AMBASSADOR RICE'S INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH

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.



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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.



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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.



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CLIMATE CHANGE


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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.



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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