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