UN- FOLLOWING DPKO RESTRUCTURING BAN MOVES TO

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001013

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: UN- FOLLOWING DPKO RESTRUCTURING BAN MOVES TO
STRENGTHEN DPA - DESA NEXT

REF: STATE 146297

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY


1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 13.


2. Summary: Following the restructuring of the Department
of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) earlier this year,
Secretary-General Ban has now called for strengthening the

SIPDIS
Department of Political Affairs (DPA). Ban,s proposal calls
for an across-the-board increase in the size of DPA which
would result in at least a 52 per cent increase in DPA's
budget and an almost 50 per cent increase in staff. While we
see some modest merit in enhancing DPA,s ability to perform
its vital functions, Mission believes we should carefully
examine the proposals to avoid unnecessary duplication
between DPA and other UN entities, including DPKO and the
Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO). Set out below are a
brief review of the proposal (paragraphs 3 - 4),some
considerations (paragraphs 5 - 10),options (paragraph 11),
analysis (paragraph 12) and the Mission,s recommended course
of action (paragraph 13). End Summary.

BRIEF REVIEW


3. The major components of Ban,s DPA strengthening proposal
are as follows:

-- Build the capacity of DPA regional divisions;
-- Strengthen DPA,s policy planning capacity and mediation
support function through the formation of a Policy and
Mediation Support Division;
-- Strengthen its Electoral Assistance Division;
-- Establish a number of posts to support the increased
demands placed on the sanctions committees;
-- Rationalize DPA,s presence in the field through the
establishment of a network of regional offices; and
-- Tighten management, executive and oversight functions by
refocusing the work of the Office of the U-SYG and
reinforcing the capability of DPA,s Executive Office.


4. Adoption of the proposal and establishment of 70
additional professional and 28 general service posts would
require additional funding of 21 million dollars over the 65
million dollars already included in the regular proposed
budget for 2008-2009 but reflects a 50 per cent vacancy rate
during this start up period. At full incumbency, estimated
additional requirements in the 2010-2011 and subsequent
bienniums would be at least 34 million dollars - a 52 per
cent increase over the current proposed budget of 65 million
dollars.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS


5. The proposal does not address the question of
coordination/division of labor between DPA and DPKO/DFS as
called for by the ACABQ (as recently as in its report under
the proposed program budget for 2008-2009 (A/62/7)) and as
recommended by the Office of Internal Oversight Services
(OIOS). As OIOS pointed out in its recent audit of the
management of Special Political Missions (SPMs) by DPA
(A/61/357),"there is an inherent risk of duplication and
overlap regarding the functions of the regional divisions of
DPA and DPKO. Both Departments can be assigned the lead role
for directing the substantive political operations in field
missions. The final phase of the evaluation being conducted
on the UN's political affairs program will not be completed
until June 2008. In this final audit, OIOS will examine the
12 field SPMs led by DPA but supported by DPKO.


6. Therefore, there is a risk that resources of both DPA and
DPKO could be dedicated to performing the same tasks and
exceed those required for the current levels of performance.
This is particularly relevant in light of the fact that the
SYG is calling for establishment of 62 new positions in
DPA,s regional divisions. This would increase the number of
posts in the regional divisions to 145 from 83 - a 75 per
cent increase. Following the restructuring of DPKO, at full
incumbency, DPKO,s regional divisions will consist of over
110 posts. Thus, if Ban,s DPA proposal is adopted in full,
some 250 staff members will be working in DPA and DPKO,s
similarly structured regional divisions.


7. While requesting authorization to begin a process of
establishing a number of regional offices, including in
Singapore and Panama, Ban,s proposal does not contain a
meaningful analysis of his thinking in this regard other than
that "the establishment of a small network of regional
offices...will assist Member States and Regional
Organizations with their preventive diplomacy efforts." The
analysis does not address the financial implications of the
proposal. Ban also does not address the role of other UN
offices in the field and their relationship with DPA.


Mission understands that this network of regional offices
would average 7 million dollars per biennium per office.
Mission also understands that such considerations would be
taken up during consideration of the proposed budgets of
SPMs. Thus, a system of regional offices would be set up
under the guise of a new SPM or several new SPMs. Mission is
skeptical that junior UN officers stationed regionally around
the world will have any greater role or capacity to prevent
conflict than similar UN officers in New York, Geneva or
elsewhere.


8. SYG Ban, in his statement in the Fifth Committee on
October 25th, said that following DPA strengthening, he
intends to "reform" the Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (DESA).


9. Mission projects that the UN regular biennial budget
could soon pass the $5 billion mark. Annual peacekeeping
costs will soon top $7 billion.


10. US early support for and acquiescence in strengthening
U-SYG Lynn Pascoe's department without careful and deliberate
scrutiny will open us up to criticism in this and future
sessions that we are inclined to automatically support
proposals when they involve our nationals rather than
objectively examining all such proposals on the merits. This
will undermine our credibility and influence during
consideration of other aspects of the budget, including other
"reform" proposals, such as proposals to reform the huge and
inefficient bureaucracy that is DESA.


11. OPTIONS

(1) Support Ban,s proposals in full or in part, and call
for additional resources to be provided in the regular
budget. (Pascoe's position).

(2) Support Ban,s proposals in full or in part, and call
for the resources involved to be absorbed within the
resources already requested by the SYG in the proposed
overall budget for 2008-2009. (Pascoe opposes)

(3) Express general support for DPA's important mandate but
reserve judgment on the SYG's proposal pending consideration
of further, more detailed and thorough analysis of the
proposal in the resumed session in March. (Haven't discussed
this with Pascoe)


12. ANALYSIS

-- The UN regular biennial budget could soon pass the $5
billion mark. Nonetheless, it is highly unlikely that
delegations would support funding the costs involved "within
existing resources" since this would likely involve cuts in
other programs. There is a risk in calling for funding
"within existing resources" since it may have the effect of
generating support for the proposal, in principle, which
will provide an opportunity for others to argue that
increased funding is justified.
-- The SYG has not addressed a number of recommendations in
recent ACABQ and OIOS reports, particularly the need to
examine the division of labor between DPA and DPKO/DFS. Has
Ban examined the impact on the functioning of DPA of the
establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and
Peacebuilding Support Office? These concerns are likely to
be reiterated by the ACABQ which is expected to issue its
report within the next week or so. In addition, the ACABQ is
likely to raise other issues and request additional
information before passing on the proposal. In this respect,
a number of States from across the geographic spectrum are
already suggesting that because of the size and complexity of
the proposal and the questions it raises, the matter
inevitably will need to be carried over to the March resumed
session.
-- This GA, we are faced with a number of costly reforms in
addition to DPA including, HR, procurement, and ICT. In
addition, the G77 has indicated that it proposes to seek
substantial increases in the area of development. Ban has
also publicly committed to strengthen DESA,s huge and
inefficient bureaucracy following DPA strengthening. Our
reaction to the DPA proposal will be followed closely by the
G77, and our friends, in order to use our position to their
benefit to adopt and pay for these many initiatives.


13. RECOMMENDATION

Mission recommends the following approach in our upcoming
Fifth Committee discussions: Mission should convey the
message that while we strongly support DPA's important
mandate and the right of the SYG and U-SYG to manage it as
they see fit, all organizational and financial resource
implications of this and any future management proposals must
be fully examined prior to GA decision-making. Of particular


relevance is the need to ensure that any duplication in the
activities of Secretariat departments and with other UN
entities is kept to a minimum. Mission would work in the
Fifth Committee to support a full and detailed analysis of
the division of labor between DPA and DPKO/DFS, of DPA's
relationship with other field offices, and of the impact of
the Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Support Office
on the functioning of DPA. Armed with such analysis, the
Department would determine whether to support additional
resources for an appropriately revised proposal.
Khalilzad