Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USUNNEWYORK231
2008-03-14 00:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S FEB. 27 MEETING WITH UNGA

Tags:  UNGA PREL ECON CVIS AJ KV AIDS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
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INFO RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0159
RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 0133
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3127
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000231 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2013
TAGS: UNGA PREL ECON CVIS AJ KV AIDS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S FEB. 27 MEETING WITH UNGA
PRESIDENT KERIM

REF: A. USUN 151

B. KERIM'S JAN. 29 LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD FOR REASONS 1.4(b) AND (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000231

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2013
TAGS: UNGA PREL ECON CVIS AJ KV AIDS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S FEB. 27 MEETING WITH UNGA
PRESIDENT KERIM

REF: A. USUN 151

B. KERIM'S JAN. 29 LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD FOR REASONS 1.4(b) AND (d).


1. (C) Summary: Kerim told Ambassador Khalilzad he hoped the
First Lady could attend the General Assembly's June 10-11
high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS and said he hoped U.S.
immigration restrictions on HIV-positive visitors would not
prevent several invited speakers from attending. On UN
management reform, he disagreed with critics who say mandate
review is dead, but said he is angry at resistance from the
UN Secretariat and the remedy for overcoming it is "constant
political pressure." He predicted the first round of
eliminations of outdated mandates would be announced by the
end of March. The Ambassador said a projected 20-25 percent
increase in the 2008-09 UN budget is unacceptable and urged
Kerim and Secretary-General Ban to be attentive to the
numbers. Apropos a proposed UNGA resolution on Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity, Kerim said Serbian Foreign Minister
Jeremic had spoken publicly about raising Kosovo in the
General Assembly and he (Kerim) feared Azerbaijan's
resolution might pave the way for this, which would be "a
mess." The Ambassador agreed. The two also discussed UNGA
debates on climate change and the Millennium Development
Goals, and financing for the Durban Review Conference. End
summary.

CLIMATE CHANGE


2. (C) Kerim requested the meeting. He was accompanied by
Chief of Staff Igor Dzundev and Dzundev's deputy, Nikolaus
Lutterotti. Ambassador Khalilzad was accompanied by USUN
Econ Minister-Counselor Hagen. The Ambassador asked if Kerim
was pleased with the Feb. 11-13 high-level UNGA debate on
climate change (ref A). Kerim said he was very happy with
the large turnout (120 countries spoke),the quality of the
panel discussions, and the respective contributions of New
York Mayor Bloomberg (among other things, it helped improve
the relationship between the UN and the city, said Kerim) and
former New York Governor Pataki. The next step, he said,

will be parallel UNGA debates on private investment in
combating climate change, and the impact of climate change on
the most vulnerable states. The Ambassador said he hoped the
debates would not turn into a finger-pointing exercise or
another version of the North-South debate. Kerim said he
agreed and would not allow this to happen. The debate needs
to look forward, not backward, he said.

HIV/AIDS AND MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS


3. (U) The Ambassador conveyed regrets that due to a
scheduling conflict the First Lady could not accept Kerim's
invitation to attend the April 1-2 UNGA thematic debate on
the MDGs (ref B). Kerim said he hoped instead she might be
able to attend a high-level UNGA meeting on HIV/AIDS taking
place June 10-11.


4. (U) Deputy Chief of Staff Lutterotti said Kerim had
received letters from NGOs concerned about U.S. visas for
HIV-positive speakers. Hagen said USUN had discussed this
issue with visiting UNAIDS Director Piot and that UNAIDS and
S/GAC were working together to resolve the problem.


4. (U) On the MDG debate in April, Kerim said the President
of Mali, the Chancellor of Austria, and Ted Turner would be
keynote speakers. He welcomed the participation of U.S.
Director of Foreign Assistance Fore. Following the April
event, Kerim and the Secretary-General would co-sign an
invitation to heads of state and government to attend a
follow-up MDG event during the opening of the next UNGA
session in September.

UN MANAGEMENT: MANDATE REVIEW, THE BUDGET, DURBAN


5. (C) Mentioning an April 8-9 UNGA debate on management
reform, Kerim said he disagrees with critics who say UN
mandate review is dead. "We are moving," he said, "and the
United States is one of the driving forces." The Ambassador
said the issue is the speed and efficiency with which the
review is moving. There are too many meetings on the process
and not enough action, he said, and he wondered about the
wisdom of relying entirely on the Secretariat. Kerim said he
agrees fully that there are those in the Secretariat adept at
finding ways of avoiding taking any action on political
decisions. For example, he said, he had posed a question on
mandate review to the Secretariat and been told there was "no
methodology" to answer it, which had made him very angry.
The remedy for this is "constant political pressure," said
Kerim. The Ambassador asked if there is a timeline for



eliminating outdated mandates. Kerim said the first
eliminations would be announced by the end of March. Mandate
review moves slowly, said Kerim, calling it "a tanker, not a
speedboat," but "it's doable, and it's a must."


6. (C) The Ambassador said there are indications that an
increase of as much as 20-25 percent in the 2008-09 UN budget
could be in the offing. "You and the Secretary-General need
to be aware of these numbers as they become available," he
said. The United States could live with an increase even as
high as 10 percent, but 20-25 percent was unacceptable. He
would convey the same message to the Secretary-General.
Kerim urged the United States to raise the budget issue
during the April 8-9 debate. The Ambassador also raised the
issue of budget add-ons, saying they must not allowed to get
out of control and a strong message from Kerim would be
helpful in preventing this from happening.


7. (C) Kerim said he and the Secretary-General had discussed
the budget, including the question of funding for the Durban
Review Conference. The Ambassador asked if a further UNGA
resolution is needed to authorize expenditures for the
conference and its preparatory meetings. Kerim said the UN's
Office of Legal Affairs has an official position on this
question and he advised USUN to ask the UN Controller for it.
(Comment: Referring to his letter of Feb. 6 to the PGA on
this matter, the Ambassador is reiterating his request for
confirmation that another resolution is necessary. End
comment.)

AZERBAIJAN AND KOSOVO


8. (C) Chief of Staff Dzundev mentioned the UNGA resolution
on territorial integrity proposed by Azerbaijan. The
Ambassador said USUN had told the Azeris the United States
could not accept it in the form in which it was drafted.
However, he told Kerim, the Armenians had said they could
support it if it contained language saying the independence
of Kosovo was no precedent. The Permanent Representative of
Azerbaijan had urged the United States to raise the issue in
Baku and the Ambassador told Kerim this would soon be done.
Kerim said he feared other delegations might abuse such a
resolution to raise the issue of Kosovo's independence in the
General Assembly. This would be "a mess." The Ambassador
agreed. Kerim said Serbian Foreign Minister Jeremic had told
the press he would raise the issue of Kosovo in the General
Assembly, "hence my fear." The Ambassador assured Kerim he
understood.
KHALILZAD