Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK1006
2007-11-12 21:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

INTERNATIONAL PROCESS ON GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM

Tags:  PREL PTER SZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1006 3162152
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 122152Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3070
INFO RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0285
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0408
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0187
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8379
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001006 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER SZ
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL PROCESS ON GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM
LAUNCHED

REF: USUN 1002

Classified By: Carolyn Willson, Minister-Counsellor for reason 1.4 (b)
and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001006

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER SZ
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL PROCESS ON GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM
LAUNCHED

REF: USUN 1002

Classified By: Carolyn Willson, Minister-Counsellor for reason 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary. At an informal gathering of approximately
30 UN member states representatives, the Swiss Mission
presented a plan to consider ways of implementing the UN
Counter-terrorism Strategy. This NGO driven effort is being
launched to create a "process" to review the Strategy and
produce a report to be presented next year. Comment.
Running on a track parallel with the UN Working Groups set up
to implement the Strategy, it is not yet apparent whether
this process will complement or compete with UN efforts. End
Comment. End Summary.


2. (U) At an informal gathering at the Swiss Mission,
November 7, the Swiss Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator Amb.
Christine Schraner Burgener announced that Switzerland, Costa
Rica, Japan and Slovakia are joining with a U.S. based NGO,
the Center on Global Counter-Terrorism Co-operation, to
"provide food for thought" for UN members prior to the
September 2008 review of the UN Counter-terrorism Strategy.
Following her introduction, Eric Rosand, a Senior Fellow at
the Center (and former S/CT and USUN employee) outlined the
plans for the process which he said would offer an
independent, comprehensive assessment of the UN's
institutional arrangements for addressing the evolving threat
of terrorism.


3. Rosand noted that the Secretary-General's Task Force,
which handles implementation of the UN CT Strategy, has not
been provided with the necessary resources or mandate to
oversee implementation effectively over the long-term,
stimulate a more effective UN response, and coordinate the
activities of the different parts of the UN system and other
multilateral bodies. He added that to the extent that the
Task Force must rely on voluntary contributions, presumably
from the usual donors in the North, the global nature of the
Strategy may be diminished. (Note. The U.S. recently
contributed more than $400,000 to the Task Force. End Note.)
Rosand added that the "Process" would offer "outside the
box" analysis and recommendations on how to overcome the
institutional limitations and challenges being faced by the
Task Force within the UN system. He said that it would
involve a group of experts from different disciplines who
would be free of the political constraints of operating
within the UN.


4. (U) The "Process" plans to hold three to five workshops
which would produce a final report endorsed by participants,
including UN member states. The co-sponsors would present
the report at the September 2008 review. The Swiss expect
the first workshop will be held in January 2008, possibly in
Zurich and indicated that they will contact MFA
Counter-terrorism Directors concerning the details. Swiss
Permanent Representative Peter Maurer urged those present
(25-30 UN members) to inform their governments of the plan
and let him know if they are interested in participating.
Most member state reps in attendance listened but did not
comment on the plan.


5. (C) After the meeting, a Swiss delegate told USUN Legal
Adviser that they had consulted with UN Assistant Secretary
General Robert Orr and he supported the process. In a
subsequent conversation, Orr told USUN that the Swiss Perm
Rep had described the program and Orr had indicated that he
welcomed Switzerland's engagement in so far as it
complemented the work of the Strategy. The Swiss did not,
however, invite Orr to the launch of the "Process" or give
him the papers distributed at that meeting. He said the line
was fuzzy between the role of the Swiss and other governments
would play in this process and the role of Rosand's NGO. Orr
said he would need more details about the plan to determine
whether this is a useful development.


6. (C) Comment: Orr has been fully engaged with member
states in other informal discussions and has done a credible
job of driving the UN process to devise and implement the CT
Strategy. It is not clear however whether this NGO driven
process, even with sponsorship of Switzerland, Japan and
other states, will detract from Orr's efforts or support
them. End comment.
Khalilzad