ACTING A/S BRIAN HOOK MEETS A RANGE OF OFFICIALS

UNCLAS GENEVA 000526 SENSITIVE SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR IO-RHS, DRL-MLGA, L-HRR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM UNHRC SUBJECT: ACTING A/S BRIAN HOOK MEETS A RANGE OF OFFICIALS ON VISIT TO GENEVA ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On a June 26-27 visit to Geneva, Acting A/S Brian Hook met with officials from a range of international organizations. With the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Hook brainstormed about innovative fundraising for international organizations. Officials from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights shared their views about where the U.S. can best support their work. The UN Office of Geneva laid out infrastructural support needs for UN operations in Geneva, and the Director General of the International Labor Organization introduced Hook to his vision for the ILO. Hook reiterated USG positions on the activities of all these organizations, from concerns about the independence of OHCHR from the Human Rights Council (HRC) to support for ILO's field work successes. End Summary. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A/AS Hook discussed a range of reforms and changes ongoing at UNHCR with Executive Director for External Relations Nick Van Praag. Van Praag laid out several objectives that will improve UNHCR's responsiveness to the needs of its beneficiaries. He highlighted innovative private sector fundraising, human resources restructuring, efforts to move UNHCR ever more into the field, and efforts to increase contributions from non-traditional donors including the Persian Gulf states. In terms of donor diversification, partnerships and donations from consulting, marketing and software firms would broaden UNHCR's support base. Van Praag said he was also pushing Persian Gulf States to recognize that refugee aid would be an admirable way to distinguish their foreign policy. He said the UNHCR-wide reform program, Structural and Management Change (SMC),had moved about 20 percent of its staff out of Geneva, partly by shifting much of the logistical and administrative support to the less costly location of Budapest. SMC has also reaped huge cost savings; for example, 75% of the salary and benefit costs of an archivist job were saved by moving the position to Budapest. Ongoing surveys of the personnel structure would analyze the balance between field offices in capitals versus in the "deep field", as well as the seniority of staff in the "deep field." The goal was to get more expertise closer to populations of concern, where it was most needed. Van Praag concluded the meeting by noting that UNHCR as an organization, and the High Commissioner in particular, saw a need to rethink the international approach to refugees, given increasingly higher urban refugee populations as well as the impact on humanitarian operations from factors like climate change, the food crisis, and security. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Accompanied by DCM Storella, Hook focused on continued U.S. human rights engagement with Deputy High Commissioner Kung Wha-Kang (who has since become the Acting High Commissioner) and Charles Radcliffe, Chief of Donor and External Relations. Engagement with a strong new High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) was essential for moving concrete human rights protection forward, said Hook, emphasizing the need for the HCHR to maintain independence from Human Rights Council oversight. Kang replied that there was no statutory justification for HRC oversight authority, and in reality, most OHCHR work took place entirely without HRC knowledge. In addition, Kang said she was sure that, in selecting the next High Commissioner, SyG Ban would take into account the need for strength of character to resist a Council inroads on OHCHR independence. Radcliffe said it was important to remember that 92 percent of OHCHR's funding goes to programming that had absolutely nothing to do with HRC initiatives, and that work went on entirely regardless of HRC approval or lack thereof. Hook affirmed U.S. readiness to support OHCHR's work in whatever manner would be most effective. ¶4. (SBU) Kang thought the Egyptian and Pakistani push for oversight (and especially for HRC approval of OHCHR field presences) would likely show up in this year's UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee, but had probably not yet reached the point of a serious call for a UNGA resolution on the issue. Kang also asked for information on U.S. initiatives in the Third Committee. She said she was disappointed with the USG withdrawal from the HRC but looked forward to further cooperation in other fora. She also expressed gratitude for USG contributions to OHCHR. Kang hoped that Radcliffe's upcoming move to NY, where he is to work in OHCHR's New York office, would increase awareness of the dynamics involving the Office. ¶5. (SBU) A meeting with the directors of OHCHR field offices covered the range and placement of those offices. Fabrizio Hochschild (Chief of Field Operations),Jong-Gil Woo (Human Rights Officer, Asia-Pacific Unit),Maggie Nicholson (head of the Europe, North America, and Central Asia Unit),and Elio Tamburi Quinteiro (head of the Latin America and Caribbean Unit) attended the meeting. Hochschild informally recommended that USDel weigh in heavily with the next High Commissioner on the importance of field work. As OHCHR is relatively new to a heavy field presence, he said some in the organization still had questions about whether there should be more activity at Geneva headquarters, e.g., on treaty bodies. Hochschild expressed greater concern than had Deputy High Commissioner Kang about continued HRC attempts to oversee OHCHR's work. The new Nigerian Council President's early emphasis on resolving control questions was also troubling, especially in light of the absence of U.S. counter-influence. Hochschild had also heard that delegations favoring greater Council control of OHCHR work are beginning to be more active in NY (where any oversight mandates would originate). ¶6. (SBU) Hochschild also addressed OHCHR's action on Zimbabwe and in Central Asia. He expressed concern that the government in Zimbabwe might grant amnesty for serious human rights abuses in the name of national reconciliation. He hoped for a good investigation of the circumstances of the Zimbabwe election. Hochschild requested USG support in Central Asia, where the OHCHR has had limited access (though the recent establishment of a Bishkek regional office -- over the strong objections of Tashkent -- was a success). Nicholson pointed to Uzbekistan as a particularly hard nut to crack. OHCHR was trying to engage on small matters as an entree to a more cooperative relationship, but had not yet gotten much traction with the government there. United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Jan Beagle, Deputy Director General of UNOG, reviewed the increasingly dire renovation needs of the Palais des Nations complex in Geneva. Calling the Palais the largest conference center in the world, Beagle noted that flooding and electrical and plumbing problems due to outdated equipment were becoming difficult to manage. Beagle hoped her exposure to the renovation process in NY would help in coping with the Geneva complex's problems. Hook encouraged her to think about commercial partnerships and seek lessons learned from addressing the infrastructure problems in the New York complex. Beagle also noted the need for better coordination in Geneva among UN programs as well as with specialized agencies on a variety of policy and program issues. International Labor Organization (ILO) -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Accompanied by Ambassador Tichenor, Acting A/S Hook met with Director General Juan Somavia and discussed the positive achievements of the ILO in Colombia and Burma. The ILO was monitoring the possibility of the use of forced labor by the Burmese government for cyclone reconstruction. Somavia argued that the ILO's strength lies in analysis and promoting constructive dialogue, leaving actual sanctions to others. He pointed to the U.S. Congress using ILO assessments to recommend sanctions, and to companies' use of positive imprimatur by the ILO to remain invested in Cambodia. Ambassador Tichenor reiterated our previous call for the appointment of George Dragnich to become Executive Director of Social Dialogue. The Ambassador also mentioned hearing that some countries would prefer to tie Somavia's third term to a firmer commitment to a two-term limit in future. Somavia noted that he was running for a third term at the behest of the member states, and would not block any consideration about stricter term limits as it was up to the constituents. ¶9. (U) This cable has been cleared by Acting A/S Hook. STORELLA