Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USUNNEWYORK848
2007-10-10 23:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:
SYG BAN BRIEFS USUN ON CAPITAL MASTER PLAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUCNDT #0848 2832301 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 102301Z OCT 07 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2757 INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000848
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: ACABQ UNGA KUNR
SUBJECT: SYG BAN BRIEFS USUN ON CAPITAL MASTER PLAN
Classified By: Amb. Alejandro Wolff, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000848
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: ACABQ UNGA KUNR
SUBJECT: SYG BAN BRIEFS USUN ON CAPITAL MASTER PLAN
Classified By: Amb. Alejandro Wolff, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6.
2. (C) In a meeting on October 5, SYG Ban briefed Ambassador
Khalilzad on his revised strategy for the UN's Capital Master
Plan (CMP) -- the renovation of the UN's New York
headquarters which is necessary in part to bring UN buildings
in line with fire and safety codes. Ban asked Amb. Khalilzad
for a signal of U.S. support for his plan, and for U.S.
assistance in selling the plan to the General Assembly.
3. (C) The current CMP authorized in 2006 calls for a 4-phase
approach to be completed in 7 years. As of summer 2007, the
plan has already incurred $219 million in cost overruns; if
overruns continue at the current rate the project will end
approximately $1 billion over budget.
4. (C) Ban's proposal, developed in consultation with Amcit
CMP Executive Director and A/SYG Michael Alderstein, calls
for scrapping the 4-phase renovation in favor of an
accelerated one-phase work schedule. He proposes that the
entire Secretariat building be renovated at once over the
span of three years while Secretariat staff work from
temporary offices. Renovation of the General Assembly
building would take place in two stages over the course of
two years.
5. (C) According to Ban, cost savings from a more efficient
work schedule would approximately equal cost overruns already
incurred, meaning that the project could come in on budget.
Ban told Amb. Khalilzad that this revised work plan is made
more practical thanks to changes in the real estate market:
the UN has already identified temporary office space in
midtown Manhattan that will be available on a 4-5 year lease.
A few years ago landlords were demanding a 15 year lease -
far more than the UN renovation project required.
6. (C) Action request: We recommend the Department support
SYG Ban's revised plan, which already has the strong support
of the EU and Japan. We request Department instructions on
an official response.
KHALILZAD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: ACABQ UNGA KUNR
SUBJECT: SYG BAN BRIEFS USUN ON CAPITAL MASTER PLAN
Classified By: Amb. Alejandro Wolff, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6.
2. (C) In a meeting on October 5, SYG Ban briefed Ambassador
Khalilzad on his revised strategy for the UN's Capital Master
Plan (CMP) -- the renovation of the UN's New York
headquarters which is necessary in part to bring UN buildings
in line with fire and safety codes. Ban asked Amb. Khalilzad
for a signal of U.S. support for his plan, and for U.S.
assistance in selling the plan to the General Assembly.
3. (C) The current CMP authorized in 2006 calls for a 4-phase
approach to be completed in 7 years. As of summer 2007, the
plan has already incurred $219 million in cost overruns; if
overruns continue at the current rate the project will end
approximately $1 billion over budget.
4. (C) Ban's proposal, developed in consultation with Amcit
CMP Executive Director and A/SYG Michael Alderstein, calls
for scrapping the 4-phase renovation in favor of an
accelerated one-phase work schedule. He proposes that the
entire Secretariat building be renovated at once over the
span of three years while Secretariat staff work from
temporary offices. Renovation of the General Assembly
building would take place in two stages over the course of
two years.
5. (C) According to Ban, cost savings from a more efficient
work schedule would approximately equal cost overruns already
incurred, meaning that the project could come in on budget.
Ban told Amb. Khalilzad that this revised work plan is made
more practical thanks to changes in the real estate market:
the UN has already identified temporary office space in
midtown Manhattan that will be available on a 4-5 year lease.
A few years ago landlords were demanding a 15 year lease -
far more than the UN renovation project required.
6. (C) Action request: We recommend the Department support
SYG Ban's revised plan, which already has the strong support
of the EU and Japan. We request Department instructions on
an official response.
KHALILZAD