Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK635
2009-06-27 01:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UN SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES INTEGRATED OFFICE FOR

Tags:  PGOV PREL UNSC XY PU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0635/01 1780142
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 270142Z JUN 09 ZDK
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6808
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 0254
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000635 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO BISSAU WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY PU
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES INTEGRATED OFFICE FOR
GUINEA-BISSAU; USUN NOTES BUDGET CONCERNS

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000635

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO BISSAU WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY PU
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES INTEGRATED OFFICE FOR
GUINEA-BISSAU; USUN NOTES BUDGET CONCERNS


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. UN Peacebuilding Support Office in
Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) Special Representative Joseph
Mutaboba on June 23 told the Security Council that
Guinea-Bissau needed coordinated security sector reform.
He also lobbied for the creation of a robust integrated UN
office to replace UNOGBIS per earlier PRSTs endorsing the
concept. Brazil, as the Chair of Peacebuilding for the
country, said elections planned for June 28 were crucial
for national reconciliation. Ambassador Rice was joined by
all Council members in supporting the creation of an
integrated office. Mutaboba told Ambassador Rice privately
that a national commission of inquiry should be created to
investigate the March and June murders of Guinea-Bissau
officials. Following Burkina Faso's introduction of a
draft resolution extending UNOGBIS and creating an
integrated office (UNIOGBIS) effective January 2010,
experts negotiated modifications, mostly to ensure
discretion in the UNIOGBIS staffing pattern, and the
Council adopted Resolution 1876 on June 26. The mandate of
UNIOGBIS, as adopted, does not differ materially from that
of UNOGBIS. The U.S. has expressed funding and process
concerns about UNIOGBIS with all Council members and will
raise these concerns with the Secretary-General and the
Secretariat, especially within the budgetary committee
process. END SUMMARY


2. (SBU) UNOGBIS Special Representative Mutaboba stressed
in an open meeting of the Security Council on June 23 that
the country was in a very fragile state as it approached
national elections set for June 28. He said recent
killings and assassinations needed to be thoroughly
investigated by a commission of inquiry. Mutaboba called
on the international community to coordinate its security
sector reform efforts in Guinea-Bissau so that the end
result would be coherent and concerted.


3. (SBU) Brazilian PR Maria Luiza Ribiero Viotti, as chair
of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the Peacebuilding
Commission, said it was reassuring the elections would be
held as planned on June 28. She said that holding
elections was crucial to enable the creation of a process
of national reconciliation. She stressed the need to
address security sector reform, youth unemployment, and

drug trafficking.


4. (SBU) Mutaboba also lobbied the UN Security Council to
create a robust integrated office, UNIOGBIS. He told
Council members he hoped to ensure adequate funding and
personnel. He said the significant increase in staff
involved would allow the new office to operate on a scale
sufficient to offer real assistance in reforming the
security sector, creating political dialogue, offering
national reconciliation efforts, and addressing the flow of
drugs through the country, before Guinea-Bissau became a
failed state like Somalia. He believed UNIOGBIS would have
the best chance for success if it could make a difference
quickly, hence the desire to create it now so it would be
fully staffed at the start of its mandate (proposed for
January 1, 2010). Mutaboba said UNIOGBIS' benchmarks would
be aligned with the country's national peacebuilding
priorities.


5. (SBU) In subsequent closed Council consultations,
Ambassador Rice supported the creation of UNIOGBIS and
stressed the need for security sector reform. Rice also
highlighted the importance of free, fair, and transparent
elections and a credible investigation into the recent
assassinations and violence. All other Council members
joined her in calling for an integrated peacebuilding
office. Burkina Faso urged all players to be involved in
promoting free, fair open and transparent elections, and
stressed the need for national reconciliation and the end
of impunity.


6. (SBU) UK PermRep said that UNIOGBIS should be created
after the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) reports on its recent security sector reform
assessment on Guinea-Bissau. The UK also said UNIOGBIS
should be subject to strict benchmarking. Japan said the
integrated office could be more cost effective, as long as
it was formatted to capitalize on increasing efficiencies.


7. (SBU) In a private pull-aside with Ambassador Rice,
Mutaboba volunteered the commission of inquiry into the
recent killings should be kept at the national level to
reinforce Guinea-Bissau's responsibility in addressing its
own internal affairs, but should have international experts
assist it. He also confided he did not believe Portugal was


taking the lead it should against drug trafficking, the
"big animal" that threatened Guinea-Bissau.


8. (SBU) Burkina Faso introduced a draft resolution that
would, inter alia, authorize UNIOGBIS now, effective next
January. Experts met on June 24-25 to negotiate the text
and the Council adopted SCR 1876 on June 26. NOTE: The
Council has long-supported an integrated office for
Guinea-Bissau, including in two Council Presidential
Statements (of October 2008 and April 2009),which looked
forward to receiving recommendations from the UN on how its
mission should be reconfigured to support peacebuilding
more effectively. END NOTE.


9. (SBU) COMMENT. USUN has expressed concerns regarding
the funding and process for this initiative with all
Council members, and will again raise funding and budgetary
concerns with the P-5, Japan, and other colleagues in
meetings next week. USUN will demarche the Secretariat
regarding our concerns, and will also raise this with UNSYG
Ban during the upcoming informal meeting on budget issues
being held with 20 other countries, in the context of our
ongoing concerns regarding how we plan and fund political
missions and other non-peacekeeping issues. These steps,
along with the way UNSCR 1876 has been drafted regarding
the specific recommendations for the mission (i.e. "takes
note of" vice "endorses" or "welcomes") will position us
well to address our concerns regarding funding of UNIOGBIS
in the UNGA 5th Committee.
RICE