STATUS OF SENIOR PERSONNEL AT UN HEADQUARTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000417 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2013 TAGS: AORC UNGA SUBJECT: STATUS OF SENIOR PERSONNEL AT UN HEADQUARTERS Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff; reasons: 1.4b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary. Over the coming months, the departure of several senior UN Secretariat personnel currently serving in the United Nations Headquarters (UNHQ) in New York is expected. These expected turnovers offer the U.S. Government an opportunity to evaluate its approach to the recruitment of UN personnel at the Assistant-Secretary-General (ASG) and Under-Secretary-General (USG) level and determine whether or not the balance of senior positions at UNHQ is adequate. ¶2. (C) Currently within UNHQ in New York, there are 29 USGs or officers of equivalent rank and 39 ASGs or officers of equivalent rank. Of the 29 USG positions, 18 are considered regular (appointed heads of departments/agencies) with the remaining 11 being special representatives or advisors to the Secretary General (SG). The U.S. holds 2 regular USG posts and 3 USG level advisor posts. Of the 39 ASG positions, 22 are considered regular (heads of offices or special advisers) and 17 are special representatives/advisors or ASG equivalents. The U.S. holds 6 regular ASG positions and 2 ASG level special advisor/representative positions. (Note: the USG/ASG regular posts are UN salaried positions and the USG/ASG advisor/representatives posts are $1/yr posts.) ¶3. (C) As a point of comparison between the U.S. and other nationals within the UNHQ Secretariat, the UK has two nationals serving at the level of Under-Secretary-General - John Holmes (OCHA) and David Veness (DSS) - and one national at the Assistant-Secretary-General - Warren Sach (Controller). There is only one French official serving at UNHQ at either level - Jean-Marie Guehenno (DPKO) - and only one Japanese official - Kiyotaka Akasaka (DPI). ¶4. (C) Below is a complete listing of U.S. Nationals currently holding USG equivalent level positions: a.) Under-Secretary-General Regular Positions: ¶1. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General, Department of Political Affairs ¶2. Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF b.) USG Advisors/Representative positions (all $1/yr posts): ¶1. Joseph Reed, Special Advisor, Department of Management ¶2. Matthew Nimetz, Personal Envoy of the SG for the Greece/FYROM Talks ¶3. Jeffrey Sachs, Senior Advisor to the SG on MDGs and Director of the UN Millennium Project ¶5. (C) Below is a complete listing of U.S. Nationals currently holding ASG or equivalent level positions: a.) Assistant-Secretary-General Regular Positions: ¶1. Michael Adlerstein, Assistant-Secretary-General, Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan ¶2. Jane Holl Lute, Assistant-Secrerary-General, Officer-in-Charge, Department of Field Support ¶3. Larry Johnson, Assistant-Secretary-General, Department of Legal Affairs ¶4. Robert Orr, Assistant-Secretary-General, Policy Planning ¶5. Kathleen Cravero-Kristoffersson, UNDP Assistant Administrator ¶6. Bruce Jenks, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships b.) Assistant-Secretary-General Special Representative/Advisor Positions (all $1/yr posts): ¶1. Ed Luck, Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect, Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) ¶2. Sylvia Fuhrman, Special Representative of the SG to the UN International School ¶6. (C) Other high level U.S. Nationals serving in New York or overseas are listed below as a point of reference. a.) Susan McLurg, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). The ACABQ is an independent body within the UN and not a part of the Secretariat. b.) Karen AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). c.) Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP). ¶7. (C) The following key senior UN personnel (3 USGs and 2 ASGs) have either publicly announced their resignation or have privately revealed their plans to leave to U.S. officials: a.) Under-Secretary-General Positions: ¶1. Alicia Barcena (Mexico) - Under-Secretary-General, Department of Management. This department is responsible for, among other items, the operations of the UN, procurement, human resources management, and the programme planning and budgets for the Secretariat and peacekeeping operations. As such, this is an incredibly influential position and it is vital that it be filled with an individual that shares USG objectives. (Note: prior to the tenure of Ms. Barcena, this position was filled by an American from 1992 - 2006). ¶2. Jean-Marie Guehenno (France),Under-Secretary-General, Department of Peacekeeping Operations. There are currently 17 peacekeeping operations with an overall annual budget of $7 billion, of which the U.S. is assessed at a rate of 27%. While unlikely that an American would fill the Under-Secretary-General post for DPA and DPKO, it is essential that the USG have a good working relationship with the individual that fills this post. ¶3. Nicolas Michel (Switzerland) - Under-Secretary-General, Office of Legal Affairs. He departs in August. b.) Assistant-Secretary-General Positions: ¶1. Jane Holl Lute (U.S.) - Assistant-Secretary-General, Officer-in-Charge, Department of Field Support. The Department of Field Support (DFS) works in conjunction with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). With an overall annual peacekeeping budget of $7 billion it is important that the U.S. retain its presence at senior levels in DFS. (Note: No date has been given for ASG Lute's departure as she has indicated she will stay through a transition period as the newly created USG position for the DFS was just filled. The SG recently appointed Susana Malcorra of Argentina as the new USG for DFS. ASG Lute has also indicated that she is interested in remaining in some capacity within the Secretariat although we do not know where that will be yet. Once she departs her current post, the DPKO ASG position will be vacant.) ¶2. Warren Sach (UK) - Assistant-Secretary-General, Controller. The controller commands the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets. The USG identified this as a priority position in late 2006 and presented the names of two U.S. citizens to Amb. Kim on February 8, 2007. Khalilzad