Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PARIS3341
2007-08-08 12:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
FRENCH INTENTIONS FOR AFRICA-RELATED MEETINGS AT
VZCZCXRO4660 RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO DE RUEHFR #3341 2201238 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 081238Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9385 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003341
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU DELEGATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2017
TAGS: PREL UNGA XA FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH INTENTIONS FOR AFRICA-RELATED MEETINGS AT
2007 UNGA
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, 1.4 (b/d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003341
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU DELEGATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2017
TAGS: PREL UNGA XA FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH INTENTIONS FOR AFRICA-RELATED MEETINGS AT
2007 UNGA
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, 1.4 (b/d
).
1. (SBU) MFA AF PDAS Caroline Dumas on August 3 provided
the following information on Africa-related meetings the
French would like to see held on the margins of this year's
UNGA. She provided this information in response to our
request for clarification in view of the different signals we
had picked up since the June 25 Conference on Darfur the
French hosted in Paris.
2. (C) The GOF would like to convene a meeting of the UN
Security Council at Heads of State/Chiefs of Government level
on September 25. The subject would be "The Situation in
Africa." The proposed meeting was originally to be called
"Crises in Africa," but South Africa found this too negative,
so the more general "situation" is now the theme. Darfur
would be a prominent discussion topic, but other topics would
also be discussed, for example, Zimbabwe, the Great Lakes,
and the Horn of Africa. The UN SYG would attend. According
to Dumas, the UN is apparently handling much of the logistics
and organization, and she reported that the UN had already
said that a good number of UNSC members believe that their
Head of State/Chief of Government intends to participate,
including South Africa, Indonesia, Ghana and others that
Dumas did not specify. Among the P-5, UK PM Gordon Brown may
have a conflict with a Labor Party convention. The Russians
and Chinese, however, have indicated that President Putin and
China's top leaders would not attend.
3. (SBU) Dumas said that the French also want to organize a
ministerial-level follow-up meeting to the June 25 Darfur
Conference, involving the same participants -- the expanded
Contact Group plus interested parties (e.g., AU, World Bank,
and others). The difference between the UNGA conference and
the one in Paris would be that the AU and UN would co-host,
and it would therefore not be a French-hosted session. Dumas
said the meeting could be held on September 24 or September
26, i.e., either a day before or a day after the September 25
Security Council Summit on the "Situation in Africa." Dumas
thought that September 24 would be best as it would help set
the stage for the September 25 Security Council Summit.
4. (SBU) Dumas noted that a number of issues related to the
projected meetings remained unresolved and were not likely to
be addressed until after the end of the summer holiday period.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
PEKALA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU DELEGATION
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2017
TAGS: PREL UNGA XA FR
SUBJECT: FRENCH INTENTIONS FOR AFRICA-RELATED MEETINGS AT
2007 UNGA
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, 1.4 (b/d
).
1. (SBU) MFA AF PDAS Caroline Dumas on August 3 provided
the following information on Africa-related meetings the
French would like to see held on the margins of this year's
UNGA. She provided this information in response to our
request for clarification in view of the different signals we
had picked up since the June 25 Conference on Darfur the
French hosted in Paris.
2. (C) The GOF would like to convene a meeting of the UN
Security Council at Heads of State/Chiefs of Government level
on September 25. The subject would be "The Situation in
Africa." The proposed meeting was originally to be called
"Crises in Africa," but South Africa found this too negative,
so the more general "situation" is now the theme. Darfur
would be a prominent discussion topic, but other topics would
also be discussed, for example, Zimbabwe, the Great Lakes,
and the Horn of Africa. The UN SYG would attend. According
to Dumas, the UN is apparently handling much of the logistics
and organization, and she reported that the UN had already
said that a good number of UNSC members believe that their
Head of State/Chief of Government intends to participate,
including South Africa, Indonesia, Ghana and others that
Dumas did not specify. Among the P-5, UK PM Gordon Brown may
have a conflict with a Labor Party convention. The Russians
and Chinese, however, have indicated that President Putin and
China's top leaders would not attend.
3. (SBU) Dumas said that the French also want to organize a
ministerial-level follow-up meeting to the June 25 Darfur
Conference, involving the same participants -- the expanded
Contact Group plus interested parties (e.g., AU, World Bank,
and others). The difference between the UNGA conference and
the one in Paris would be that the AU and UN would co-host,
and it would therefore not be a French-hosted session. Dumas
said the meeting could be held on September 24 or September
26, i.e., either a day before or a day after the September 25
Security Council Summit on the "Situation in Africa." Dumas
thought that September 24 would be best as it would help set
the stage for the September 25 Security Council Summit.
4. (SBU) Dumas noted that a number of issues related to the
projected meetings remained unresolved and were not likely to
be addressed until after the end of the summer holiday period.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
PEKALA