UN SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES INTEGRATED OFFICE FOR

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