UN BRIEFS U.S., UK ON UNAMI/IRAQ ISSUES

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000923 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ SUBJECT: UN BRIEFS U.S., UK ON UNAMI/IRAQ ISSUES ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During a trilateral with the UK Mission and the UN on Iraq October 24, the UN announced that Staffan de Mistura, incoming SRSG and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI),would formally assume his position on October 30. The UN also said deputy SRSG Michael von der Schulenberg would visit Irbil and Kirkuk in the coming days, after the Kurds expressed new willingness to consider a role for the UN in addressing the Kirkuk referendum. On UNAMI administrative issues, the UN is moving closer to reinstating a presence in Basra, has been advised it will receive new funds from Denmark for the Distinct Entity Trust Fund, and is flexible about the arrangements for adding seconded foreign nationals, including a USG employee, to assist UNAMI. End summary. UNAMI - POLICY ¶2. (SBU) Darko Mocibob, the UN team leader on Iraq, told USUN and UKUN on October 24 that newly appointed SRSG Staffan de Mistura would assume his new position on October 30. He will travel to Istanbul for the Expanded Neighbors conference, and immediately after that meeting will travel to Amman for consultations, followed by his arrival in Baghdad, where he will take up residence. Mocibob added that the UN had shared with Iraqi FM Zebari a draft terms of reference for a support mechanism to assist regional dialogue on Iraq. Zebari,s initial reaction was positive. Later, the Iraqis asked why the League of Arab States had not been included in the support mechanism. The UN replied that the support mechanism will be based in Baghdad, where the League of Arab States does not have a presence. ¶3. (SBU) On or around October 31, deputy SRSG Schulenberg will travel to Irbil to meet with Kurdish leaders, including Massoud and Nechirvan Barzani. The UN has received indications that the Kurds are more open to a UN role in dealing with the Kirkuk referendum issue. Mocibob said Schulenberg will be receptive to Kurdish proposals and will engage them in dialogue, but will not present a formal UN position. UNAMI - ADMINISTRATION ¶4. (SBU) As of October 25, Mocibob said the UN had 71 international staff in Baghdad and 25 international staff in Irbil. Over the coming weeks, the UN plans on moving forward administratively to propose reopening a liaison office in Basra. Although this has not been formally approved, Mocibob says currently the UN is considering a ceiling of 6 permanent staff in Basra, with a visitor limit of 12. Regarding de Mistura,s proposal of adding liaison staff from key countries to the UNAMI team, the UN is flexible on the administrative arrangements, said Mocibob. The UN would be able to accommodate either seconding liaison staff or treating them as direct-hires within the UN. ¶5. (SBU) Earlier in the week, Poloff spoke with Danish mission political counselor Klaus Simoni-Pederson, who said Denmark will contribute 500,000 USD to the Distinct Entity Trust Fund that pays for "middle-ring" security for the UN. In addition, the UN said it had received expressions of interest from Germany, France and Portugal to contribute to the Trust Fund. Germany said it was considering a contribution of 1 million euros. (Comment: USUN recommends that State consider whether to formally acknowledge the Danish contribution. End Comment.) Khalilzad