U.S. OFFICIALS BRIEF UNSYG ON PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000573

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NSC FOR CEQ CHAIRMAN CONNAUGHTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: ECON KGHG SENV PREL KPKO SU
SUBJECT: U.S. OFFICIALS BRIEF UNSYG ON PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE
CHANGE INITIATIVE, DISCUSS DARFUR

REF: STATE 75287

Classified By: Ambassador Richard T. Miller. Reason: 1.4 (b).

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Summary
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1. (C) White House CEQ Chairman Connaughton and Under
Secretary Dobriansky briefed UN Secretary-General Ban on the

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President's May 31 climate change initiative (reftel) during
a June 18 meeting at the UN. Connaughton and Dobriansky
clarified the USG goals and how the initiative would
complement UN processes aimed at reaching agreement among
major economies on the elements of a new international
framework by the end of 2008 and concluding agreement on such
a framework within the UNFCCC. Ban pledged to discuss the
USG proposal with his climate change team. He welcomed the
USG initiative while also urging USG attendance at the UN
High-Level Event on Climate Change on September 24. On
Darfur, the SYG sounded cautious optimism over Sudanese
support for a hybrid force while urging the USG to give him
policy space. End summary.

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UN Role in the USG Climate Initiative
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2. (U) On June 18, White House Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) Chairman James Connaughton, Under Secretary of
State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky and
IO A/S Silverberg briefed UN Secretary-General (SYG) Ban
Ki-moon on the President's May 31 initiative to achieve a new
international climate change framework, including
developments since the G-8 summit earlier in the month at
which the SYG was present. The SYG was joined by Chief of
Staff Nambiar, Deputy Chief of Staff Kim, and A/SYG Orr.


3. (C) The SYG opened the meeting expressing his own
encouragement after having seen the President's personal
leadership at the G-8 summit succeed in winning ultimate
agreement. Noting the importance of preserving "political
will," Ban "welcomed" the President's climate initiative and
said he hoped the President might attend some portion of a
SYG-hosted UN High-Level Event on climate change on September
24 (on the eve of the General Assembly general debate).


4. (U) CEQ Chairman Connaughton shared with the SYG and his
advisers a 5-page outline of the President's initiative,
reviewing its fundamental principles and dividing envisioned
activities into three parts. Part One plotted out the
general content and timeline of a proposed USG-hosted meeting
later in 2007 of top emitter and energy-using states, the end
result of which would feed into a future UN framework
agreement by 2009. Part Two elaborated reinforced work
programs for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) deliberations, particularly in the areas of land use
(forests, agriculture and urban settings),adaptation
(mainstreaming it into national development strategies and
avoiding fruitless debates on compensation),energy
efficiency, and accelerating technology sharing. Connaughton
also noted the UN could play a key role in unifying the
disparate metrics countries currently use in measuring their
greenhouse gas emissions. Part Three of the USG outline
detailed promoting global adoption of clean energy
technologies, including buttressing insufficient R&D into
clean coal, finance, tariff barriers and sector partnerships.
Connaughton concluded his presentation by reviewing the
timeline of successive meetings and processes that would
facilitate a new UN framework agreement by 2009. U/S
Dobriansky emphasized how the USG initiative was fully
complementary and compatible with existing UN processes,
including the SYG's September 24 event, and described the
positive reception it has received from international
partners (India, Brazil, Korea, among others). She also
extended an invitation to the SYG to attend a portion of the
USG-hosted meeting to which he expressed an interest.

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SYG's Bridging Role
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5. (U) The SYG was grateful for the further detail on the USG
initiative and looked forward to working together. Ban said
he would discuss the information with his climate change
team, including UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. Ban

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was particularly drawn to the sectoral approach and
national-level benchmarks described in the USG plan, and
inquired as to similarities with the Asia Pacific Partnership
on Clean Development and Climate (APP) and whether the USG
initiative would include formal negotiations. (Note: Ban was
instrumental in the creation of the Asia-Pacific Partnership
when he was ROK FM. End note.) Connaughton replied that the
USG process would not produce a formal treaty, but rather
achieve agreement on precepts for a future UN framework
agreement. The SYG offered to play a "bridging" role between
the USG initiative and the broader UN processes.


6. (C) Connaughton promised there would be high-level USG
representation at the SYG's September 24 event, but said it
was not certain whether the President would be able to
attend. The SYG stressed the importance of the President's
attendance at some portion of the September event, and
indicated he would seek to raise the matter directly with the
White House in coming weeks. U/S Dobriansky likewise urged
the SYG to make positive reference during his own event to
the USG's initiative. The Secretary-General promised to
remain in close touch.

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SYG Defends Fragile Progress on Darfur Force
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7. (C) Turning to Darfur, A/S Silverberg thanked the SYG for
his focus on Darfur but noted that the U.S. remained
skeptical about President Bashir's intentions and urged that
the best way to keep Bashir honest was rapid deployment of
the force. Agreeing that Bashir's commitments can be trusted
only so far, the SYG noted that he had achieved more in the
past six months than in the preceding four years. Even key
UNSC skeptics like the UK, he noted, were cautiously
optimistic following a recent visit to Khartoum. The SYG
urged the USG to give him "policy space" and to allow this
"fragile process" to succeed. The SYG also noted that not
all delay is Sudan's fault, expressing frustration over the
slow UN processes for lining up troops, finance and
logistical support for deployment of the hybrid force. To
speed deployment, A/S Silverberg asked the SYG to support
immediate rehatting of the two AMIS battalions as part of the
Heavy Support Package (HSP).
KHALILZAD