UN REFORM: U/S BURNS SEES GA PRESIDENT ELIASSON

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000993

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2011
TAGS: PREL PHUM KUNR AORC UNGA UN IR
SUBJECT: UN REFORM: U/S BURNS SEES GA PRESIDENT ELIASSON
DURING THE HRC VOTE


Classified By: Ambassador Alex Wolff, Deputy Permanent Representative,
for reasons 1.4 b,d.


1. (C) Summary. U/S Burns called on GA President Eliasson
during a break in the HRC voting on Tuesday, May 9. Eliasson
was clearly energized by the results of the voting and
expressed his hope that the U.S. would be "encouraged" by the
process. Both agreed that the proof of positive change would
be in the voting practices of the members. Eliasson
advocated using the new peer review and pledge process to
hold members to a higher standard. On reform, Eliasson said
it was the worst atmosphere for reform that he has ever
experienced, but suggested that the U.S. and its partners lay
out a realistic set of objectives prior to the June
expiration of the spending cap. He thought that the G-77's
fear of the looming budget debate was driving their current
aggressive posture. U/S Burns pressed the UN reform agenda
and said we would work to close the divisions with the G-77
and other member states but needed to see tangible evidence
that the G-77 will meet us halfway. End Summary.


2. (U) Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
met with an elated General Assembly President, Jan Eliasson,
and staff in between the final rounds of voting for the Human
Rights Council (HRC) membership on Tuesday, May 9. Eliasson
was joined by a large number of his staff, including Chief of
Staff Lars Wide. U/S Burns was accompanied by USUN Deputy PR
Alex Wolff, P Special Assistant Stefanie Amadeo and a USUN
notetaker.


3. (C) Eliasson was visibly pleased by the results of the HRC
vote. "I hope it will facilitate your decision next year,"
he said, remarking that the mechanism had succeeded in
keeping some of the worst offenders off the Council. He
noted that Iran had gotten less than 60 votes, and he claimed
that the process had demonstrated that Venezuela's attempt to
become "a leader of the third world" through a campaign of
anti-Americanism was a failure. Beyond the vote tally,
Eliasson emphasized that the new mechanism had generated some
measure of self-policing within the regional groups,
particularly Africa, that had prevented some of the worst
offenders from standing for election. The Council would not
be without blemishes, he admitted. But with members like
Saudi Arabia, it would be important to take advantage of
leverage provided by the pledges made by candidates and the
process of peer review of members. U/S Burns noted that the
election of Cuba was a great disappointment to us. Eliasson
stressed the importance of
establishing good working methods and encouraged U.S.
diplomats to be fully engaged in Geneva. U/S Burns said the
U.S. would be fully involved, but the proof of the new
process would be in the voting practices of the members.


4. (C) U/S Burns asked Eliasson how the pro-reform forces in
the UN should respond in the wake of the May 8 GA vote that
dealt a sharp blow to the Secretary-General's reform agenda.
Eliasson recommended that "we leave this chapter behind us."
He thought that the majority of interventions following the
May 8 vote were positive and forward-looking, and it would be
a mistake to keep rehashing that debate. Instead, he
suggested that the reform advocates need to agree on a
package that is "realistic to achieve" in advance of the June
expiration of the spending cap imposed on the Secretariat
last year. The French and the Japanese, he claimed, have
proposals in this regard that could serve as a basis for
agreement. Progress on these reform objectives would also
have to be complemented by progress on the ECOSOC reform and
development implementation resolutions, both of which are of
continued interest to the G-77.


5. (C) Eliasson stressed the need for confidence-building
measures between the developed and the developing world. He
said that he had never before felt such an urgent need for
reform of the UN, but he had paradoxically never experienced
a worse atmosphere in which to do it. The expiration of the
spending cap is a critical moment for G-77 states, who worry
that the U.S., Japan and the EU will use its expiration to
press for the strongest demands. Eliasson thought this
explained why the G-77 was so clearly "flexing its muscles"
right now.


6. (C) U/S Burns then briefed Eliasson on the ongoing
discussions related to Iran's defiance of the international
community over its nuclear program. Eliasson, noting that he
had served as a mediator during the Iran-Iraq War in the
1980s, asked if there was "any sort of diplomacy that might
be conducted." U/S Burns responded that there were many
avenues of diplomacy open to the Iranians, including with the
EU and Russia, but it was Tehran that had chosen a defiant
path.


7. (U) U/S Burns has reviewed this cable.


BOLTON