INSTRUCTIONS FOR TIMOR-LESTE CORE GROUP MEETING

UNCLAS STATE 068503

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC TT
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS FOR TIMOR-LESTE CORE GROUP MEETING


1. ACTION REQUEST: USUN is instructed to draw from points in
para 3 at the meeting of the UN Core Group for Timor Leste,
scheduled for Thursday, June 26 at 3:30 PM. End Action
request.


2. BACKGROUND: The security situation in Timor-Leste has
been comparatively quiet since the death of renegade Major
Alfredo Reinado in an unsuccessful assassination attempt on
President Ramos-Horta February 11. During the report of UN
Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes on April 22, Security
Council members expressed more concerns about the state of
the police retraining effort than about general security.
Nonetheless, political instability and institutional
weaknesses in the security and judicial sectors still pose
severe threats to the people of Timor-Leste and could again
spark unrest, especially if the UN police begin to withdraw
before a trained and effective local police force is able to
take over.


3. Begin points:

-- We appreciate Mr. Weisbrod-Weber's briefing on the
situation in Timor-Leste and the current status of the UNMIT
mission.

-- With the expansion of a UN presence in the country since
2006, one of the highest priorities for UNMIT is continuing
to develop an efficient, professional and fully autonomous
police force.

-- Any drawdown in UN Police (UNPOL) presence in Timor-Leste
should be based on a credible assessment of the ability of
the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) to function without
UNPOL oversight and be synchronized with bilateral donors,
plans to step up assistance to the PNTL. A functional and
effective PNTL is indispensable to maintaining security and
the rule of law in Timor-Leste.

-- Government of Timor-Leste (GOTL) ownership of the PNTL
development process is also essential to assuring its
success.

-- What are the specific benchmarks developed for assessing
whether criteria for handover of police executive authority
from UNPOL to PNTL have been met? What is the timeline for
the UNPOL transition envisioned by DPKO and UNMIT?

-- Which elements of its mandate does UNMIT plan to
concentrate on implementing between now and February 2009?
RICE