Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE18136
2009-02-26 20:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SEEK UNEP GC RE-ELECTION
how-toP 262025Z FEB 09 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY INFO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
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
-------
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
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