UNRWA'S JUNE 2008 ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001050 SENSITIVE, SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM/FO, PRM/ANE, NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAL SUBJECT: UNRWA'S JUNE 2008 ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING REF(S): (A) Jerusalem 742 (B) Beirut 883 ¶1. (SBU) UNRWA's Advisory Commission held its biannual meeting June 10-11 in Damascus to discuss current developments affecting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA's financial situation, ongoing management reforms, and the development of UNRWA's 6-year, Medium-Term Strategic Plan. End Summary. UNRWA Developments in West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UNRWA Commissioner General Karen AbuZayd noted that the session marked "the sober anniversary of 60 years of Palestinian displacement." She said Palestinians' situation in the West Bank and Gaza remains precarious and poverty and unemployment are rife. In the West Bank, she said, physical and administrative obstacles to movement seem to be permanent, "destroying Palestinian hopes of a return to normalcy." Diplomatic efforts, she said, "have yielded nothing; Israel's response has been inconsequential." She said these obstacles prevent UNRWA access to refugees and increase the costs of transporting goods and people. In Gaza, AbuZayd said there is "Israeli disregard for" and Palestinian violations of international humanitarian law on protection of civilians. In Lebanon, she noted opportunities for strong international support and hope that President Sleiman's election will result in improved living conditions for Palestinian refugees. ¶3. (SBU) AbuZayd focused on UNRWA's two principal preoccupations: the agency's financial situation and management reform. Budget shortfalls, she said, have constantly compelled UNRWA to forego important innovations. "Year after year of unmet needs leave us unsurprised that education and health services suffer." She noted that Finland will join the UNRWA Advisory Commission as its contributions place it above the threshold required to join. ¶4. (SBU) Each of UNRWA's five field directors described the past six months' operational successes and challenges: -- UNRWA Director for Gaza Operations John Ging highlighted two issues impeding UNRWA operations: ongoing violence and lack of access for people and goods. He said fuel shortages continue to negatively impact Gaza refugees' quality of life and affected UNRWA's ability to deliver food assistance in April. He noted that another 20 trucks of non-food materials are needed by June 20 to allow 248,000 children to participate in UNRWA's Summer Games. Because of UNRWA's poor financial situation and the inability to implement construction projects in Gaza, he said 54,000 refugee children will be unable to attend UNRWA schools for the academic year beginning September 2008. -- UNRWA Director for West Bank Operations Barbara Shenstone similarly reported that the situation is "getting worse, not better." Recent psycho-social studies of children in WB/G revealed that 73 percent of Palestinian youth are clinically depressed, she said. She said that UNRWA is witnessing changes in refugees' food consumption patterns, with West Bank households now spending an average of 57 percent of their income on food. Shenstone also noted that roadblocks have increased over the past six months to 607 despite diplomatic efforts with Israel to ease movement restrictions. -- UNRWA Director for Lebanon Operations Richard Cook previewed the June 23 conference in Vienna on Nahr al- Barid refugee camp and appealed to AdCom members to support UNRWA's appeal for the camp's recovery and reconstruction. He highlighted the need to improve living standards of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, which remain among the lowest in all of UNRWA's five fields. -- UNRWA Directors for Syria and Jordan, Panos Moumtzis and Roger Davies respectively, spoke of the increased demand on resources as a result of consumer price increases, forcing refugees living on the economic margins to seek UNRWA assistance and requiring staff salary increases due to higher public sector wages. Both stressed the need for additional resources in education, particularly in constructing and/or rehabilitating schools that have stood for 50 years. UNRWA Facing Bleak Financial Situation in 2008-2009 -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) UNRWA Deputy Commissioner General Filippo Grandi noted that UNRWA anticipates a 2008 budget shortfall of USD 118.1 million and, in 2009 (based on 2008 income),a shortfall of USD 146.6 million. UNRWA first detailed its unbudgeted requirements at the April 30 Extraordinary AdCom (Ref A). These requirements, caused by increased fuel and food costs and rises in public sector wages and commensurate increases in UNRWA staff salaries, now total USD 44.3 JERUSALEM 00001050 002 OF 002 million. Meanwhile, no donors have pledged new contributions to the UNRWA 2008 General Fund. (Note: In an aside, Grandi noted that DFID may contribute an additional $4 million as a performance incentive. End note). In addition to the unbudgeted expenditures, UNRWA continues to face USD 98.8 million in unfunded requirements, such as building maintenance, hospitalization services, school and medical equipment, and additional staff. ¶6. (U) The impact of the combined unfunded and unbudgeted shortfalls (equal to USD 118.1 million) will directly affect the agency's ability to function, to meet the food and cash needs of vulnerable refugees, and to maintain the quality of health and education services. "If we cannot recruit enough staff, we cannot meet the norms we have set for ourselves to limit class sizes or doctor/patient ratios." UNRWA's Progress on Organizational Reform -------------- ¶7. (U) Grandi presented a report on the Organizational Development Program (ODP) with particular emphasis on program management reforms. He said he was pleased to report that UNRWA had made significant achievements in developing new Human Resource policies, procurement procedures, decentralized decision-making procedures, and planning for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP, as UNRWA briefed donors over the past two months, will require an additional $17.6 million. In 2009, UNWRA will also seek $4.2 million to complete the final year of the ODP. ¶8. (U) Grandi said 2008-2009 will be particularly challenging because UNRWA will develop its first biennium budget that is based on strategic goals underpinned by needs assessments in the field. Grandi said successful completion of this next budget process will fully realize UNRWA's organizational development reforms. He announced that each of UNRWA's five fields conducted needs assessments, which will be reviewed over the next three months by Program Department Directors. Each Department director will then provide strategic technical guidance to the fields. This guidance will feed into the Medium Term Strategy 2010-2015 and the Field Implementation Plans, which will form the basis for the 2010-2011 biennium budget. The MTS and FIPs will be in rough draft by November 2008. A draft biennium budget will be ready in April - May 2009, Grandi said. ¶9. (U) Grandi expressed concern over the risks associated with the OD process, namely the inability to deliver improved services if donors are not forthcoming with increased contributions. He also worried about the possible lack of buy-in among staff ("reforms not embedded into the organization's foundations") and that OD-funded international posts would not be mainstreamed by the end of 2009. He noted that, of the 20 international posts UNRWA sought to regularize in the current biennium, only 6 were approved by the UN. Another 14 are needed, including positions that are currently funded by the ODP, such as the Spokesperson, Director for HR, Program Support Officer, and Planning and Evaluation Officers. UNRWA's First Ever 6-Year Strategy Document -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Discussion between host and donor governments on the UNRWA's Medium-Term Strategy revealed a wide range of views. The SARG representative stated that UNRWA should not prioritize among basic services while the Government of Jordan representative objected to any decrease in the scope or scale of UNRWA services, which "are already below acceptable levels." UNRWA should be doing more, not less, to provide shelter rehabilitation and education, they averred. The Government of Lebanon representative also took issue with UNRWA's draft strategy paper and requested further consultation with UNRWA. The PLO representative noted the political and humanitarian imperative to provide for Palestinian refugees' basic needs. He also said "we should not forget UNRWA's moderating influence in the region." ¶11. (SBU) Donor government representatives commented that UNRWA must make difficult choices in light of limited resources. The USG delegation specifically mentioned the need for the U.S. and others to be able to articulate the impact of budget shortfalls to our various appropriators. Canada stressed the importance of basis the budget on needs assessments in the fields as well as strategic priorities. AdCom members agreed that further discussion on UNRWA's strategic choices will be critical in coming months.