IO A/S BRIMMER REVIEWS UN AGENDA WITH FRANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000961 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2019 TAGS: PREL PBTS PHUM UNESCO FR SUBJECT: IO A/S BRIMMER REVIEWS UN AGENDA WITH FRANCE INCLUDING UNESCO, HUMAN RIGHT COUNCIL, AND PEACEKEEPING Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Young for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: IO Assistant Secretary Dr. Esther Brimmer discussed the campaign to select a new UNESCO Director General, the Human Rights Council (HRC),UNSC Reform, and Peacekeeping/Peacebuilding operations with her MFA counterpart Sylvie Bermann and separately with MFA Special Advisor Eric Chevallier during a July 6 meeting. -- UNESCO: France will not actively campaign for or against any candidate as the next DG, but rather will seek to ensure a full field of candidates, remains in the race until voting begins on September 17. France would like to stay in contact with the United States on this issue. -- HRC: Welcoming the USG return to the HRC, Paris is committed to working with Washington to improve the effectiveness of the organization and will co-sponsor with Mexico a meeting in October of like-minded nations to advance proposals to this end. -- UNSC reform: France seeks to continue support for the France-UK intermediate proposal. Bermann noted that discussion of the issue could extend over a year long time horizon. She noted that UNSC reform would be raised in the communique of the Anglo-French Summit on the same day (July 6). -- Peacekeeping: France supports continued reform of UN peacekeeping mechanisms to ensure that the DPKO provides substantive information on operations to the decision makers in the UNSC. France also welcomes efforts to bridge gaps between peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. -- Child soldiers: The GOF asked for USG support for the Paris Principles on Children and Armed Conflict noting that the French believe USG concerns may have been mitigated with modifications in text made to overcome UK objections. -- Counter-piracy: France supports using and strengthening existing legal structures to prosecute pirates rather than creating a new international tribunal. END SUMMARY. UNESCO DC: FRANCE WILL PROMOTE MULTIPLE CANDIDATES -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) MFA A/S Bermann told IO Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer July 6 that France would encourage as broad a field of candidates as possible to remain in the race for UNESCO DG. In this way, the GOF intends to discourage the perception Egyptian candidate Farouk Hosni has already won the contest. Noting that our shared concerns with Hosni,s candidacy for DG of UNESCO were not helped by PM Netanyahu,s change of position, Bermann reiterated that France would not actively campaign for or against any candidate at this time, in keeping with previous understandings made between France and Egypt. A/S Brimmer noted the U.S had not come to a final decision on a candidate for the DG position. The USG has also encouraged the formation of as broad a field of candidates as possible and has underscored to other states the need to take into account the skills and values required for a successful tenure of a new Director General. A/S Brimmer noted that Israel no longer objects to Hosni, which differs from endorsing Hosni. (NOTE: Bermann was joined by DAS for Human Rights issues Jacques Pellet. END NOTE.) UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: DEVELOPING INITIATIVES OVER THE COMING YEAR -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) On the question of Security Council reform, Bermann noted that France sought to increase interest in reform initiatives without increasing concerns. To that end, France is working with partners, including the UK, on reform while noting that a current iniative for an intermediate solution lacks precision and would need to be developed over the coming year. Bermann said she understands U.S Congressional concerns. She said that the French have judged, however, that failure to advance UNSC reform would create other problems for France and the United States, as new actors try to empower other institutions to address global security challenges. As an example, Bermann cited the emergence of the G20 as a leader on global financial governance. After 15 PARIS 00000961 002 OF 003 years of effort for reform, she deemed it important for the UNSC also to reflect the changed global situation. France will keep in the forefront of its thinking the crucial requirement that reform not undermine the Council efficiency. Bermann welcomed discussing this and other issues at a P5 Directors meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly. PEACEBUILDING/PEACEKEEGING: BLURRING DISTINCTIONS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Both Bermann and Chevallier separately outlined the need for continued reform in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO),which lacks the requisite capacity even to brief the Council on the status of its own operations. They noted that the USG and France should consider new peacebuilding structures to address problems that do not fit the current peacekeeping model. A/S Brimmer supported this discussion while noting challenges would emerge in terms of how costs are allocated between peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. On specific operations, Bermann said France supports renewing the ground aspects of the UNIFIL mandate, while considering whether the related maritime forces might be reduced. For his part, Chevallier said that he believes France and the USG need to start thinking how the international community can address the transition following Sudan's elections in 2011. ¶5. (C) Chevallier stated that much work needs to be done to improve the international response to peacekeeping. There are many worthy missions that fall outside traditional definitions of "peacekeeping" and "peacebuilding." France and the USG need to "be far more flexible" in labeling operations either peacekeeping and peacebuilding, he said, in order to avoid simplistic characterizations of missions as either one or the other. He cited Chad as an example of a scenario in which it was difficult to find ways for the UN-imposed structure to adapt to exigencies of the situation on the ground. The UN must "shift from a one-size-for-all approach to a flexible approach," while also carefully considering the financial cost of potential missions. Chevallier also noted that the French are seriously reviewing current missions to determine if any of them can be downsized in order to be "more flexible, more innovative, less fat." As to specific reforms, Chevallier welcomed the creation of a military advisor component at UN headquarters for some peacekeeping operations, as in the case of UNIFIL. He argued that military policy expertise in the field was essential for efficient operations and that peacekeeping reform efforts should also address needs in the field. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REFORM: FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Bermann welcomed the election of the USG to the Human Rights Council and outlined French views on the need for reform in order to prevent a scenario that leads to a third unworkable institution in the wake of the Human Rights Commission and Human Rights Council. The G77 presents the largest challenge to reform because the group benefits from the HRC,s current composition. Chevallier echoed Bermann's sentiments when he said that France and the USG cannot allow the HRC to fail. He noted that the May 28, 2009 HRC Special Session on Sri Lanka demonstrated a split between the West and the rest of the world on these issues. He said that "you can read the new balance of power if you look at the vote on Sri Lanka" and "if we allow this gap to widen we will lose everything" we have obtained in advancing human rights over the past decades. To this end, France will co-chair with Mexico a meeting in October on HRC reform to include a group of like-minded countries. While the composition of this group is not yet finalized, the co-chairs are considering participation by the USG, France, Mexico, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, India, Japan, S. Korea, Romania, Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada, and Switzerland. ¶7. (C) Looking ahead to 2011 election, Bermann said the prospect of Iran,s election would make a "mockery" of the HRC. She added that France would oppose Iran,s election first by encouraging other Asians to seek the seat and second by actively campaigning against any eventual Iranian candidacy. Bermann noted that France joined the USG and the UK to campaign actively against Belarus to prevent Minsk from securing a seat on the Council. PARIS 00000961 003 OF 003 ¶8. (C) On the challenges posed by mutually inconsistent OIC resolution on religious defamation and Canada,s freedom of expression resolution, Berman suggested that Articles 19 and 20 of the Durban declaration offered what many NGOs called "the best language from the UN on these subjects in ten years." A/S Brimmer noted that absence of either the religious defamation or freedom of expression resolution in the most recent session offered a narrow opportunity to bridge gaps and focus the HRC on more positive contributions to advance these aspects of human rights. Bermann asked the USG to remain in close contact with the GOF on new proposals in the HRC which address this issue. A/S Brimmer reported that the USG has been taking steps to discuss anti-racism issues in the UN context and mentioned a June 5 side-event on civil rights with DOJ, NGO representatives, and the Nigerian PermRep in Geneva. Offering insight into the practical aspects of HRC sessions in Geneva, HR DAS equivalent Jacques Pellet said that delivering demarches in capitals on key issues plays a crucial role in advancing our objectives in the HRC as delegations in Geneva have too often taken positions without instructions or that are inconsistent with views expressed in their capitals. RENEWED REQUESTS ON ICC, CHILD SOLDIER CAMPAIGN -------------- -- ¶9. (C) Bermann encouraged the USG to consider joining the Paris Principles on Children and Armed Conflict. She encouraged the USG to review changes made to accommodate UK concerns that might also dispel Washington,s reluctance to support the effort. Bermann expressed her sincere hope that the USG would decide to play a role in some sustained capacity at the ICC. For his part, Chevallier expressed concerns about waning support for the ICC among African countries and urged the United States to avoid taking rhetorical stands that would undermine ICC efforts to support the organization. He posited that "the fewer negative messages (the rest of the world) hears, the better." COUNTER PIRACY: TRIBUNALS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION -------------- - ¶10. (C) Bermann said that France shares the USG's view that the proposed tribunals for pirates are inefficient, adding that now even those countries who proposed the idea admit its flaws. Instead, Bermann proposed an approach to mitigating pirate attacks by negotiation of agreements with neighboring countries to prosecute pirates under local laws and strengthening current judiciary systems in the regions where the piracy is taking place. ¶11. A/S Brimmer has cleared this message. PEKALA PEKALA