GUIDANCE REQUEST:PACIFIC ISLANDS-DRAFTED GA

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000681 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNP, IO/EDA, EAP, OES/EGC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNGA UNSC KGHG SENV SUBJECT: GUIDANCE REQUEST:PACIFIC ISLANDS-DRAFTED GA RESOLUTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND UNSC REF: SNOWDEN-WEBBER E-MAIL 7/29/08 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) This is an action request - please see para 4. ¶2. (U) In a July 29 briefing for UN delegations, the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) announced their intention to conclude bilateral consultations by Thursday, July 31, on their draft General Assembly resolution calling on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to address "the threat posed by climate change to international peace and security." (Note: The latest draft text has been sent to IO/EDA per ref e-mail.) The PSIDS PermReps will meet on August 1 to finalize the text before formally tabling the draft resolution in the GA. They intend the GA to take action on the resolution on September 8, before the conclusion of the 62nd GA. A limited number of negotiation sessions on the text will take place in August. ¶3. (SBU) Despite private misgivings that climate change is first and foremost a development issue that more appropriately belongs in the General Assembly, and better yet within the formal negotiations taking place under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, other UN delegations have overwhelmingly voiced their official support for the draft resolution and pledge to negotiate the final text in a "constructive spirit." Among such delegations are the EU, Japan, Israel, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Delegations that could be predicted to have strong misgivings, such as China and India, are thus far keeping a very low profile. Furthermore, we understand that this issue may have been raised in the Secretary's July 27 meeting in Samoa with Pacific Island foreign ministers. ¶4. (SBU) Action Request: At the request of the PSIDS PermReps for an ambassador-level consultation with USUN on their draft resolution prior to August 1, the meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, July 31 at 10 am. In view of the growing momentum behind the draft text, as well as the close cooperation the USG traditionally expects from the PSIDS on contentious GA resolutions each fall concerning the Middle East, USUN requests talking points for use in this meeting. Specifically, USUN seeks to understand Department's red-lines and our degree of flexibility for compromise text that could avoid USG isolation and preserve our broader equities with the PSIDS. Khalilzad