AMBASSADOR RICE'S INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000283

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S INTRODUCTORY MEETING WITH
FRANCES DENG, UN SPECIAL ADVISER FOR THE PREVENTION OF
GENOCIDE


1. Summary: Ambassador Rice met with Francis Deng, the UN's
Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on March 16 to
discuss current activities of his office and priorities for
the future. Deng explained his efforts to engage three
important constituencies on the work of his office in order
to build support for genocide prevention: member states,
colleagues in the United Nations, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). He stressed the need for stronger ties
with the Security Council in order to boost the effectiveness
of his office despite reluctance on the part of the Russians
and Chinese. He remarked that sovereignty can no longer be
seen as a protection against outside interference, but as a
responsibility of the state towards the welfare of its own
citizens. On the question of peace versus justice, Deng's
position has shifted to favor the need for accountability for
those who commit egregious crimes. Ambassador Rice expressed
her disappointment in the leaders of Africa who too often
pursue their own interests rather than protecting the welfare
of Africans. She pressed Deng to publicly acknowledge that
the government of Sudan's decision to expel humanitarian NGOs
amounts to genocide by other means. End summary.


2. Deng opened the meeting by stating that his mandate as the
Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide (SAPG) is
impossible, but must be made possible. He views the work of
his office as the catalyst for a larger process within the UN
to prevent genocide from occurring. In his role as the SAPG,
Deng must engage three main constituencies: a) governments of
member states, b) colleagues within the UN system, and c)
NGOs. Many member states see the concept of genocide
prevention and the related framework of the Responsibility to
Protect (R2P) as tools for the world's great powers to
interfere in internal matters of weaker states. Deng must
allay their fears to generate support for the work of his
office. The UN system must be convinced that a number of its
constituent parts have a role to play in early warning and
prevention of genocide. NGOs push Deng's office to adopt a
strategy of "name and shame" and have doubts about the
effectiveness of his mandate due to weak linkages with the
Security Council.


3. As a priority for his office, Deng seeks greater
interaction with the Security Council. He does not want to
push himself on the Council as he knows that his mandate
remains sensitive to some members including Russia and China.
Some Council members and many member states remain wary of
the principle of sovereignty as responsibility that Deng
promotes. They prefer to view sovereignty as protection from
outside domination or interference while Deng promotes the
vision that sovereignty implies a responsibility to safeguard
the welfare of a country's citizens.


4. Deng told Ambassador Rice that he seeks P-5 support to
allow his mandate to become more effective through a stronger
connection with the Security Council. At the moment, he does
not push to be allowed to brief the Council unless he knows
that he will get a positive response. He worries that his
office will be weakened if he asks to be able to report to
the Council and is rejected. If the US and other Council
members make a habit of requesting briefings from the office
of the SAPG, he believes that he will have more credibility
within the UN system and beyond.


5. On the topic of peace versus justice, Deng started out
firmly in the camp that believes that peace must take
precedence over justice for the victims of atrocities,
especially given the African cultural preference for peace
and reconciliation. However, Deng's views have shifted and
he now asserts that justice must be given priority. Leaders
who are responsible for crimes against their own people must
be held accountable.


6. On Sudan, Deng expressed dismay at the violence that has
wracked his country for decades. He lamented the
confrontational approach adopted by the government of Sudan
in response to the ICC arrest warrant for President Bashir
when the country would have been better off cooperating with
the international community to cement the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) and find a political solution to the conflict
in Darfur.


7. Ambassador Rice challenged Deng on the dismal response of
African leaders to the crisis in Sudan. She described many
African leaders as being more interested in their narrow
self-interests rather than the good of the people of Sudan.
She noted that the SPLM had not played a constructive role in
seeking security and justice for the people of Darfur, and



that the SPLM remained conspicuously silent when the
government of Sudan announced the expulsion of international
humanitarian NGOs from the country. Deng replied that the
weak African response sprang from a feeling that the ICC
targets African nations. Ambassador Rice reminded Deng that
African nations helped to create the ICC and that Uganda and
the DRC had initiated ICC proceedings in their own countries.
The Security Council became involved in Africa only in the
case of Sudan.


8. Deng remarked that he had drafted a mild statement in
response to the Sudanese government's action to expel aid
agencies, but that it was stuck in the office of the
Secretary General where a quiet, low-key approach is favored
when dealing with this matter. Ambassador Rice noted that
she had gone on record as labeling the Sudanese expulsion of
humanitarian agencies and the resulting closure of aid
programs "genocide by other means". She expressed the hope
that Deng or the UN could make a similarly strong statement.


9. On Sri Lanka, Deng spoke of conversations that he had with
that country's permanent representative to the United
Nations. The Sri Lankan perm rep told Deng that his
country's actions in mounting an offensive against the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elan (LTTE) in the north of Sri
Lanka were known to its friends the United States and India.
The Sri Lankan representative left the impression that his
government's measures against the LTTE are supported by the
US and India. A visit to Sri Lanka left Deng impressed with
the great cleavages between the Sinhalese and Tamils that
would not be solved by the government's victory on the
battlefield.


10. Deng touched briefly on R2P and noted that the Secretary
General wants close cooperation between the office of the
SAPG and Ed Luck who is heading up the UN approach on R2P.
The mechanism for cooperation remains to be determined, but
Deng expects to operate out of joint offices with Luck.
Rice