TALKING POINTS FOR UNDOF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE

UNCLAS STATE 126217 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO SY IS SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS FOR UNDOF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL ¶1. USUN may draw on the talking points in paragraph 2 during December 14 Security Council consultations on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). ¶2. Begin talking points -- Mr. President, we are pleased the UNDOF area of operation has remained generally quiet during this period and that UNDOF has continued to perform its function effectively, with the cooperation of the parties. -- We commend the six troop contributing countries and their personnel, now at a combined strength of over 1,000, for their superb professionalism and dedication, and welcome the Philippine contingent to the mission. -- Mr. President, in June we strongly advocated in extending UNDOF's mandate to 12 months, vice the traditional six months, in order to achieve greater Council efficiency, given the non-controversial nature of UNDOF's mandate renewal. This would also make it consistent other peacekeeping missions in the region which have a one-year mandate. -- At the time, one of the parties, Syria voiced a strong preference that the six-month mandate be retained, viewing an extension to a 12-month mandate as a negative political signal on the peace process. We understand that Syria continues to hold that same position. -- We continue to respectfully disagree. The United States has made it very clear that we are firmly committed to achieving comprehensive peace in the Middle East and we are pursuing it vigorously. We are doing everything we can to be constructive, effective partners in this process. -- Making UNDOF into a 12-month mandate is a matter of promoting UN efficiency and best practices, not a statement about the peace process, to which the U.S. is very clearly committed, as is this Council. -- As the largest financial contributor to UNDOF and to the UN itself, we would like to see greater efficiencies wherever possible. We also ask DPKO to consider whether it should recommend a 12-month mandate for the next renewal period rather than the traditional six-month renewal. -- We also ask DPKO to provide more detailed analysis in its report to the Council. In particular, we would like to hear about UNDOF,s efforts to maintain the ceasefire and whether the Force,s assets and resources are configured most appropriately to fulfill its mandated task. -- In too many of these semi-annual consultations, the Secretary-General,s written report to the Council contains far less information than DPKO,s oral briefings. It is unclear to us why some or all of that information is not contained in the written report. We understand if there is additional information to share after the publication of the report. The report, however, should not be virtually identical from period to period. It should be more reflective of the actual on-the-ground situation during the reporting period and not use recycled text. -- Thank you, Mr. President. End talking points CLINTON