discuss this issue nor would he raise it publicly, but he did want to bring it to the attention of USG policymakers out of a spirit of candor and honesty. Ambassador Wolf undertook to report Koenigs views to Washington in advance of his meetings. BOLTON