IO DAS LAGON ROUND-TABLE AT BELGIAN FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000825

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2013
TAGS: PREL UN PHUM PREF UNSC UNHRC BE
SUBJECT: IO DAS LAGON ROUND-TABLE AT BELGIAN FOREIGN
MINISTRY


Classified By: Political Counselor Theodore H. Andrews,
for reasons 4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: In a February 28 roundtable with Belgian
Foreign Ministry counterparts working on United Nations
issues, IO Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Rights
Mark Lagon pointed to precedent-setting steps taken by new
UNSYG Ban toward reform and stated that the U.S. was
giving Ban the benefit of the doubt in his surprising
early appointments to senior positions. Both sides said
they were willing to accept the SYG's decision to divide
DPKO despite questions the GOB cited. They agreed that it
was part of the reform agenda, which was the "most
stalled" arena in the area of mandate review. Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director for International Affairs
Benedicte Frankinet suggested that the data base being set
up as a tool for mandate review could cut costs and avoid
redundancy. On the new Human Rights Council (HRC) Lagon
said that whether or not the U.S. presents its candidacy,
it would "not disengage" on matters before the body.
(Note: Department announced the USG was not running on
March 6, 2007.) Sudan's refusal to let in UN human rights
monitors was disappointing, and both sides sought to
prompt HRC toward greater balance. End summary.

NEW LEADERSHIP AND REORGANIZATION
--------------

2. (SBU) Belgian Director for International Affairs
Benedicte Frankinet opened with the observation that new
UN Secretary General (SYG) Ban Ki-Moon's efforts to
reorganize the UN were interesting and ambitious, for
example division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping
Operations (see para. 5). Both sides agreed they would
defer to the new SYG's judgment as advocates of empowering
the UN's chief administrator to do his job. She said that
Belgium was prepared to support Ban in the 5th committee
(Administration and Budget) because the GOB wanted to see
a "modern" UN. Lagon said that the USG agreed with her on
the need for a more credible UN that would be less
vulnerable to criticism and more able to reassure Congress
for funding purposes. Ban's early steps, such as the
precedent-setter of releasing his own financial
information, and requiring funding accountability of the
UN Development Programme in the DPRK, established good
models.


3. (SBU) Lagon remarked that the USG hoped for good
results from Ban's initial high-level appointments -
former Tanzanian foreign minister Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro as
Deputy Secretary General (DSYG) and Under Secretary
General (USYG) Alicia Barcena Ibarra, who, he noted, had
made a good impression on A/S Silverberg. Frankinet
observed that promoting women from the developing world
was an avowed UN concern, yet the DSYG position was "very
complicated" for anyone who hadn't been part of the UN
system. Frankinet cited the Iraqi "Oil for Food" scandal
as a matter that might have been prevented by an
experienced number two manager at the UN not diverted to
step in for duties in place of Kofi Annan. Both sides
reported that their countries had been surprised by the
appointment of China's PermRep Sha Zukang to head the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs.


4. (SBU) Lagon stated that the U.S. hoped some Americans
would be hired in positions yet to be filled, including to
facilitate progress on the reform process. The two agreed
that, while some of Ban's early moves had been surprising,
their governments had decided to give the new SYG the
benefit of the doubt in making his reform decisions. Some
of Ban's actions might reflect attention to the G-77,
Frankinet suggested. Lagon noted that the USG would watch
to see how involved DSYG Migiro would be on ethics or
management matters.

BIFURCATING THE DPKO
--------------

5. (SBU) Frankinet voiced concern about Ban's decision to
split the DPKO into two bureaucracies. The GOB fears the
new bifurcated format may lend itself to confusion and
greater delays in moving missions from the planning to the
operational stage. Lagon said there may be a number of
reasons for splitting the DPKO, adding that the USG would
give Ban the benefit of the doubt. CDA Will Imbrie
remarked that the DPKO in any given country is a direct
reflection of the quality of the Special Representative of
the SYG.

MANDATE REVIEW
--------------

6. (SBU) Lagon observed that in the overall reform process
it was indeed the mandate review that was the most
stalled. One goal was for the G-77 to be reassured that
mandate review reallocations will not radically reduce the
overall size of the UN budget or gore their equities. He
said nations like the USG and GOB needed to encourage the
G-77 to engage in a serious effort to reallocate resources
to the highest priorities with the confidence of knowing
they are in the driver's seat in UNGA decision-making.
However, he stated, success of mandate review would be
better if its scope were reduced and a rotation between
areas of UN work were established on a year by year basis.
Yet, a core question remained: how to depoliticize the
process? Frankinet judged the new data base set up for
mandate review to be "very useful" in showing what had
been and what remained to be done. Its value would be to
slow down the rate of redundant new initiatives. She
noted that there ought to be a process of insisting that
the SYG give an analysis of existing programs in an area
any time a new mandate was proposed in a resolution, much
like the requirement of Program Budget Implications being
identified. Lagon agreed. Lagon noted the notion of
giving the Office of Internal Oversight Services the job
of cataloguing and analyzing mandates, because of the
ironic development of increased G-77 comfort with the OIOS
parallel with increased suspicion of the Secretariat as a
threat to G-77 influence.

HRC
---

7. (SBU) On the new Human Rights Council (HRC),both sides
lamented that the entity seemed no better than its
predecessor (the UN Commission on Human Rights, which was
abolished for including flagrant violator nations, many of
whom have returned on the HRC). MFA Human Rights Director
Francine Chainey pointed out that HRC was presently
preparing for its March 12-30 session in Geneva. The
body's current focus was institutional arrangements, such
as a review of rapporteurs and creation of a Universal
Periodic Review. Belgium agreed with its EU colleagues on
the Council that new resolutions should not be tabled for
the time being in this period of an institutional focus.
Chainey inquired if the U.S. would be a candidate to HRC.


8. (C) Lagon replied that USG would soon decide about
running for a seat. That said, Washington "will not
disengage," but will remain highly active from the outside
to encourage balanced HRC decisions. "We take the
composition of the HRC very seriously," he observed and
mentioned State Department demarches delivered worldwide
to encourage governments committed to democracy and human
rights to compete in the election. (Note: On 03/06/2007,
the State Department announced that it was not a candidate
to HRC.) A U.S. concern for the March HRC Session was
highlighting that Sudan did not let in the Assessment Team
created by a Special Session, but that the top concern was
for all policies to reinforces with the "prize goal" of
getting Sudan to let in UN peacekeepers. Lagon also noted
the U.S. highest priority at the HRC was focusing on
Burma, notably in a Special Session.


9. (SBU) Chainey said Belgium wanted to see more credible
candidates run for seats on the HRC. She noted Slovenia?s
concern about a third candidate for two Eastern European
seats in the May 2007 election for HRC in addition to it
and Belarus taking votes away from itself rather than
Belarus. Lagon said the U.S. would welcome more EU members
in the Eastern European Group of the HRC.

Institution-Building
--------------

10. (SBU) Lagon observed that institution-building is not
the bulk of the schedule of the March HRC session, which
instead was emphasizing special rapporteurs. He
emphasized the need for decisions on mandates and
rapporteurs not to be preempted by an effort by Cuba or
another government to extend the mandate of the Special
Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories
permanently, before a package deal on all such mechanisms.
He stated that the U.S. hoped for the whole package to
come together by the end of June 2007.

Next Steps on Burma
--------------

11. (SBU) Lagon agreed that even though the U.S.-backed
Burma resolution failed to pass in January 2007 at the
UNSC, Washington hoped to draw on the statements by Russia
(veto),South Africa (a no vote) and Indonesia
(abstention),that the HRC was the proper forum. A
Special Session on Burma was the option the U.S. preferred
to be pursued. The U.S. was looking for a willing HRC
member to take the lead.

Peace-Building Entities
--------------

12. (SBU) On the Peace Building Commission (PBC) Frankinet
noted some "interesting developments" in Central Africa,
where Belgium has an important colonial history. Burundi
has been the subject of an "honest appraisal" at the PBC
including the failings of its efforts to promote peace by
identifying gaps in its efforts. She suggested there was
some confusion over the distinction between PBC and the
Peace-Building Fund (PBF).

Humanitarian Reform
--------------

13. (SBU) Lagon said the U.S. was very pleased with the
leadership of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres. UNHCR had taken a
much bigger role in dealing with internally-displaced
persons (IDP's),dealt with through the creation of a new
cluster system. It still needed time to "shake out" but
the U.S. believes it is proceeding in the right direction.


14. (SBU) Lagon noted that, based on meeting him, incoming
USYG for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes was a talented
diplomat, who would inherit some strong senior personnel
at the UN Office for Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs.

Responsibility to Protect
--------------

15. (C) Lagon noted that A/S Silverberg and the USG wanted
"to advance the norm" of Responsibility to Protect from
the September 2005 UN World Summit Outcome Document at the
UNSC. The best way to advance that was to address Sudan,
Lagon said. Frankinet replied that Belgium would like to
work with the U.S. to achieve that progress.
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