AMBASSADOR RICE'S INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000158 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y ( CH PARA 6 ) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC IT SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH ITALIAN PERMREP TERZI REF: USUN 130 USUN NEW Y 00000158 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Susan Rice for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In an introductory meeting on February 17, Ambassador Rice and Italian Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata discussed Security Council Reform, Italy's 2009 G-8 chairmanship, climate change and human rights. On Security Council Reform, Ambassador Terzi hoped that the upcoming informal plenary of the General Assembly (GA) would allow the membership to address the issue with less confrontation than had occurred in the Open-ended Working Group. Ambassador Rice expressed the hope that Italy would not attempt to introduce special procedures for the informal plenary that would result in the membership getting bogged down in procedural debates, and said that the U.S. did not favor making exceptions to the GA's rules of procedure. Terzi thought Italy's G-8 chairmanship would be able to place a greater focus on improving peacekeeping operations. He said Italy did not have strong views on a "mini-Summit" to discuss climate change, and said he thought U.S. participation in the Human Rights Council would benefit its work. Ambassador Rice explained that U.S. participation in the Durban II planning conference was aimed at making an assessment as to whether the conference could be salvaged. END SUMMARY. -------------- SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM -------------- ¶2. (C) In a February 17, 2009 introductory meeting between Ambassador Rice and Italian PermRep Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, Ambassador Terzi said Italy was pleased with the results of its February Ministerial in Rome on Security Council Reform, which 77 countries attended, including representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Terzi said he believed the informal plenary of the General Assembly set to begin on February 19 would be less confrontational and more relaxed than the contentious Open-ended Working Group sessions that had occurred in the summer and fall of 2008. Terzi hoped that the informal plenary would be organized in a way to garner the widest possible agreement on both the substantive aspects and on "a sequence of procedural steps to keep it going," referring indirectly to Italy's desire to introduce a procedural motion in a meeting of the informal plenary to ensure that it be bound to look at all matters before deciding on a single matter (see Reftel). Terzi said he believed signals from the P-5 would be especially important to keep the intergovernmental negotiations moving forward. As for the composition and membership of an expanded Council, Terzi said Italy wanted to see other international bodies represented in the management of international peace and security. He therefore did not want to see additional European permanent members on the Council, which he said would hinder the integration of other regional players into the process. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Rice said she hoped that the informal plenary would not get bogged down in procedural issues. She made clear that the U.S. would not want to depart from established rules of procedure for the General Assembly in a one-off context. If the U.S. were confronted with a narrow procedural question, "we would favor the established rules," she said. On the substantive aspects of Security Council Reform, Rice acknowledged that the SC needs to be updated in order to maintain its legitimacy in the 21st century, and said the U.S. had not yet adopted a position on the size or composition of an expanded Council. She added that the U.S. has not linked SC reform to other UN management reforms, which are important in their own right. -------------- G-8 CHAIRMANSHIP, PEACEKEEPING -------------- ¶4. (C) In response to a question from Ambassador Rice on Italy's plans for the 2009 G8 Summit, Ambassador Terzi said Italy wanted to expand G8 outreach to other countries, and planned to invite China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa to participate in some of the Summit meetings related to climate change, development and economic growth. Italy also wanted to use its G8 chairmanship to spotlight what it perceives as a need for increased peacekeeping cooperation with regional organizations such as the African Union. In this regard, Terzi mentioned Italy's desire to have the Security Council hear a briefing in the near future by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on the conclusions of a commission he chaired on developing a stronger strategic relationship between the UN and the AU. Italy also would seek an increase in the UN emphasis on police training USUN NEW Y 00000158 002.2 OF 002 activities, Terzi said, and where Italy's experience as the largest EU contributor of police to UN peacekeeping missions could be useful. -------------- CLIMATE CHANGE -------------- ¶5. (C) On climate change, Ambassador Rice said the United States had not decided yet whether President Obama would participate in the mini-summit proposed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Rice said she appreciates the SYG's focus on the issue, but the U.S. needed to examine whether this was the optimal venue for the President's engagement. Terzi said that Italy did not have strong feelings one way or the other, but that if it were to happen, the Italians would be there. -------------- DURBAN II, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION -------------- ¶6. (C) Ambassador Rice explained the U.S. position on the "Durban II" conference on racism and discrimination, saying the U.S. was sending a team to the Geneva planning meetings in the hope of improving the conference document and to assess whether the U.S. should be able to participate in the actual conference. The United States wanted to get away from the rabid anti-Semitism of the previous anti-racism conference, but had no illusions about the possible outcome of U.S. engagement in the pre-consultations, Rice said. It was important, she added, to "roll up our sleeves" and give serious effort to shaping the outcome document. ¶7. (C) Rice also said the U.S. was considering whether it would be worthwhile to reverse its non-participation in the Human Rights Council, though we had not yet come to any conclusions. Ambassador Terzi said he thought the U.S. should be in the Council as a way to keep dialogue open with more of the Group of 77 countries on human rights issues. Rice