AMB RICE MEETS SPECIAL ENVOY TO PAKISTAN RIPERT

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001033 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PREF EAID PK SUBJECT: AMB RICE MEETS SPECIAL ENVOY TO PAKISTAN RIPERT REF: ISLAMABAD 02696 ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Jean-Maurice Ripert met with Ambassador Rice after returning from his initial trip to Pakistan in his new capacity as UN Special Envoy for Assistance. His opening words to Ambassador Rice: "It doesn't go well." He met with a weaker government and more dire security situation than he had anticipated. Ripert confirmed his need for additional staff to support his mission, especially if he is to take on the additional role of coordinating the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) duties, following the recent resignation of Jean Arnault. Ripert is concerned that international donors want the UN to work on long-term, root cause economic development and rule of law issues, while Pakistani officials have stressed the need for the UN to stay squarely focused on shorter-term humanitarian assistance. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On November 11, Ambassador Rice met with Jean-Maurice Ripert, the newly appointed Special Envoy for Assistance to Pakistan. His first trip to Pakistan in his new capacity took place in late October, and he had returned to New York this week for consultations. His opening words to Ambassador Rice were "It doesn't go well." In rapid-fire succession Ripert detailed that the Pakistani government is weak, shaky and directionless, with the President facing legal charges soon; the military is bombing villages causing extreme human rights concerns; and, the "security situation is disastrous." ¶3. (C) Concerned by the security situation he experienced during his first trip to Pakistan, he stressed the immediate need for the UN to "completely rethink" its security posture in Pakistan, noting that unlike UN missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is no international security force to assist in Pakistan. He questioned the UN's ability to orchestrate and finance the security arrangements needed in Pakistan to provide for UN staff safety. ¶4. (SBU) With weariness, saying he had worked the last month "alone with my three cell phones and piles of papers," Ripert stressed that he needs staff, especially in light of the likely addition of the FODP duties to his terms of reference. Ripert suggested the addition of two deputies at the D-1 or D-2 level - one to focus on donor coordination and one on FODP - and additional support staff for a total Islamabad-based office of 5-10 persons. He specifically requested a human rights staffer given the ongoing "internal police actions." Ripert stressed the need for quality people over quantity and lamented that the UN hiring process will be slow. Rice recommended that Ripert make his needs for additional staffing clearly known to SYG Ban and promised strong USG backing. ¶5. (SBU) As a result of Jean Arnault's decision to resign as Special Advisor to the FODP, Ripert expressed his willingness to take on this responsibility, if the U.S. wished him to do so. He noted, "there is coherence to adding this duty to the Special Envoy's overall role," but emphasized that the FODP is not a UN-led institution, but rather a political group co-chaired by the U.S., UK and Pakistan. ¶6. (SBU) Ripert reported that the 2010 UN humanitarian appeal for Pakistan will be greater than $750 million and will included recovery and reconstruction projects. In his initial meetings with Pakistani officials, they stressed the need for tangible reconstruction projects such as schools and health clinics. Ripert briefly registered his dismay at the low level of UN and World Bank coordination and noted that the Bank's multi-donor trust fund is "not fully functional." He also noted the need for future planning of long-term recovery and post conflict projects, such as economic development and rule of law. Ripert recognizes that international donors will be reluctant to support a UN mission without a long-term plan; unfortunately, however, his initial interactions with Pakistani officials showed their strong preference to keep the UN focused on humanitarian assistance. Rice