AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH UNIFEM EXECUTIVE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000569

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR USUN/W AND IO/UNP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNSC SO SU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH UNIFEM EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR


1. (U) SUMMARY: Ambassador Rice met with United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Executive Director, Ines
Alberdi, on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. Ms. Alberdi
congratulated the U.S. on their new administration and the
new possibilities it presents for gender issues. Alberdi and
her staff raised three issues: 1) U.S. ratification of
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW),2) ideas for the U.S. on SCR 1820 and
SCR 1325 and 3) requests for more UNIFEM funding. Ambassador
Rice welcomed the opportunity to deepen the partnership
between UNIFEM and the U.S., said no timeline was established
yet for ratification of CEDAw, and requested UNIFEM refine
concrete proposals on SCR 1820 and SCR 1325 through experts
in the mission. She encouraged UNIFEM to continue their
discussion on budget with the relevant Congressional contacts
in Washington. END SUMMARY.

-CEDAW-


2. (U) On the upcoming 28th anniversary of CEDAW, Alberdi
said U.S. involvement would send a strong message of support
for women's issues. Ambassador Rice could not give an
estimate of the time frame for U.S. ratification of CEDAW,
but said it is being reviewed with an aim to ratify, along
with others treaties. Ambassador Rice hoped to be able to
give Ms. Alberdi a better sense of the timing in the future.

-SCRs 1820 and 1325-


3. (U) Alberdi's chief adviser on Governance, Peace and
Security, Anne-Marie Goetz, spoke on the issues of SCR 1820
and SCR 1325. Goetz congratulated the U.S. as an obvious
champion on the issue, especially with last year,s adoption
of SCR 1820 on sexual violence. Goetz presented two new
ideas for strengthening follow-up on sexual violence to the
Ambassador. (1) She suggested the Security Council build
upon the existing Protection of Civilians (POC) Informal
Working Group, expanding its mandate to cover monitoring and
follow-up of the issues included in 1820, thereby avoiding
the challenges of trying to establish a totally new Working
Group. She also suggested that the SC should formalize the
operation of the POC Informal Working Group. (2) Goetz
suggested that the Security Council act to bolster and expand
the nature and composition of UN Rapid Response teams and
standby capacity, which already exist in the areas of police,
rule of law and peace talks, by incorporating within them
individuals with expertise in addressing sexual violence.


4. (U) Ambassador Rice remarked the proposals seemed
reasonable, and asked for concrete details to be shared with
appropriate mission experts. She also asked who was, or
would be, resistant to these ideas. Goetz admitted these
ideas had not been not formally presented, but implied China
and Russia could resist the idea of formalizing and expanding
the Protection of Civilians Working Group, and that elements
within DPKO had not picked up on the idea of expanding the
scope of the standby teams.


5. (U) (NOTE: There are several ongoing discussions within
the UN community on whether all thematic issues at the UN
should fall under the Protection of Civilians (POC) mandate.
The U.S. resisted the idea since POC focuses on humanitarian
access and trends and does not monitor or report based on
evidentiary information to the extent the Children and Armed
Conflict Working Group does. However, the U.S. did not
resist the idea of setting up an informal POC working group.
The POC working group has met three times under the
leadership of the UK. The UK seems open to the idea of
finding ways for the POC group to tackle issues of sexual
violence. They advise against formalizing the working group
at this time, however. The U.S. is not in favor of setting
up a separate SCR 1820 Working Group,
but should review this new twist on the idea presented by
UNIFEM. END NOTE).


6. (U) Goetz pointed out that despite the calls for women,s
involvement in peace processes in SCR 1325, there were no
women invited to the upcoming Darfur or Somalia peace talks.
She suggested that a parallel process, involving women from
all sides of the conflicts and from civil society, could be a
meaningful way to redress this shortcoming.


7. (U) Goetz also raised the upcoming UNIFEM/DPA/DPKO
Colloquium on Women's Security and Peace Processes on June
23, at which Ambassador Rice has been invited to speak.

-BUDGET SUPPORT FOR UNIFEM-


8. (U) Finally Alberdi asked the U.S. for stronger financial
support, to the tune of $15 million dollars. She advised that
Norway, the UK, Sweden and Spain were UNIFEM's top



contributors. Ambassador Rice did not make promises on the
budget, but encouraged UNIFEM to continue their conversations
in Washington.
RICE