U.S. ENGAGEMENT STIMULATES OTHER DONORS TO INCREASE AGENT

UNCLAS HANOI 002009 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, EAP/RSP, EAP/PD, OES/PCI STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE, G/ENV STATE PASS TO EPA/OIA (DENNIS CUNNINGHAM AND MARK KASMAN) STATE PASS TO EPA/ORD (KEVIN TEICHMAN) HHS/OSSI/DSI PASS TO OGHA (WSTIEGER/LVALDEZ/CHICKEY),NIH: FIC (RGLASS) AND NIEHS CDC FOR OGHA (BLOUT/MCCALL),NCEH (THOMAS SINKS/MSWEENEY) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (TSHUBERT AND WVAN HOUTEN) BANGKOK PASS TO RDM/A E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SENV TBIO KPAO VM SUBJECT: U.S. ENGAGEMENT STIMULATES OTHER DONORS TO INCREASE AGENT ORANGE/DIOXIN ACTIVITIES ¶1. (SBU) Koos Neefjes, Senior Sustainable Development Advisor for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),recently informed ESTHOff and HHS Attache that U.S. engagement on Agent Orange/dioxin issues in Vietnam had spurred other donors to increase funding and involvement in this area. In particular, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) relied upon the recent announcement of the USD 3 million in FY-2007 Economic Support Funds for its decision to raise the limit of potential support to the Government of Vietnam's (GVN) dioxin remediation efforts to USD 5 million from an earlier estimate of USD 2 million provided in April 2007. Neefjes reported that he had seen the GEF decision documents that specifically referenced the United States Government's political commitment and financial support of USD 3 million as justification for greater potential GEF involvement. ¶2. (SBU) Neefjes noted UNDP's continued efforts and its desire to work with the United States to coordinate projects, especially those funded through the recent ESF appropriation. Already, UNDP/Vietnam has spent USD 350,000 of "core funding" to support Office 33 in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE),the Ministry of Defense and local authorities on a project entitled "Capacity Building and Completion of the Overall National Plan for Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contaminated Hotspots in Viet Nam." The one-year project, begun in July 2007 and expected to finish in June 2008, will strengthen the GVN's capacity for planning, assessment, and remediation of dioxin-contaminated hotspots such as those in Danang, Bien Hoa and Phu Cat. UNDP expects the project will produce a comprehensive data set, including crucial GVN data and possible additional hotspot samples, further environmental assessments conducted by Hatfield Associates (a Vancouver-based consultancy) in the Bien Hoa and Phu Cat hotspots, a more complete remediation cost determination based on most appropriate and cost-efficient technologies, and the development of a trust fund to attract international donors to support the GVN's national dioxin remediation program. ¶3. (SBU) Neefjes also corrected an erroneous press report that had indicated UNDP was set to initiate a USD 75 million project to eradicate dioxin contamination in hotspots throughout Vietnam. Neefjes clarified that UNDP had contracted with a New Zealand remediation technology expert to review possible remediation solutions pursuant to its existing program. A press release from the University of Auckland, where the expert teaches, had provided incorrect information that made its way into the New Zealand media. MICHALAK