DPKO PRESENTS SYG'S REPORT ON MINUSTAH

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000705

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO HA
SUBJECT: DPKO PRESENTS SYG'S REPORT ON MINUSTAH



1. (SBU) Summary. DPKO A/SYG Hedi Annabi briefed Friends of
Haiti representatives on August 24 on the highlights of the
SYG,s latest report on MINUSTAH. Although the SYG
recommended no changes to MINUSTAH's mandate, he urged the
UNSC to lower MINUSTAH,s troop strength by 140 and raise its
police strength by the same number. Annabi also explained
that the SYG,s request for 16 small boats is a first step to
help Haiti improve its maritime border management. Noting
that Haitian President Preval would soon travel to Beijing,
Annabi expressed hope that the Chinese would support a
one-year extension of MINUSTAH,s mandate. Friends of Haiti
delegates generally welcomed the SYG,s recommendations.
Latin American delegates urged the UN to appoint Latin
American officials to senior civilian positions within
MINUSTAH. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
Operations Hedi Annabi convened Friends of Haiti
representatives on August 24 to highlight the SYG's latest
report on the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH),
which was released to UNSC members on August 23 (Note: The
report was e-mailed to IO/PSC and WHA/CAR. End Note.).
Annabi, who is scheduled to succeed Edmund Mulet in October
2007 as Special Representative of the Secretary-General
(SRSG) in Haiti, noted that the report recommends no changes
to MINUSTAH's mandate. He underscored that although much
progress has been made in Haiti over the past year, the
security situation there remains fragile and the Haitian
National Police (HNP) under-equipped. MINUSTAH still carries
out about 85 percent of the security-related operations
nationwide. Annabi predicted that MINUSTAH would need to
remain in Haiti for a "number of years to come" and that any
downsizing of the force should be linked to specific
benchmarks in Haitian Government capacity. He noted that
Haitian President Preval would soon travel to Beijing (NFI)
and expressed hope that the visit would help persuade China
to support a one-year extension of MINUSTAH's mandate.


3. (U) Turning to MINUSTAH's priorities, Annabi said the
mission would support Preval's focus on HNP reform,
anti-corruption efforts, rebuilding of state institutions,
and improved border management. Towards this end, the SYG
has recommended an increase in MINUSTAH's engineering
capacity and its ability to support HNP maritime security
efforts. Annabi noted that the SYG also recommended that the
troop ceiling be lowered by 140 and the police ceiling be
increased by 140 officers. He acknowledged that the UN's
ideas on how to improve Haiti's border management, which he
said costs Haiti roughly USD 200 million per year in lost
customs revenue, need to be given more thought. As a first
step, the SYG has recommended that MINUSTAH deploy up to 16
small boats at 6-7 key ports in Haiti that would be manned by
MINUSTAH troops, UN police, and HNP officers. Annabi said
the UN had not yet received offers to supply these small
craft but hoped that the Friends of Haiti could supply some
or all of the boats. He agreed that judicial reform has
proceeded slowly in Haiti thusfar, but argued that MINUSTAH
must take its direction from the Haitian Government and
parliament, which have not moved quickly on this issue.


4. (SBU) Friends of Haiti representatives expressed general
support for the SYG's recommendations and wished Annabi well
in his assignment as SRSG. In a veiled reference to Latin
American pique at not being consulted on the SYG's decision
to appoint Annabi, rather than a Latin American official, to
succeed Mulet as SRSG in Haiti, the Argentine PR emphasized
the importance of appointing Latin American candidates to
senior civilian positions in MINUSTAH. He joined the Chilean
PR in urging DPKO to give serious consideration to the
Chilean candidate for the MINUSTAH Rule of Law Coordinator
position. Arguing that MINUSTAH would have to take on more
of a development focus to secure the gains recently achieved
in Haiti, the Chilean and Brazilian representatives both
stressed the importance of MINUSTAH quick-impact projects
(QUIPS). The Canadian delegate identified security sector
reform, counter-narcotics, and anti-corruption efforts as
Canada's highest priorities in Haiti. After welcoming
MINUSTAH's recent success in Haiti, USUN asked about the
budgetary implications of the SYG's recommendations for force
levels and maritime support, which DPKO agreed to examine.
KHALILZAD