AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH DSG MIGIRO

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000060 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/EDA, IO/SB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SOCI UNGA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH DSG MIGIRO ¶1. (U) Summary. In a cordial introductory meeting, Ambassador Susan Rice discussed with UN Deputy-Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro January 28 their shared comittment to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and UN reform. Migiro urged the U.S. to show leadership on development and gender issues. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Deputy-Secretary General (DSG) Migiro explained that areas for which she had primary oversight responsibility within the UN Secretariat were development, MDG implementation, UN reform and gender policy. She indicated that policy statements by President Obama, Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice were encouraging to the UN, particularly regarding commitments to work on implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and renewed support for UNFPA. She noted that many countries were "off-track" to achieve the MDGs on time, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, The DSG expressed concern about climate change and the impact of the financial crisis on developing countries. Migiro thanked the U.S. for its leadership on gender issues, including previous Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's Women Leaders' Working Group and Security Council resolution 1820, and expressed hope that U.S. leadership would continue. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Rice responded that Migiro was "preaching to the choir," and that, as President Obama said, "the Millennium Development Goals will be America's goals." Rice asked what specific initiatives the U.S. could undertake to accelerate implementation of the MDGs and create measurable progress, and promised the UN would see an end of U.S. "quibbling" over the definitions of the MDGs. Migiro shared a copy of the June 2008 report by the Africa Steering Group which she chairs, entitled "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa," which she said identified gaps and mechanisms which could benefit from added resources. ¶4. (SBU) Turning to UN reform, Migiro explained that the UN was making progress in harmonizing its human resources rules and regulations, was seeking to use budget resources efficiently and not in a piecemeal manner, and was strengthening the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). She clarified that the Procurement Task Force (PTF) would be integrated into OIOS, where the division on investigations would continue PTF's work to tighten accountability in procurement and delineate lines of responsibility between headquarters and the field for procurement. Rice