Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08UNVIEVIENNA545
2008-10-09 11:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
UNVIE
Cable title:  

IAEA/BOG: OCTOBER SESSION APPROVES DG ELECTION

Tags:  AORC IAEA KNPP MNUC PREL UN 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUNV #0545/01 2831129
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091129Z OCT 08
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8509
INFO RUEHII/VIENNA IAEA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0110
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 0050
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0042
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0190
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0225
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0073
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0141
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 0003
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU PRIORITY 0007
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0218
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0135
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000545 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T, ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: AORC IAEA KNPP MNUC PREL UN
SUBJECT: IAEA/BOG: OCTOBER SESSION APPROVES DG ELECTION
PROCEDURES

REF: UNVIE 534 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte for reasons 1.4 b and d
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000545

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR IO/T, ISN/MNSA, ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: AORC IAEA KNPP MNUC PREL UN
SUBJECT: IAEA/BOG: OCTOBER SESSION APPROVES DG ELECTION
PROCEDURES

REF: UNVIE 534 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte for reasons 1.4 b and d

1.(SBU) At a pro forma session following the IAEA General
Conference, the Board of Governors on October 6 welcomed new
Board members Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Egypt,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Romania, Spain, Turkey and Uruguay
elected for 2008-2010. The new Board approved by acclamation
the Africa Group's selection of Algerian Ambassador Taos
Feroukhi as the new Board Chair for 2008-2009. Ambassador
Kristi Kauppi of Finland and Ambassador Cornel Feruta of
Romania will serve as Vice Chairs. In the wake of its
hard-fought electoral battle against Syria for the MESA seat
(reftel),Afghanistan delivered a statement heralding its
return to the Board after a 44-year absence. Afghanistan
conveyed its deep commitment to the Agency and positioned
itself as a unifying voice bridging East and West, North and
South. Afghan Charge Monawar also noted the value of IAEA
Technical Cooperation and safety programs for the removal of
radioactive contamination from his country. Syria was notably
absent from the room.

2.(C) The only substantive order of business entailed the
Board's approval of the Procedures for Appointment of the
Director General (GOV/2008/4),which had first been adopted
in 1997. Board Chair Feroukhi simply noted, as indicated in
this Secretariat document, that the Director General was not
available for another term of office. Although present at
the Board session, DG ElBaradei did not make a statement, and
absented himself during the treatment of this agenda item.
The Board also set the closing date for nominations as
December 31, 2008. Japanese Governor Amano immediately
requested the floor and proceeded to deliver a campaign
speech in English and French. Amano noted his Government's
announcement of his candidacy at the UNGA and IAEA General
Conference and extolled his own resume, including as a former
Chairman of the Board and NPT Prepcom. He also referred to
Japan's unique history as the only country to have suffered
nuclear devastation and its commitment to disarmament,

non-proliferation, nuclear energy and technical cooperation.
Board member Albania and Colombia, under Rule 50, seconded
Amano's nomination. Uruguayan and UK Ambassadors sitting to
either side of Ambassador Schulte commented to him, as the
Algerian and Chilean Ambassadors did later, on the
unseemliness of Amano's campaign pitch, which apparently had
the opposite of its desired effect.

3.(C) Also present at the Board session, the other declared
candidate for DG, South African Governor Minty remained
silent. Chairwoman Feroukhi advised that she would begin
informal consultations with the Board early in the New Year
on the DG election in the hopes of reaching agreement on a
single candidate and avoiding "cumbersome procedures."
(Comment: Not known for her management and organizational
skills, Feroukhi will need all the help she can get
overseeing the electoral process in addition to a Board
calendar already overladen with 20/20, Reliable Access and
nuclear verification issues. End Comment.)

4.(SBU) Speaking under Any Other Business, Ambassador Schulte
raised the anomalous situation that a few Member States do
not belong to any regional group and are consequently
disenfranchised from representation on the Board of
Governors, as we learned during the heated campaign for the
MESA seat was the case of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian
states (reftel). (Note: All of those disenfranchised,
including Israel, should nominally belong to MESA. End Note.)
The U.S. intervention prompted an unscripted exchange among
MESA members that highlighted divisions in the group. Indian
MESA Chair Kumar noted that MESA had advised the Secretariat
of Kazakhstan's situation as requiring the attention of all
Member States and requested that this note be circulated. He
later clarified that MESA did not view Kazakhstan as a member
since it had not participated in the group, and he continued
to insist that MESA was a Statutory area not a regional
group. Iran, seconded by Cuba, bemoaned MESA's
under-representation and called for ratification of the

amendment to Article VI expanding the Board, which led France
to comment on the authority of the existing Statute. Iran
and Cuba also took the U.S. to task for meddling in the
affairs of a regional group. Saudi Arabia, contradicting the
Indian Chair, identified this as an internal matter for the
group and noted that MESA would soon consult on the issue.
For its part, Israel contrasted its case with that of
Kazakhstan as a country firmly in the geographic area that
was unwelcome in the group. Chairman Feroukhi took note of
the Board discussion as something to be deferred for a future
date with appropriate preparation.

5.(C) Ambassador will conduct a first consultation with Board
Chairwoman Feroukhi on October 9 to lay markers on U.S.
priorities over the coming twelve months, starting with an
early decision on Reliable Access to Nuclear Fuel (RANF),a
thorough report on Syria at the November Board, and further
pressure on Iran. At least for now, Feroukhi is disinclined
to engage on 20/20, deferring to the strongly expressed
concern of the G-77 that 20/20 could distort the IAEA's
traditional balance.
SCHULTE