PRT TEAM LEADERS CONFERENCE: FOCUSING EFFORTS POST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000386

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TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON AMGT EAID EAGR SOCI IZ
SUBJECT: PRT TEAM LEADERS CONFERENCE: FOCUSING EFFORTS POST
PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS


1. (U) Summary. On February 9-10, Embassy Baghdad Office of
Provincial Affairs (OPA) hosted its quarterly Team Leaders
Conference of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). Addressing
the post-provincial elections theme, Ambassador Ryan Crocker said
the next 18 months will be pivotal to Iraq's democratic development
and encouraged team leaders to expand their efforts to integrate
anti-corruption activities into their work. The United Nations
Secretary General's (UNSYG) Special Representative for Iraq, Staffan
De Mistura praised the strong relationship between UN Assistance
Mission Iraq (UNAMI) and the PRTs, and described shifting UN
priorities in country. Other panelists discussed challenges to
post-elections challenges to governance in Iraq, the Provincial
Powers Law, Security Agreement implementation, capacity building and
economic development. Thirty of the thirty-one PRTs, embedded
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (ePRTs) and Regional Embassy Offices
(REOs) participated, including those teams lead by the British and
Italians. End Summary.

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ELECTORAL CHANGE IRAQIS CAN BELIEVE IN
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2. (SBU) Ambassador Crocker said that while successful provincial
elections were a major milestone in Iraq's democratic development,
the next 12 to 18 months will be critical for both the USG and
international community to help the Iraqis develop functional
governmental structures. During this time, Iraq will witness the
formation of provincial councils, the selection of governors,
regional elections in the Kurdistan Regional Government, and
possibly local and national elections. All of this will occur as
coalition military force levels will fall and U.S. civilian presence
will peak. He asked team leaders to reassess their activities, and
focus on those that maximize and sustain their impact during this
crucial period, utilizing PRT resources and international
organizations such as UNAMI.


3. (SBU) The Ambassador said Secretary Clinton is focused on Iraq
and wants U.S. efforts to build on the success of the provincial
elections. He noted her personal interest in this conference, in
provincial capacity development and team leader suggestions for the
way forward, and her commitment to fighting for the resources team
leaders require to do their jobs.


4. (SBU) Finally, the Ambassador urge team leaders to increase
their efforts to integrate anticorruption activities into PRT local
governance training and asked them to work with the Embassy's
Anti-Corruption Coordination Office. Voters in the recent
provincial elections complained of incompetence and corruption and
are widely expected to have voted out numerous incumbents, thus
providing a window of opportunity for PRTs to make a meaningful
impact in this area.

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FOCUSED ENGAGEMENT IS KEY FOR UN IN IRAQ
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5. (U) Reiterating the Ambassador's message of reassessment and
refocusing of international efforts in Iraq, UNSYG Special
Representative for Iraq Staffan de Mistura praised the Embassy's
relationship with the UN and called for a stronger partnership. De
Mistura recalled his initial suspicion and distrust of the PRT
program, but admitted he had been incorrect. PRT team leaders had
managed their presence well, and provided the UN with the ability to
extend its own efforts. He described the Embassy and the PRTs as
"instrumental" to the success of the recent provincial elections,
Q"instrumental" to the success of the recent provincial elections,
and expressed his hope the PRT program would continue.


6. (U) Looking ahead, de Mistura noted that UNSYG Ban Ki Moon's view
of Iraq was not emotionally clouded by the 2003 bombing of UN
headquarters in Baghdad, leading him to push for a more proactive UN
agenda. However, de Mistura said the international community now
views Iraq as a wealthy country and is more interested in providing
ideas in lieu of money. As a result, the UN plans to coordinate
capacity building in part by recruiting advisors to help Iraq wisely
spend its own money and teach newly-elected provincial officials how
to identify crucial projects and effectively lobby Baghdad for
funds. De Mistura also noted a continued UN interest in the plight
of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He concluded with a
prediction that the UN mission in Iraq would likely downsize, given
the country's continued stability and normalization.

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CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
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7. (U) During a discussion of governance challenges in the
post-election environment, panelists predicted that the status of
Kirkuk, the return of IDPs, and legislative priorities would present
ongoing challenges at both the national and provincial levels. The
final results of the provincial elections and yet undetermined
composition of provincial councils would influence national election

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outcomes, and progress on national-level legislation. All panelists
highlighted the critical opportunity to promote anti-corruption -
and good governance - initiatives with incoming provincial council
members, new governors, and GOI Directors-General at the provincial
level.


8. (U) The Embassy's Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Deputy
Director said the implementation of the Provincial Powers Law (PPL)
could potentially exacerbate tensions between provincial governments
and the Government of Iraq (GOI) on three main issues: security,
legislation and taxation, due to its complexity and latitude of
interpretation. The provincial governments are limited in
experience, professional staff, and organizational structure to
exert their new authorities under the PPL. The Deputy
Chief-of-Party for USAID's Local Governance Program III (LGP III),
presented that group's plan to train and support provincial
government leaders in implementing the PPL. (Note: LGP III is a
USAID project currently planned to be implemented in 11 of 18 Iraqi
provinces. End Note.) Acting POLCOUNS encouraged team leaders to
continue reporting on developments in political coalition formation
as the recently elected provincial council members are seated.


9. (U) Multinational Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) Deputy Commanding General,
Major General Paul Lefebvre, said the transition from UN Security
Council Resolution 1790 to the new Security Agreement has been
successful and affirmed the military's commitment to support for PRT
efforts to build civil capacity in Iraq. The road ahead is clear
for all USG actors to maintain unity-of-effort and command as they
help the GOI maintain security and build capacity. According to
Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I) Director of Operations, Major
General Guy Swan, the U.S. military mission has not drastically
changed under the new security agreement, but operating conditions
are different. There are now joint committees for U.S. military
leaders, embassy officials, and Iraqi counterparts to resolve
outstanding issues.


10. (U) The Director of the Iraq Transition Assistance Office
(ITAO) described that office's main programs and funding situation.
Team leaders agreed the Provincial Reconstruction and Development
Committee (PRDC) project implementer, the Gulf Region Division of
the Army Corps of Engineers, is sufficiently screening all new
proposals, but they are concerned about the decreasing funding
levels available to the PRTs.


11. (U) Discussing Iraq's economic development, panelists described
a challenging economic environment, in which unemployment,
inadequate legal protection and regulation, and GOI overdependence
on petroleum revenues are major impediments. EMIN and Coordinator
for Economic Transition in Iraq Ambassador Marc Wall said the dire
U.S. economic situation was putting pressure on U.S. foreign
assistance funding. We have shifted our focus to capacity
development programs. The Iraqis now must take the lead on economic
reform, private sector development and sustainment. A UN Senior
Economist blamed the GOI's subsidy of state-linked businesses for
hindering private sector development and predicted that a lack of
jobs could lead to a brain drain of young Iraqis. The MNC-I
Economic Chief said, due to demographics, the GOI needed to create
250,000 jobs per year just to maintain the current unacceptably high
level of unemployment (18 percent). USAID's Mission Director
described assistance programs covering business development,
community stabilization and agriculture, but added that USAID is
Qcommunity stabilization and agriculture, but added that USAID is
currently undergoing an internal strategic review to reassess its
programs and priorities. The USDA Agricultural Advisor said that
while agriculture is growing due in part to U.S.-sponsored programs,
it is not a panacea for unemployment. He expressed uncertainty
about USDA continuing to deploy agricultural advisors on PRTs.


12. (U) Other presentations and workshops focused on internal
planning and assessments, management and logistics, and leadership
and Equal Employment Opportunity training. OPA's next Team Leaders
Conference is planned for May.

CROCKER