READOUT OF APRIL 10 MEETING ON UK SECURITY COUNCIL

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000290 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV UNSC UK SUBJECT: READOUT OF APRIL 10 MEETING ON UK SECURITY COUNCIL CLIMATE INITIATIVE REF: STATE 46679 ¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, USUN mission officers attended the UKUN's April 10 informal briefing in advance of the April 17 UN Security Council debate on climate change, hosted by UKUN Counselor for Sustainable Development Alistair Fernie. University of Toronto Professor Thomas Homer-Dixon gave a powerpoint presentation of 1990's research into the linkage between environmental stresses and violent conflict. Fernie provided an outline of how the April 17 UNSC debate will be formatted, and gave assurances that there will be no negotiated outcome nor follow-up process within the UNSC. He summarized UK objectives as bringing new focus and attention to climate change by bringing it before a new set of stakeholders (UNSC members),"just as the Stern Report introduced the topic to economic stakeholders for the first time." ¶2. (SBU) Representatives of nearly all 15 UNSC members were on hand for the lunchtime event. Questions largely sought further details on UNSC debate format and attendance or touched upon aspects of the professor's presentation. Fernie noted that a similar briefing was conducted earlier that day for non-UNSC members. An Australian colleague present at the morning briefing said invited countries included: Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Pakistan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Tanzania, Barbados and Tuvalu. Per the Australian, the UK selected those countries on the basis of those states that had expressed active interest in the UNSC discussion. Responding to charges the UK is clearly hearing from many quarters, Fernie defended the UK's proposal to hold the debate as being within the mandate of the Council. WOLFF