NEA DAS SCOTT CARPENTER DISCUSSES BMENA INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000397 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PI STATE FOR USAID E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2017 TAGS: KMPI KDEM PHUM PREL GM JO YM SUBJECT: NEA DAS SCOTT CARPENTER DISCUSSES BMENA INITIATIVE WITH MFA BMENA OFFICE DIRECTOR CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE FOR REASONS 1.4(B)/(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. IN A FEBRUARY 20 DISCUSSION OF THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (BMENA) INITIATIVE, MFA BMENA COORDINATOR RENATE SCHIMKOREIT ASKED NEA DAS SCOTT CARPENTER FOR ASSISTANCE IN SECURING AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM JORDAN THAT YEMEN WILL HOST THE 2007 FORUM FOR THE FUTURE. SHE NOTED U.S. PROPOSALS ON STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE FORUM, BUT EMPHASIZED THE SENSITIVITY OF SOME GOVERNMENTS OF BEING JUDGED BY NGOS. SHE SUGGESTED THAT GOVERNMENTS GIVE NGOS A MANDATE TO WORK WITH THEM TO IMPLEMENT REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS. SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT GERMANY COULD NOT HOLD A HIGH-LEVEL FORUM PREPARATORY MEETING UNTIL AFTER ITS EU PRESIDENCY, AND SAID THAT THE 2007 BMENA EDUCATION MINISTERIAL WOULD BE HELD IN MUSCAT ON OCTOBER 29-30. GERMANY AGREED TO CIRCULATE A CONCEPT PAPER AND HOLD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH KEY G8 PARTNERS BEFORE THE APRIL 3 POLITICAL DIRECTORS MEETING. END SUMMARY. -------------- 2007 FORUM HOST -------------- ¶2. (C) NEA DAS SCOTT CARPENTER MET WITH MFA BROADER MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA COORDINATOR DR. RENATE SCHIMKOREIT ON FEBRUARY 20, 2007, TO DISCUSS THE BMENA INITIATIVE AND THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE. THEY WERE JOINED BY MFA DESK OFFICER JENNIFER BYRON, NEA/PI BLAKE THORKELSON, AND EMBASSY POLOFF KARI PAETZOLD. SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT JORDANIAN FM AL-KHATIB HAD TOLD GERMAN FM STEINMEIER THAT YEMEN WOULD HOST THE 2007 FORUM FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THAT GERMANY NEEDS THE PARTNER DESIGNATION IN WRITING AND NEEDS OUR SUPPORT TO GET IT. GERMAN MENA DIRECTOR HORST FREITAG BELIEVES THE PROCESS MUST BE TRANSPARENT AND MUST TRULY CONSULT THE BMENA COUNTRIES. MEANWHILE, YEMEN IS LOSING PATIENCE WAITING FOR GERMANY TO APPROACH IT FORMALLY, AND GERMANY DOES NOT WANT TO ALIENATE THE ROYG. ¶3. (C) SCHIMKOREIT FELT THAT JORDANS RELUCTANCE TO PUT THE 2007 HOST IN WRITING REVEALED THAT IT HAD NOT ACTUALLY CONSULTED WITH OTHER BMENA GOVERNMENTS. SHE ASKED FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. SHE ALSO NOTED THAT QATAR, WHICH HAD BEEN GERMANY'S ORIGINAL PARTNER, HAD CONSENTED TO YEMEN,S HOSTING. DAS CARPENTER SAID THAT HE WOULD RAISE IT WITH THE JORDANIAN AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON AND EMPHASIZE THAT JORDAN MUST SEND A LETTER TO GERMANY DESIGNATING YEMEN AS THE 2007 HOST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT GERMANY MIGHT AT THE END OF THE DAY SIMPLY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, A SUGGESTION SCHIMKOREIT REJECTED. ¶4. (C) GERMANY AND YEMEN BOTH HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR CAPACITY TO HOST THE FORUM. GERMANY HAS A LIMITED NUMBER OF PERSONNEL WORKING ON BOTH BMENA AND THE BARCELONA PROCESS AND ALSO FACES FUNDING PROBLEMS, AS THERE IS NO BUDGETARY EARMARK. THE YEMENIS FACE LOGISTICAL AND FINANCIAL HURDLES, AND THEIR CONFERENCE INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE CHALLENGED BY HOLDING SUCH A LARGE CONFERENCE. WHILE THE STANDARD PRACTICE HAS BEEN THAT THE FORUM HOST BEARS THE COSTS, GERMANY OR GCC COUNTRIES MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO YEMEN. THE ROYG HAS ORDERED THE SHERATON TO UPGRADE ITS FACILITIES, BUT PREPARATIONS WILL BE EASIER IF YEMEN KNOWS OFFICIALLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT IT WILL HOST. -------------- ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY -------------- ¶5. (SBU) SCHIMKOREIT SAID IT IS IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE THE STRUCTURE AND AGENDA OF THE FORUM TO KEEP MOMENTUM GOING AND CONTINUE TO ATTRACT GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPANTS. NOTING THE IDEAS IN THE DRL-DRAFTED CONCEPT PAPER, CARPENTER SAID THAT CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS SHOULD BE PROVIDING COUNTRY-SPECIFIC PROGRESS REPORTS ON REFORM COMMITMENTS MADE BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS. THESE UPDATES ON THE MARGINS OF THE FORUM WOULD GIVE CIVIL SOCIETY ANOTHER PURPOSE THAN SIMPLY PRESENTING RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MINISTERIAL. THEY WOULD BRING ACCOUNTABILITY INTO THE FORUM PROCESS BY FORCING GOVERNMENTS TO RESPOND. ¶6. (C) SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT THE BARCELONA PROCESS SHOWS THAT COUNTRIES ARE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT BEING "RATED," BUT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE EVENTS WHERE NOT EVERY PARTICIPANT AGREES ON THE SUBJECT MATTER. CARPENTER ARGUED THAT BMENA GOVERNMENTS ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DEFENDING THEMSELVES, AND BOTH AGREED THAT CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS COULD HIGHLIGHT WHAT IS GOING WELL IN ADDITION TO PROBLEMS TO BE ADDRESSED. THE SUBJECTS WOULD INCLUDE NOT ONLY POLITICAL REFORM BUT ALSO OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS SUCH AS EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. ¶7. (C) SCHIMKOREIT RAISED THE PROPOSED CENTERS TO IMPLEMENT CIVIL SOCIETY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE CREATION OF LOCAL CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS TO MONITOR REFORMS. CARPENTER EXPLAINED THAT WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION CENTERS WOULD WORK AND HOW THEY COULD BE KEPT INDEPENDENT FROM GOVERNMENTS. IN THE CIVIL SOCIETY COMMITTEES, NGOS WOULD WORK WITH GOVERNMENTS TO FOLLOW UP ON RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AT THE FORUM. THE G8 IMPRIMATUR WOULD GIVE THE CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS STANDING AND WOULD ALLOW THEM TO WORK WITH THEIR GOVERNMENTS. SCHIMKOREIT SUGGESTED THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTERS GIVE THE GROUPS A POLITICAL MANDATE BEFORE THEY BEGIN WORK. IF SOME GOVERNMENTS END UP CHOOSING THE CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPANTS, IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE IF IT MEANT THEY WOULD ALLOW NGOS TO PARTICIPATE, AND WOULD BE A FIRST STEP TOWARD THE GOAL OF INDEPENDENT GROUPS WORKING WITH THEIR GOVERNMENTS. A MANDATE FROM MINISTERS ALSO WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL MORE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. CARPENTER SAID HE FEARED THAT IF GOVERNMENTS CHOOSE THE PARTICIPANTS, THEY WILL BE CO-OPTED AND THE PROCESS WILL BE COME QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL. INSTEAD, THE GROUPS SHOULD ORGANIZE THEMSELVES. HE SAID HE WOULD DISCUSS IT IN WASHINGTON AND NOTED THAT THESE NGO GROUPS NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING (SEE PARA 9). ¶8. (C) CARPENTER INQUIRED WHO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE CIVIL SOCIETY ASPECTS OF BMENA. HE NOTED THAT THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE WOULD CONTRIBUTE $1-2 MILLION UNTIL THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. THE WORLD BANK AND UNDP COULD CONTRIBUTE. SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT HER OFFICE HAS NO FUNDS, BUT HOPES TO MOBILIZE SOME. IF BMENA,S REPUTATION IMPROVES, IT WILL BE EASIER TO FIND FUNDS, BUT SHE WOULD HAVE A CREDIBILITY PROBLEM ASKING FOR MONEY NOW. -------------- HIGH-LEVEL PREPARATORY MEETING -------------- ¶9. (SBU) CARPENTER RAISED THE IDEA OF AN UNDER SECRETARY-LEVEL PREPARATORY EVENT IN BERLIN IN THE SPRING. SIPDIS E SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT THE EVENT COULD BE USEFUL, BUT THAT IT IS TOO DIFFICULT TO DO IT DURING GERMANY'S EU PRESIDENCY. LATE JUNE OR SEPTEMBER MIGHT WORK. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE NEED SUBSTANCE FOR THE SENIOR OFFICIALS TO WORK ON. GERMANY WOULD RAISE THIS IDEA WITH G8 COUNTERPARTS, BUT SHE NOTED A COMMON BIAS AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZING NEW MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, AND A TIGHT CALENDAR GIVEN THE SUMMER AND RAMADAN. CARPENTER NOTED THE USEFULNESS OF ALTERNATING MEETINGS BETWEEN G8 AND BMENA COUNTRIES DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, AND HE EXPECTS A/S FRIED TO RAISE THIS IDEA WITH G8 POLITICAL DIRECTORS. -------------- BMENA EDUCATION TRACK -------------- ¶10. (C) SCHIMKOREIT HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE BMENA LITERACY WORKSHOP IN SANAA, WHERE SHE HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OMANI GOVERNMENT ABOUT HOW TO REINVIGORATE THE EDUCATION MINISTERIAL. PENDING OMANI APPROVAL, THE MINISTERIAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN MUSCAT ON OCTOBER 29-30. SCHIMKOREIT USED LITERACY AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE HETEROGENEOUS NATURE OF THE BMENA REGION: WHILE A COUNTRY SUCH AS SUDAN NEEDS LITERACY PROGRAMMING, OTHERS SUCH AS UAE, OMAN, AND SAUDI ARABIA NEED ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, CONTINUING EDUCATION, AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR WORKFORCE COMPETITIVENESS. GOVERNMENTS MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE EDUCATION TRACK IS ABOUT REFORM AND REQUIRES POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. SHE ASKED FOR U.S. SUPPORT FOR THE THEME OF THE RELEVANCE OF EDUCATION, NOTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SUPPORTS IT. SHE AGREED WITH CARPENTER THAT CIVIC EDUCATION ALSO IS AN IMPORTANT THEME, BUT SAID THAT IT NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED CAREFULLY AND AS ONE OF SEVERAL THEMATIC ELEMENTS. CARPENTER ENDORSED HER IDEA OF INCLUDING OUTSIDE SPEAKERS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE MINISTERIAL. -------------- NEXT STEPS -------------- ¶11. (SBU) CARPENTER AND SCHIMKOREIT IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING NEXT STEPS, ASSUMING THAT YEMEN'S PARTNERSHIPS COULD BE NAILED DOWN SOON. --GERMANY WILL CIRCULATE A CONCEPT PAPER, BASED ON THE DRL PAPER, WELL BEFORE THE APRIL 3 G8 POLITICAL DIRECTORS MEETING. THE PAPER WILL INCLUDE THE PROPOSAL FOR A SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING IN BERLIN. --GERMANY WILL ORGANIZE A U.S.-UK-GERMANY-JAPAN CONFERENCE CALL IN MARCH, FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSIONS WITH YEMEN. SCHIMKOREIT SAID THAT GERMANY HOPES THAT BMENA WILL BE HANDLED BY NEA IN THE WASHINGTON AND THE MFA EUROMED/BMENA OFFICE IN BERLIN. DOUBLE-TRACKING IN POLITICAL DIRECTORS CHANNEL WILL LEAD TO CONFUSION. SHE ALSO SAID THAT FOR BMENA TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT, IT NEEDS CONTINUED G8 ENGAGEMENT AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION, NOT AD HOC ARRANGEMENTS AND INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶12. (C) AS EXPECTED, GERMANY IS A WILLING BUT CAUTIOUS PARTNER ON BMENA. FEELING BURNED BY THE DE-SELECTION OF ITS INITIAL FORUM PARTNER, QATAR, GERMANY DECIDED TO WAIT PASSIVELY UNTIL JORDAN ANNOUNCES THAT YEMEN WILL HOST IN ¶2007. ONCE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE, HOWEVER, WE CAN EXPECT THE GERMANS TO MOVE QUICKLY TO BUILD A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YEMENIS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FORUM, DESPITE LOGISTICAL AND MANPOWER LIMITATIONS ON BOTH SIDES. SCHIMKOREIT REACTED RESERVEDLY, THOUGH NOT NEGATIVELY, TO OUR IDEAS ON STRENGTHENING CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT. CONTINUED CLOSE COOPERATION WITH GERMANY EARLY IN 2007 IS CRITICAL TO A SUCCESSFUL FORUM AND EDUCATION MINISTERIAL)-AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR SUGGESTIONS ON CIVIL SOCIETY ARE NOT WATERED DOWN. ¶13. (U) DAS CARPENTER HAS CLEARED THIS CABLE. TIMKEN JR