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