REPORT ON THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE IRFFI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 149144 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CA EAID ECIN ECON EUN IT IZ TU SUBJECT: REPORT ON THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE IRFFI DONORS COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 11 ¶1. (SBU) This cable reports on discussions at the informal meeting of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI) Donors Committee (DC) held at the United Nations (UN) in New York on October 11, 2007. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: The purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the full IRFFI DC meeting in Bari, Italy on October 28-29. Participants reviewed the findings of an expert study and recommendations on revisions to the IRFFI Terms of Reference (ToR) and discussed the inter-relatedness of the IRFFI, Iraq's National Development Strategy (NDS),the International Compact with Iraq (ICI),and the UN's expanded role in Iraq under UNSCR 1770. Donor delegates concurred that the ICI clarifies and provides priorities for the NDS, that the work of the IRFFI and the IRFFI ToR should be aligned to support the goals of the ICI, and that real and effective Iraqi leadership will be essential to the success of the IRFFI and the ICI. The United States and Turkey urged that the IRFFI ToR should be expanded to allow IRFFI resources to be used for humanitarian relief and support for Iraq's internally displaced persons. End summary. ¶3. (U) The meeting was co-chaired by Italy's Ambassador for Iraqi Reconstruction, Mr. Gianludovico de Martino, and the Special Advisor to Iraq's Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation, Dr. Faik Abdul Rasool. ¶4. (SBU) Co-chair De Martino opened by recapping developments since the last full IRFFI DC meeting (Istanbul, Mar 07). The IRFFI Facilities Coordination Committee (FCC) has met three times (Rome, Baghdad and the day before in Washington). He reported that SCAN (the Norwegian experts in reconstruction fund facilities) had finalized its review of the IRFFI ToR and expressed thanks for inputs from eight of the DCs 19 members. ¶5. (SBU) The SCAN ToR Review emphasized the importance of Iraqi ownership; suggested streamlined procedures; noted that several donors were interested in adding financial resources; recommended that IRFFI activities be integrated with the ICI and NDS. ¶6. (SBU) Speaking as co-chair for the Government of Iraq (GoI),Dr. Rasool also emphasized the importance of enhanced roles for Iraqis. He noted that the ICI goes beyond the NDS to lay out an agenda of reforms and initiatives in economic and social policies as well as for security and reconciliation. He said the IRFFI should concentrate on supporting ICI benchmarks. To this end, both the IRFFI and the ICI needed active participation from Sectoral Working Groups (SWGs) involving GoI ministries and provinces. Reaching back into their respective ministries, the SWGs must formulate Sectoral Development Strategies, including roles for donors. A central aim of these strategies is to put Iraqi resources to work and pointed to Iraq's large accumulated financial reserves. He wants to develop foreign investment, putting Iraq's new investor-friendly policies to work. ¶7. (SBU) Joseph Saba (World Bank - WB) recapped WB programs in Iraq asking retrospectively, "What has worked and what not?" - Public Financial Management: The seminars of the ongoing joint WB-GoI "Public Expenditure and Institutions Review" (PEIR) are making real progress bringing order and best practices to government finance in the central bank, Ministry of Finance, line ministries, and the provinces. - Sectoral Development Strategies: The results are mixed at best. Future efforts should be linked to the ICI. - Social Protection: The WB is conducting a Household Survey, gathering data in support of the GoI Social Safety Net and subsidies reform. - Rule of Law: This effort is supported by PEIR work on procurement policies and practices for ministries and provinces. Effective methods for allocations and accountability are emphasized. Also emphasized is STATE 00149144 002 OF 002 development of the financial sector and banking. - Country Portfolio Reviews. The WB recommends that the project portfolios undergo reviews where projects are evaluated more systematically as to their costs, benefits and methodologies. ¶8. (SBU) Bisrat Aklilo (director for the UN Development Group - UNDG - in Iraq) spoke about IRFFI and the ICI in relation to the UN's newly expanded role in Iraq under UNSCR ¶1770. He pointed to its assistance for the political process, economic reconstruction, and humanitarian assistance. He characterized the role that the UN plays as a joint leader for the ICI as, "the sort of high value-added contribution that the UN seeks to make." Its humanitarian assistance seeks to support the vulnerable and provide emergency aid inside Iraq. ¶9. (SBU) In open discussions statements were made by the European Commission (EC),USA, Canada and Turkey with responses from Dr. Rasool (GoI). ¶10. (SBU) The EC emphasized the central role of the GoI. It called for greater donor visibility (recognition); urged closer monitoring and reporting of activities and close coordination of UN agency activities in view of UNSCR 1770 and through the IRFFI Clusters (the UN's mechanism for allocating project resources). On the future of IRFFI, the EC looks to UNSCR to provide guiding principles while the goals and benchmarks of the ICI provide the future agenda. ICI implementation must be GoI-driven - "the center of gravity must be in Iraq." The EC recommends that the IRFFI DC should meet at least quarterly in Baghdad and that both IRFFI and ICI topics could be discussed. ¶11. (SBU) USA: The United States expressed appreciation for the informal DC meetings in Brussels and New York. It said that the ICI provides a framework and guidelines to which the NDS and Sectoral Strategies should be merged. It noted the ambitious agenda of the SWGs and emphasized the importance of efforts for capacity development / technical assistance, and foreign investment. He urged that the IRFFI and ICI secretariats should at least be co-located or preferably SIPDIS merged. He proposed that the IRFFI ToR should be broadened to cover support for IDPs. ¶12. (SBU) Canada noted that the meeting in Bari will provide an opportunity to bring strategic vision to the IRFFI projects lists. It requested to see the progress reports of the Iraq Trust Funds operators (the UNDG and the WB) in advance of the Bari meeting. ¶13. (SBU) Turkey urged IRFFI to address IDPs and refugees. It looked to the GoI Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation (MoPDC) to be the "focal point" for IRFFI activities. ¶14. (SBU) GoI: Dr. Rasool said the GoI can help IDPs inside Iraq by realigning the distribution of welfare food baskets, health care and education. He feels the refugees outside Iraq need compensating support in the form of funds transfers to Syria and Jordan, and that all should assume the refugees will return to Iraq. He called for greater coordination and integration of efforts within IRFFI and complained about competition among UNDG Clusters. ¶15. (SBU) The USA offered final remarks, emphasizing the need for closer coordination among UNDG Clusters, GoI ministries and the provinces. It suggested realigning the Clusters along ministry and provincial lines, and looking at "co-sharing" where the GoI and UNDG could both contribute financial and perhaps other resources to projects. Finally, more work needs to be done to collect and standardize donor data, and for more effective and comprehensive donor coordination. RICE