PREPARATORY MEETING FOR BERLIN CONFERENCE ON

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000979 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWBG IS PGOV PREL EAID SUBJECT: PREPARATORY MEETING FOR BERLIN CONFERENCE ON PALESTINIAN CIVIL SECURITY AND RULE OF LAW REF: BERLIN 565 ¶1. SUMMARY. Palestinian Authority (PA) representatives briefed proposals for police/justice sector donor funding for the June 24 Berlin conference at a German-chaired, June 5 meeting in Jericho. The representatives said the proposals are consistent with the Palestinian Reconstruction and Development Plan (PRDP) presented to donors in Paris. At least seven countries have confirmed Foreign Minister-level participation at the Berlin conference and participants said PM Fayyad will attend and that Israeli FM Tzipi Livni is considering attending. END SUMMARY. PROJECT-ORIENTED APPROACH -------------- ¶2. German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, Director-General for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, chaired a preparatory meeting on June 5 in Jericho for the June 24 Berlin conference on assistance to the Palestinian police, justice sector and rule of law. PA Ministry of Interior (MoI) representative Khalid Salim said Palestinian project proposals are within the framework of the PRDP and reflect PA priorities. He said the proposals include budgets, timelines and progress indicators and are not simply concept papers. Ministry of Planning Director-General for Aid Management Cairo Arafat said the PA's highest priority remains direct budget support, but there are crucial PRDP projects in this sector that represent PA priorities. ¶3. Khalid Salim said the proposed projects address shortfalls such as lack of a sufficient legal framework, inadequate equipment and transportation, and poor police infrastructure. A document prepared for the PA Justice Ministry/Judicial Authority/Prosecutor General prioritizes Berlin proposals as: a) modern courthouses and prosecutor offices; b) a forensic medical institute; and c) development of prosecution capacity. The PA police listed 14 projects: 8 in infrastructure improvements, 5 in training/staff development and 1 in strategic communications. GERMANY: "BERLIN NOT INTENDED AS PLEDGING CONFERENCE" -------------- ¶4. While German representatives have been careful not to bill the Berlin conference as a pledging event, the PA and several other participants state that Berlin should involve specific pledges and rely on a project-based approach for PA donor funding. (Note: The Director of EUPOLCOPPS, the EU's police training and assistance team, has repeatedly told PolOffs that he expects specific pledges for police assistance to result from the Berlin meeting. EU Envoy Marc Otte told the Consul General that he sees Berlin as "a little of both." He expects donors to announce support for PA projects in Berlin, but most will rely on unallocated funds from Paris pledges, meaning the Germans are technically correct that Berlin is not a pledging conference. End note). FUNDING MECHANISMS -------------- ¶5. Ministry of Finance Director-General for International Relations Mazen Jadallah briefed the group on the PA,s efforts to strengthen the public financial management system. He noted that the PA,s preference is for donors to contribute directly to the Ministry of Finance's Single Treasury Account (STA),an approach that has been supported by the World Bank and IMF. He emphasized the system's transparency, reliability, and accountability. The EU representative offered the PEGASE mechanism as an additional means by which donors could provide assistance to the PA. EXPECTED PARTICIPATION -------------- ¶6. Participants indicated that Canada, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Sweden, and Turkey will participate at the Foreign Minister-level. 10 other countries' attendance is pending confirmation, including Israel. PA reps indicated that PM Fayyad will attend, WALLES