MAJOR DONORS DISCUSS AU-UN PANEL FOLLOW-UP REPORT

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000789

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC AU KPKO
SUBJECT: MAJOR DONORS DISCUSS AU-UN PANEL FOLLOW-UP REPORT
WITH U/SYG MALCORRA


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. U/SYG for Field Support Susanna Malcorra
told U.S., France, Germany, Japan, and U.K. Deputy
Permreps/Political Counselors (major donors) on August 21
that a forthcoming Secretary-General's report on support for
African Union-United Nations (AU-UN) peacekeeping operations
would flesh out several options for financing joint AU-UN
operations, but would not draw any conclusions as to the best
financing option. Major donors expressed strong concerns
about the viability of financing AU-UN operations through UN
assessed contributions, as had been proposed in a report of
an AU-UN panel in December 2008. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Deputy Permreps/Political Counselors from the U.S.,
France, Germany, Japan and the U.K. discussed possible
recommendations for financing AU-UN peacekeeping operations
with Undersecretary-General for Field Support Susanna
Malcorra and Assistant Secretary-General Edmund Mulet on
August 21, in advance of the release of a report of the
Secretary-General (SYG) on practical ways to support the
African Union (AU) when it undertakes UN-authorized
peacekeeping operations. The Security Council had requested
the report in a March 18 Presidential Statement (PRST),
following a debate on the "Report of the African-Union-United
Nations Panel on Modalities for Support to African Union
Peacekeeping Operations" (A/63/666-S/2008/813). The PRST
requested that the new report be issued by September 18, and
that it examine "practical ways to provide effective support
for the African Union when it undertakes peacekeeping
operations authorized by the United Nations," as well as
"include a detailed assessment of the recommendations
contained in the report of the AU-UN panel, in particular,
those on financing."


3. (SBU) Malcorra told the donors that the SYG's report would
flesh out several financing options contained in the AU-UN
panel's recommendations, but would neither draw conclusions
about the most viable financing option nor present
full-fledged financing proposals. Instead, the Secretariat
saw the report as a part of the continuing dialogue between
the Secretariat and member states on the modalities of
financing peacekeeping operations. Mulet emphasized that the
draft report would examine not only the AU-UN panel
recommendations on financing for AU-UN operations, but also
examine the modalities of building African Union capacity and
managing the strategic relationship between the AU and the
UN. Africa Office Director Margaret Carey said that the
report would also acknowledge that voluntary contributions
into trust funds and assessed contributions from AU members
were other options that would be explored in the report.
Carey pointed out that funding AU operations through
voluntary contributions did not always provide sufficient
resources for fulfilling a mission.


4. (SBU) The donor representatives welcomed the intention of
the Secretariat for the report to be a broad based discussion
of the AU-UN panel recommendations, and agreed that any
conclusion in favor of the AU-UN panel's recommendation that
UN assessed contributions be used to finance AU peacekeeping
operations authorized by the UN Security Council would be
premature. French Deputy Permrep LaCroix added that assessed
contributions would create a disincentive for the African
Union to develop its own capacity to finance peacekeeping
operations. France, he said, would like to widen the pool of
contributors to peacekeeping operations, but assessed
contributions would hinder that effort. German Deputy Permrep
Ney said UN assessed contributions would create conditions
whereby one entity (AU) had political and operational
responsibility for peacekeeping missions, while another
entity (UN) would bear the financial obligation. Japanese
Deputy Permrep Okuda made clear that Japan believed UN
assessed contributions should only be used for UN activities,
so that accountability for the use of the funds could be
maintained. U.K. Political Counselor Quarrey acknowledged
that the Council had used assessed contributions for its
AMISOM mission, but emphasized that such a decision should
only be taken in unique circumstances. USUN Political
Minister-Counselor concurred with the comments of major
donors, said that the U.S. also did not see assessed
contributions as a viable method of funding AU peacekeeping
operations due to transparency and accountability issues, and
pressed for assurances that analysis of other options,
including trust funds and assessed contributions from AU
members, would be reflected in the report.
RICE