AMBASSADOR WILLIAM SWING, U.S. CANDIDATE FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 012428 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2018 TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR WILLIAM SWING, U.S. CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL OF IOM REF: STATE 4089 (NOTAL) Classified By: NEA Acting A/S Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraphs four through seven. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (U) The USG strongly supports the candidacy of Ambassador William Swing for Director General (DG) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The Department seeks post's assistance in promoting Ambassador Swing,s candidacy at the highest level within the foreign ministry and/or appropriate ministry in charge of international migration and/or international organizations issues. End summary. -------------- OBJECTIVE -------------- ¶3. (U) Support for the candidacy of William Swing as IOM DG. -------------- ACTION REQUESTS -------------- ¶4. (U) Further to reftel, Maghreb posts and Cairo should continue to underscore with Foreign Ministries the USG's strong and unreserved position in favor of Ambassador Swing's candidacy. Posts should, at their discretion, determine how best to approach governments that have already been approached and from whom they have received a general indication of how the government might vote. ¶5. (U) All posts are also requested to provide a host government point of contact with whom Ambassador Swing may be in touch directly to discuss his candidacy. The Department would welcome posts, recommendations on timing and location of said discussions, including dates of travel by Ambassador Swing (see paragraph nine). ¶6. (U) Jeddah only: ConGen Jeddah should additionally encourage SYG Ihsanoglu,s support for Ambassador Swing,s candidacy in the context of the March OIC Summit (see paragraph ten). ¶7. (U) Cairo only: In response to Cairo 91, the Department appreciates post,s further recommendation on appropriate time and manner of direct approach by Ambassador Swing to the Government of Egypt regarding his candidacy. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶8. (U) At present, Ambassador Swing, current IOM DG Brunson McKinley, and Italian Luca Riccardi of the lay Catholic NGO Community of Sant 'Egidio, are the only declared candidates for election in June 2008. Given that McKinley and Swing are both U.S. citizens, there has been confusion as to who is the official U.S. candidate. We want to convey in the clearest of terms that the USG strongly supports Ambassador Swing,s candidacy and encourages host governments to do so as well. ¶9. (U) A six-time Ambassador, Swing has managed some of the largest diplomatic missions and foreign development and humanitarian aid programs in the world. He retired from the Foreign Service in 2001 with the rank of Career Ambassador. During his career, he served as Chief of Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),Haiti, Nigeria, South Africa, Liberia, and the Republic of the Congo. Since 2001, Ambassador Swing has served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Western Sahara, and most recently, to the DRC. Having served in many countries with significant migration movements, he has a profound understanding of the issues and factors affecting international migration. The USG believes that IOM and STATE 00012428 002 OF 002 IOM-member countries will benefit from Ambassador Swing,s vast experience and leadership. ¶10. (U) Ambassador Swing has notional plans to visit Maghreb capitals ) and possibly Egypt - during the first or third week in March to advance his candidacy. He also plans to hold bilateral meetings with IOM members of the OIC on the margins of the OIC Summit the week of March 10 in Dakar. ¶11. (C) Current IOM DG McKinley secured an OIC endorsement for his IOM re-election last May. However, since then, the IOM OIC Chair in Geneva (the Pakistan PermRep) has disavowed this endorsement in the strongest terms noting that the OIC should only endorse candidates from OIC countries. He has invited Ambassador Swing to speak to Geneva-based IOM OIC members during Swing,s next visit. Other OIC countries have expressed some support for Ambassador Swing, suggesting that the OIC endorsement of McKinley can be splintered. ¶12. (U) Tripoli minimize considered. RICE RICE