POLICE IN UN PEACEKEEPING: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001113 SENSITIVE SIPDIS IO/ATTN DEBORAH ODELL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC KPKO KCRM SOCI CVIS SN SUBJECT: POLICE IN UN PEACEKEEPING: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE REF: AHO-ODELL EMAILS OF 12/8/09 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraphs 2, 4, and 5. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations Police Division officials asked member states on December 4 to assist in developing national follow-up plans to the Singapore Ministerial meeting on international policing held in October. USUN requests Department's guidance by COB December 11 on the UN's process, timeline, and suggestion for a convention (outlined in paragraph 4),as well as instructions for any necessary revisions that USUN should discuss with DPKO and other delegations. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) USUN PolOff and Police Advisers from a handful of member states met with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Police Division and INTERPOL Special Representative to the UN Harper Boucher on December 4 to discuss national follow-up plans to the Singapore Plan of Action adopted by Ministers in October (copy and other docs available at www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/IntLiaison/UN/ MinisterialMeeting200910). DPKO is seeking national points of contact in each member state, particularly those who attended the Ministerial in Singapore. The Ministerial meeting with the theme "The Role of International Policing in Building Sustainable Security," endorsed a partnership between INTERPOL and DPKO to build police and rule of law capacity in post-conflict states and to cooperate in addressing challenges, such as organized crime, that can destabilize at the national and regional level. Deputy Attorney General Ogden represented the U.S. at the Ministerial. ¶4. (SBU) At the DPKO/INTERPOL meeting on December 4, Andrew Carpenter, Chief of the Strategic Policy and Development Section in DPKO, laid out a proposed timeline for the next year. The UN will host the first follow-on meeting of the points of contact in February 2010 in New York (before the start of the C-34 Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations on February 22, in order to allow participants in both meetings to attend). At the February meeting, working groups will be created (to be determined at that time) and member states will assume leadership roles. In June, probably in Lyon, France, a second follow-on meeting will be held, with a view to engaging regional and sub-regional organizations (including the AU, EU, Pacific Islands Forum, ASEAN, OAS, APEC, and ECOWAS) during the June-October timeframe. In October or November, the UN and INTERPOL hope to hold a Singapore follow-on meeting, with either Minister or Head of State attendance. The 2009 Ministerial declaration called for development of consensus on an international police doctrine in post-conflict environments. DPKO suggested that a UN Convention on Police Peacekeeping might be one approach. ACTION REQUEST: USUN requests Department's guidance on this process, timeline, and suggestion for a convention, as well as instructions for any necessary revisions that USUN should discuss with DPKO and other delegations. ¶5. (SBU) The UN and INTERPOL hope that the national points of contact for the Singapore Plan of Action will have a blend of experience in both policing and peacekeeping. DPKO Under-Secretary-General Le Roy will send a letter to PermReps before December 18 asking for a "focal group" to be appointed from each country. DPKO has asked us, and other missions, to provide any insights for this letter by December 11. ACTION REQUEST: USUN requests Department assistance in identifying appropriate U.S. representation to that small group. DPKO and INTERPOL wish to receive names before January 22, 2010, in order to allow time for U.S. visa processing. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: There has been growing interest in developing a doctrine on UN policing. DPKO's Police Division sees the Singapore Ministerial as an opportunity to gain consensus on a police doctrine. The United States can exert leadership in this process, similar to that seen in the Formed Police Unit doctrine development process. We will need to ensure that participants in the upcoming Singapore Plan of Action meetings take into account the ongoing and concurrent discussions on strengthening UN peacekeeping--many of which involve police issues. RICE