G-77 AND NAM SUBMIT AMENDMENTS TO BAN'S DPA

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000226 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA SUBJECT: G-77 AND NAM SUBMIT AMENDMENTS TO BAN'S DPA STRENGTHENING PROPOSAL REF: A. USUN 000133 ¶B. USUN 000168 ¶C. 07 STATE 146279 ¶D. 07 USUN 001013 ¶E. 07 USUN 1029 ¶F. 07 USUN 1069 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. Summary: Mission has received an advance copy of a letter dated March 6, 2008 from the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) (of the G-77 and China (chaired by Antigua and Barbuda) and the NAM (chaired by Cuba)) to Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, calling on the Secretariat to issue a corrigendum to Ban's DPA strengthening SIPDIS proposal (A/62/521) to reflect the comments and concerns reflected in the letter. (The letter will be issued as an official UN document.) In Mission's view, the seven pages of amendments (sent to IO/MPR via email) constitute more than a technical corrigendum. The amendments are substantive proposals that object to several major components of the proposal including the proposed reconfiguration of DPA's regional divisions and the activities/programs of work of DPA offices. A contact in USG Pascoe's office informed us that the Secretariat has decided not to issue a corrigendum. Mission expects that the concerns conveyed in the letter will be addressed during the Fifth Committee's consideration of Ban's proposal, beginning March 13th. The paragraphs below highlight some of the concerns conveyed in the letter. End Summary. ¶2. Development: The JCC asserted that conflict prevention and post-conflict peace-building strategies should be enhanced with the aim of sustainable development and looked forward to the SYG's proposals on reforming the Organization's development pillar. ¶3. DPA's mandate: Said DPA has no mandate except as provided by UN resolutions and decisions and that any adjustment of DPA's mandate requires further decisions by Member States. Expects the Secretariat to convey more detailed information on the proposed mandates of new offices or activities. ¶4. Regional offices: Said that such offices can only be established with appropriate mandates and on a case-by-case basis with the prior consent of the host government and all countries in the region. ¶5. Regional divisions: Expressed concern regarding the proposed name and structure of the Middle East and West Asia Division and said that the proposed mandate should refer to the return of all occupied Arab territories and that the Syrian Arab Republic should not be linked to SC resolution ¶1701. Also objected to the proposed mandate of the Central America/Mexico Section of the Americas Division. ¶6. Policy and Partnerships Unit: The JCC objected to a number of issues on which the Unit would be called upon to offer political advice including transnational organized crime and narcotrafficking. KHALILZAD