AMBASSADOR RICE PUSHES UN TO IMPROVE HUMANITARIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000534 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2019 TAGS: EAID PREL PHUM UN PTER PREF PK SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE PUSHES UN TO IMPROVE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION IN PAKISTAN REF: A. ISLAMABAD 640 ¶B. ISLAMABAD 78 ¶C. SECSTATE 4353 ¶D. US UN NEW YORK 29 Classified By: Ambassador Susan E. Rice, reason 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Ambassador Rice contacted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark to register major concerns over the UN's insufficient capacity to manage humanitarian coordination requirements linked to conflict-induced, large-scale displacement in Pakistan. Ambassador Rice sent a strong message that the UN must move quickly to assign a permanent, senior-level, experienced humanitarian coordinator to Pakistan to lead the UN system's response. She reminded the UN of the negative strategic implications for the government of Pakistan (GoP) and the international community if the humanitarian response to the conflict founders. The SG, Pascoe and Clark acknowledged the problem, agreed with Ambassador Rice's assessment and promised to address the matter on an urgent basis. Ambassador DiCarlo conveyed the same concerns over humanitarian coordination in Pakistan to Under-Secretary-General John Holmes. End summary. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Rice phoned senior UN leadership between May 22 - May 25 to express serious concerns over the lack of an experienced, senior-level, permanent humanitarian coordinator for the UN system in Pakistan. In separate conversations with the Secretary-General (SG), Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and UNDP Administrator, she forcefully stated the US government position that the UN must move swiftly to make a permanent, senior-level appointment to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator position in Pakistan. Ambassador Rice noted that the UN needs to place a high-ranking, experienced individual in Islamabad to manage and coordinate the international community's response to large-scale displacement resulting from the conflict between the government of Pakistan (GoP) and militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The UN should act swiftly in appointing a senior-level humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan much like they did for the response to the Indian Ocean tsunami several years ago. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Rice reminded UN officials of the negative strategic consequences for both the GoP and the international community should the humanitarian response to the large-scale displacement in Pakistan falter. She noted that the inability to provide adequate humanitarian assistance would be seen as a victory for the Taliban and a defeat for the GoP. The failure to appropriately manage humanitarian assistance to the millions of displaced persons would also leave an opening for charity organizations linked to extremist groups in Pakistan to deliver aid and gain influence in the country. ¶4. (C) Ambassador Rice told UNDP Administrator Clark on May 22 that the current UNDP-appointed Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator was not up to the task of managing the humanitarian response to the on-going displacement crisis in Pakistan. Ambassador Rice urged Clark to find somebody who could effectively lead the UN system in its efforts to work with the GoP, donors and aid agencies to address the daunting humanitarian challenges in the NWFP. Clark replied that she understood the points made by Ambassador Rice and would work on finding a solution. The UNDP administrator asked that more US humanitarian assistance be channeled through the UN system. Ambassador Rice noted that additional US funding for UN agencies would depend on our confidence in the UN system. ¶5. (C) Under-Secretary-General Pascoe told Ambassador Rice on May 25 that he was aware of the problem and agreed with her message on the need to act on an urgent basis to upgrade the UN's humanitarian coordination capabilities. He admitted that the UN was struggling to find a good person to lead the UN's humanitarian coordination efforts at a senior level, but promised to move on this right away. The Secretary-General USUN NEW Y 00000534 002 OF 002 echoed these points and noted that he would look into the matter of appointing a permanent, senior-level humanitarian coordinator on an urgent basis. ¶6. (C) Ambassador DiCarlo spoke with John Holmes last week and conveyed our concerns over the lack of an experienced, senior UN humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan on a full-time basis. Holmes replied that he understood the problem. He noted that the UN is looking for a suitable candidate, but had not found one yet. USUN New York has pressed the issue of humanitarian coordination in Pakistan with senior UN officials over the past several weeks and will follow-up with key interlocutors on the need to upgrade the UN's humanitarian response as an urgent priority. RICE