JAPAN OPPOSES RESTRICTING PDG MEMBERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005193 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EEB/EPPD - NANCY SMITH-NISSLEY, EEB/ODF - CHRISTINE HARBAUGH, S/P - DICK SOKOLSKY AND JEAN GERAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2017 TAGS: PREL EAID KDEM JA SUBJECT: JAPAN OPPOSES RESTRICTING PDG MEMBERSHIP REF: A. TOKYO 3719 ¶B. TOKYO 3831 ¶C. TOKYO 4558 ¶D. STATE 152799 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) Japan opposes restricting membership in the Partnership for Democratic Governance, MOFA Aid Policy Planning Division Principal Deputy Director Yukiko Okano told Embassy Tokyo November 9. At the time of the October 1 PDG planning meeting, membership was open to any country willing to subscribe to the Declaration of Principles and Objectives, and Japan opposes the introduction of new criteria. In addition, Japanese officials have strong reservations about the use of Freedom House or World Bank indices for screening potential members, preferring that countries be evaluated for membership on a case-by-case basis. Okano pointed out that Japan is not ranked highly in either index. These reservations also apply to screening possible recipients, which should also be evaluated based on each country's unique conditions, Okano stated. ¶2. (C) The PDG's priority should be to establish a success story as quickly as possible, Okano continued. To accomplish this objective, the PDG Advisory Unit should survey the "best practices" of participant countries and use this information to select an appropriate country for a program. The most effective way to solicit this information from PDG countries would be for the Steering Group or Advisory Committee to provide each country with a written questionnaire rather than rely upon the countries to generate a document from scratch, Okano said. ¶3. (C) "It doesn't look good at all" for a Japanese financial contribution to the PDG, noted Okano (Refs A-C), suggesting that one possible source of funding for PDG projects is the UN Democracy Fund. ¶3. (C) Japan does not object to Chile as a co-chair for the Steering Group or to the UNITED Kingdom's preference for "observer" status in the PDG. SCHIEFFER