SUBJECT: UN - FINANCING AMISOM - RECENT

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000285 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA KPKO SO SUBJECT: SUBJECT: UN - FINANCING AMISOM - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS - NEXT STEPS REF: A. STATE 017205 ¶B. STATE 023811 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraphs 9-11. ¶2. (U) Summary: This cable reviews recent developments, previews upcoming action in the Fifth Committee (C5),and requests the Department's guidance on steps to be taken on a number of issues arising out of adoption of SCR 1863 on support to be provided to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). ¶3. (SBU) See paragraph 4 for a review of the ACABQ's (Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions) consideration and approval of the SYG's request for commitment authority; paragraphs 5-7 on upcoming ACABQ and C5 consideration of the SYG's request for additional funding; paragraph 8 on the SYG's determination that "existing arrangements (USG contract with DynCorp) will need to be continued; paragraphs 9 and 10 on elements to be included in the U.S. statement to be delivered in the C5 during the week of March 23rd and on guidance for C5 deliberations; paragraph 11 on establishment of the trust fund called for in SCR 1863 and USUN's recommendation regarding a possible USG contribution to the trust fund; and paragraph 12 on the need for appropriate oversight and accountability mechanisms to be included in the MOU to be concluded between the UN and the AU on provision of the requested support. End Summary. ACABQ Deliberations -------------- ¶4. (U) On March 10th, the ACABQ approved the SYG's request for commitment authority (CA) in the amount of $43.9 million to "meet requirements related to the planning for a possible UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia and for the support to AMISOM." As described in the letter from the UN Controller to the Chair of the ACABQ on February 25th (sent via email to IO/PSC) and detailed in the SYG's letter of January 30th (S/2009/60),the funding would provide for rations; medicines; construction of Mission headquarters; a Level II hospital; deployment of Strategic Deployment Stocks (SDS) held at the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, of fire-fighting vehicles, airfield and communications equipment, and fuel; and the establishment of a core staffing capacity in operational support of AMISOM to be initially deployed in Nairobi. With the ACABQ's previous approval of $6.1, the total amount of CA reached the authorized limit of $50 million. Funding Proposal and ACABQ and C5 Meetings -------------- ¶5. (U) The Secretariat has informally circulated an advance version of the SYG's request for a total of $81 million in commitment authority with Member State assessment (inclusive of the $50 million approved by the ACABQ) to meet the requirements mandated in SCR 1863 during the period July 2008/June 2009. (The report, sent via email to IO/PSC, will be officially distributed as S/20089/758.) ¶6. (U) In his report, the SYG calls for deployment, mainly in Nairobi, of 243 UN personnel in support of an authorized strength of 8,000 AMISOM military contingent personnel and 270 AMISOM police officers. The funding proposal also includes requirements for the support detailed in paragraph 4 above and for additional requirements. The SYG indicated that further requirements will be presented in the context of "any" July 2009/June 2010 funding proposal for support to AMISOM or a potential UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia. ¶7. (U) The ACABQ began its consideration of the funding proposal on March 16th. Continuation of Existing Arrangements -------------- ¶8. (U) In his proposal, the SYG highlighted the fact that this initial resourcing proposal is built around a strategy of continuing AMISOM's existing supply of life-support requirements (USG contract with DynCorp) as a temporary measure while a procurement process to provide this support in accordance with UN standards, rules and regulations is undertaken. The SYG also highlighted that although the existing support arrangements are far from optimal, "they represent AMISOM's only life-line and will need to be maintained in the short-term." U.S. Statement in the C5 -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Mission requests the Department's guidance on elements to be included in a statement we expect to deliver in the C5 during the week of March 23rd including but not limited to - -- USG support previously provided unilaterally to AMISOM, -- necessity of supporting AMISOM, -- justification for using assessed funding, -- importance of working with the AU to ensure that oversight and accountability mechanisms are in place, -- possible announcement of a USG contribution to the trust fund. C5 Deliberations -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Mission also requests the Department's guidance in preparation for C5 negotiations on a draft resolution approving the required funding and authorizing assessments on Member States, including but not limited to - -- assessed funding - affirming our position that AMISOM is to funded through Member State assessments, -- 607 agreement - rationale for the importance of the C5 agreeing that the USG should be reimbursed for the assistance provided to AMISOM, -- confirmation that USG is prepared to extend and expand the contract with DynCorp to assist in meeting the requirements mandated in SCR 1863, -- affirming the importance of the UN moving quickly to execute contracts to provide the assistance mandated in SCR 1863 after June 2009. Trust Fund -------------- ¶11. (SBU) USUN understands that the trust fund called for in resolution 1863 to provide reimbursements to the AU for troops and contingent-owned equipment will be set up within the next few days and that a donor's conference will be held in early April. Mission staff have received queries on whether the USG intends to contribute to the trust fund and requests the Department's guidance in this regard. Oversight and Accountability -------------- ¶12. (SBU) In his funding proposal, the SYG underlined that in recognition of the challenges in ensuring transparent and effective use of UN resources, the MOU to be agreed between the UN and the AU will be "based on the requirements of UN rules and regulations" and that reporting arrangements will be established to allow the UN field office in Nairobi to monitor the use and effectiveness of its support to AMISOM. Comment: in recent discussions with the Secretariat, we have emphasized the necessity of the Secretariat establishing such mechanisms. End Comment. Rice