Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KOLONIA179
2008-12-04 08:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kolonia
Cable title:
UN OPENING OFFICE IN THE FSM, LOOKING TO COORDINATE WITH THE
how-toVZCZCXRO8196 PP RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHMJ DE RUEHKN #0179 3390855 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P R 040855Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY KOLONIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2160 INFO RUEHMJ/AMEMBASSY MAJURO 0386 RUEHKR/AMEMBASSY KOROR 0294 RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0048 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0020 RHMFIUU/COMNAVMARIANAS GU RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI RUEHKN/AMEMBASSY KOLONIA 2521
UNCLAS KOLONIA 000179
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI FM
SUBJECT: UN OPENING OFFICE IN THE FSM, LOOKING TO COORDINATE WITH THE
USG
UNCLAS KOLONIA 000179
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI FM
SUBJECT: UN OPENING OFFICE IN THE FSM, LOOKING TO COORDINATE WITH THE
USG
1. (U) Summary: The UN officially opened a Joint Presence (JP)
Office in Pohnpei on December 1 and during meetings with Emboffs
stressed the importance of coordinating efforts with the USG
regarding assistance programs in the FSM. End Summary.
The Office
--------------
2. (U) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will operate
the UN Joint Presence office in Kolonia, FSM on behalf of United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP). The FSM national government is
paying rent for the office, which is situated in the heart of
Kolonia. Although only opening with one local hire, UNFPA
representative and Director for Pacific Sub-Regional Office,
based in Suva, Najib M. Assifi, expects to hire a second staff
person in 2009 and that UN technical experts and senior officers
will visit the FSM quarterly.
3. (U) During a December 2 meeting with the diplomatic community
Assifi, UN Coordination Specialist Ashok Sayenju, UNICEF
Representative for Pacific Island Countries Isiye Ndombi, UNDP
Deputy Resident Representative Toily Kurbanov, and United
Nations Development Fund for Women Regional Program Manager Rita
Taphorn reviewed their goals for the JP office in the FSM.
Although specific focuses ranged from prenatal care to training
legislatures to advocating for environmental protection and
social change, each of the speakers commented on trying to
launch projects to support Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In the FSM, this will include trying to develop reliable data
and means of data collection that will support FSM governments'
efforts, including at the state and national levels, to submit
appropriate projects to the U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI) for Compact funding. Use of the MDGs as universally
accepted development metrics allows for pragmatic comparisons,
UN officials said. The FSM Office of Statistics, Budget,
Overseas Assistance and Compact Management (SBOC) is reportedly
now working on a MDG statistical report.
4. (U) At a colorful opening ceremony of the new JP office on
December 1, UN officials emphasized their intention to work with
"agents of change" in the FSM and to help the Micronesians find
their own solutions. Under the UN organizational umbrella, they
were clearly looking for development partners and aiming to
deliver benefits at the grass roots level. Altogether, they
intend to launch seven JP offices in the Pacific, all operating
within a program framework for 2008-2012. Joint Presence
offices will be able to draw upon the development expertise of
some 15 UN agencies, according to Kurbanov.
Coordination with the USG
--------------
5. (U) Assifi and the other delegation members repeatedly
stressed the need to coordinate any efforts in the FSM with the
U.S. Embassy for inclusion of DOI. Assifi commented that any
programs in the FSM must take into account the funding coming
through DOI and the Amended Compact of Free Association
Obligations. It is important for the UN not only to not
duplicate DOI efforts, but to complement DOI funded programs.
The funding and efforts by DOI are clearly preponderant in the
FSM; to not align UN efforts with DOI efforts would only work to
the detriment of the UN and FSM development. Assifi commented
that he hoped the regular UN visitors to FSM could meet with the
appropriate Embassy and DOI officers whenever they visited.
Comment
--------------
6. (U) The opening of the JP Office in Kolonia has promising,
positive potential to help the FSM meet its development goals
and to complement ongoing Compact related projects. If the
focus truly is coordination with the donor community,
particularly the U.S., and helping the FSM become better
planners and implementers of DOI funded projects, the FSM can
expect to see measurable progress in coming years. If, on the
other hand, the office remains simply a presence with
intermittent visitors who are not coordinating efforts properly,
then the office will become just one more agency looking for
regular reports. The potential benefit to the FSM through joint
support of DOI and UN goals is clear, but only with active and
consistent engagement of all involved. End Comment.
HUGHES
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI FM
SUBJECT: UN OPENING OFFICE IN THE FSM, LOOKING TO COORDINATE WITH THE
USG
1. (U) Summary: The UN officially opened a Joint Presence (JP)
Office in Pohnpei on December 1 and during meetings with Emboffs
stressed the importance of coordinating efforts with the USG
regarding assistance programs in the FSM. End Summary.
The Office
--------------
2. (U) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will operate
the UN Joint Presence office in Kolonia, FSM on behalf of United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP). The FSM national government is
paying rent for the office, which is situated in the heart of
Kolonia. Although only opening with one local hire, UNFPA
representative and Director for Pacific Sub-Regional Office,
based in Suva, Najib M. Assifi, expects to hire a second staff
person in 2009 and that UN technical experts and senior officers
will visit the FSM quarterly.
3. (U) During a December 2 meeting with the diplomatic community
Assifi, UN Coordination Specialist Ashok Sayenju, UNICEF
Representative for Pacific Island Countries Isiye Ndombi, UNDP
Deputy Resident Representative Toily Kurbanov, and United
Nations Development Fund for Women Regional Program Manager Rita
Taphorn reviewed their goals for the JP office in the FSM.
Although specific focuses ranged from prenatal care to training
legislatures to advocating for environmental protection and
social change, each of the speakers commented on trying to
launch projects to support Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In the FSM, this will include trying to develop reliable data
and means of data collection that will support FSM governments'
efforts, including at the state and national levels, to submit
appropriate projects to the U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI) for Compact funding. Use of the MDGs as universally
accepted development metrics allows for pragmatic comparisons,
UN officials said. The FSM Office of Statistics, Budget,
Overseas Assistance and Compact Management (SBOC) is reportedly
now working on a MDG statistical report.
4. (U) At a colorful opening ceremony of the new JP office on
December 1, UN officials emphasized their intention to work with
"agents of change" in the FSM and to help the Micronesians find
their own solutions. Under the UN organizational umbrella, they
were clearly looking for development partners and aiming to
deliver benefits at the grass roots level. Altogether, they
intend to launch seven JP offices in the Pacific, all operating
within a program framework for 2008-2012. Joint Presence
offices will be able to draw upon the development expertise of
some 15 UN agencies, according to Kurbanov.
Coordination with the USG
--------------
5. (U) Assifi and the other delegation members repeatedly
stressed the need to coordinate any efforts in the FSM with the
U.S. Embassy for inclusion of DOI. Assifi commented that any
programs in the FSM must take into account the funding coming
through DOI and the Amended Compact of Free Association
Obligations. It is important for the UN not only to not
duplicate DOI efforts, but to complement DOI funded programs.
The funding and efforts by DOI are clearly preponderant in the
FSM; to not align UN efforts with DOI efforts would only work to
the detriment of the UN and FSM development. Assifi commented
that he hoped the regular UN visitors to FSM could meet with the
appropriate Embassy and DOI officers whenever they visited.
Comment
--------------
6. (U) The opening of the JP Office in Kolonia has promising,
positive potential to help the FSM meet its development goals
and to complement ongoing Compact related projects. If the
focus truly is coordination with the donor community,
particularly the U.S., and helping the FSM become better
planners and implementers of DOI funded projects, the FSM can
expect to see measurable progress in coming years. If, on the
other hand, the office remains simply a presence with
intermittent visitors who are not coordinating efforts properly,
then the office will become just one more agency looking for
regular reports. The potential benefit to the FSM through joint
support of DOI and UN goals is clear, but only with active and
consistent engagement of all involved. End Comment.
HUGHES