INSTRUCTIONS TO SEEK UNEP GC RE-ELECTION

UNCLAS STATE 018136 NAIROBI FOR PERMREP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC APCS SENV UNEP UNGA SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS TO SEEK UNEP GC RE-ELECTION SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Department requests that USUN notify the current Western European and Other Group (WEOG) chair of U.S. candidacy for and interest in continued membership on the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Governing Council (GC). The Department also requests USUN to demarche WEOG members, to the extent possible and as appropriate, in support of USG reelection to the UNEP GC. The USG regards re-election to the UNEP GC as critical, particularly in view of the high priority given to international environmental issues by the Administration. End summary. OBJECTIVES -------------- ¶2. Department instructs USUN to pursue the following objectives: - Urge WEOG members (and others as appropriate) to support U.S. candidacy to the UNEP GC; - Emphasize that the U.S. has been a member of the UNEP GC continuously since UNEP's inception in 1972 and has played a positive and promotional role in addressing critical environmental issues; - Underscore our proven track record on the GC and our recommitment to working within international fora on high priority environment issues, - Underscore positive engagement by the U.S. in UNEP's 25th GC meeting in 2009, including active participation in discussions on international environmental governance and our February 16 announcement at the UNEP Governing Council that "we are prepared . . . to help lead in developing a global legally binding instrument for mercury," followed by actively working to launch an international negotiating committee to negotiate a legally-binding treaty on mercury. REPORTING DEADLINE -------------- ¶3. Please advise IO of any difficulties or any additional actions that should be taken to ensure U.S. re-election to the UNEP GC. BACKGROUND -------------- ¶4. Elections for membership to the 58-member United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Governing Council (GC) will take place this fall at the 56th General Assembly. The current 4-year U.S. term expires at the end of 2009, and the U.S. is seeking re-election. The United States has had a seat on the Governing Council since UNEP's founding more than 35 years ago. ¶5. The USG regards re-election to the UNEP Governing Council as critical, particularly as the environment becomes a higher-profile priority internationally. UNEP serves as the environmental authority within the United Nations system. The U.S., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Russia are all incumbents whose terms end 31 Dec 2009 as representatives of the Governing Council's 13-member "Western Europe and Others Group" (WEOG). At this juncture, we are unsure of which countries will be in the running for re-election. POINT OF CONTACT -------------- ¶6. Please contact Rebecca Webber at (202) 647-3963 or via e-mail (WebberRE2@state.gov) for any further background information or argumentation to meet our objectives. CLINTON