DEMARCHE REQUEST: INVITATION TO MEETING WITH

UNCLAS STATE 097949 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA KPKO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: INVITATION TO MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ¶1. (SBU) This is an urgent action request. Embassy is requested to deliver President Obama's invitation to President Hu (paragraph 2) to join an event that will honor the top contributors of troops and police contingents to UN peacekeeping operation. Given the short turnaround, USUN has passed the invitation to the Chinese Mission to the UN which has accepted on behalf of President Hu; the Department wishes to ensure that Embassy Beijing and the Government of China are fully informed. The meeting will be held on September 23, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The invitation should be delivered at the highest appropriate level and it should be stressed that this meeting will be conducted at the Head of State/Head of Government level only. No signed original will be forthcoming. Embassy is requested to stress to its interlocutors that the goal is a substantive and interactive discussion rather than consecutive formal remarks. Since time is limited, Heads of State/Government should limit each of their interventions to no more than two minutes; Paragraphs 3 and 4 contain background information. Embassy is requested to confirm response and level of participation at the earliest opportunity. ¶2. (SBU) Begin invitation: Dear President Hu, I have the honor of hosting an unprecedented meeting of top troop and police contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Your participation at this meeting, to be held on September 23 at UN Headquarters, would be greatly appreciated. UN peacekeeping is one of the most important tools available to the international community to help prevent and resolve conflict and assist war-torn countries to make the transition to sustainable peace. The success of UN peacekeeping depends heavily on the troop and police contributions of countries such as yours. I hope you will permit me the opportunity to express appreciation for your country's contributions and sacrifice on September 23, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., when I will host a Summit-level meeting of the United States and Heads of State or Government of the top contributors of troops and police to UN peacekeeping operations. As a permanent member of the Security Council and the leading financial contributor, the United States has a deep interest in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of current and future UN peacekeeping operations. I know that your country does, too, as a top contributor of troops and police to those operations. We value the contributions you and your valiant uniformed personnel make to international peace and security, and the risks they take every day; their dedication enhances respect for peace and reduces suffering. We all have a stake in the outcome of such conflicts; the United States believes that renewed and strengthened cooperation between all the stakeholders, including members of the Security Council and the troop- and police-contributing countries, is the only way to respond to the ever-growing challenges of UN peacekeeping today. This meeting is intended to spark a productive and continuing exchange of ideas among us, building on the dialogue that has been taking place in the Security Council, in the General Assembly, and with the UN Secretariat. I look forward to hearing your views on the most important ways to strengthen and improve UN peacekeeping on which our countries could work together at the United Nations. President Barack Obama End invitation. ¶3. (SBU) Background: The attached invitation is to an event that will underscore the commitment of the United States to support strong, effective UN peacekeeping. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the President to demonstrate that the United States values the contribution and sacrifices of troop- and police-contributing countries (TCCs/PCCs) and that we understand their concerns. We hope that this outreach will encourage TCC/PCC to continue to participate in the more difficult missions, increase their willingness to work with the U.S. on continuing efforts to strengthen and improve peacekeeping operations, and send a positive political signal to potential new contributors of U.S. interest in peacekeeping operations. Previous TCCs/PCCs argue that their contributions are often taken for granted, including when the Security Council renews mandates for UN operations; and while large contributors such as the U.S. fund the missions (the U.S. is assessed over 25 percent of the cost of UN peacekeeping),the TCCs/PCCs face the risks and challenges in the field. Over the past six months the Security Council has held a series of meetings to discuss how to make the best decisions on new and renewed mandates for UN peacekeeping operations, including how to substantially improve dialogue among the TCCs/PCCs, the Security Council, and the Secretariat. This meeting would demonstrate the United States' seriousness in following through on that commitment. President Obama intends to make brief opening remarks, and then moderate an interactive discussion on the following two questions: What are the biggest challenges you face, as a TCC/PCC to UN operations, and what can the United Nations and the United States do to help? What peacekeeping reforms are most urgently required on which the United States and TCCs/PCCs can work together at the UN? No prepared remarks are expected. We ask that each of the interventions be limited to two minutes. UN missions of invited heads of state/government will be advised separately in New York by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on the location of the meeting and other logistical details. ¶4. (SBU) To accommodate the short time available for the meeting, this invitation is being extended only to those countries which comprise top contributors of military and/or police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. In addition to China, the invitees are Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Italy, Jordan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Uruguay. The following is information on China's contribution of military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. The UN lists military personnel as either "military observers" (unarmed, often monitoring aspects of a peace agreement) or "troops." "Troops" includes military personnel in all other categories, including, for example, infantry, staff officers, medical personnel, and drivers. China: UN peacekeeping missions in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Haiti (MINUSTAH),Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), Darfur (UNAMID),Lebanon (UNIFIL),Liberia (UNMIL),Southern Sudan (UNMIS),Timor Leste (UNMIT),Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), and the Middle East (UNTSO). Total as of August 31, 2009: 2,155. China contributes military personnel to MINURSO (13), MONUC (234),UNAMID (324),UNIFIL (344),UNMIL (566),UNMIS (456),UNMIT (2),UNOCI (7),and UNTSO (4). China contributes police to MINUSTAH (144),UNAMID (1),UNMIL (16), UNMIS (17),and UNMIT (27). End background. CLINTON