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