GEORGIA: DPKO OUTLINES PLANS TO SUPPORT GENEVA

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000809 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UNSC KPKO RS GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: DPKO OUTLINES PLANS TO SUPPORT GENEVA TALKS AND INCIDENT MECHANISM REF: USUN 684 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Following up on a July 13 meeting (reported Reftel),A/SYG for Peacekeeping Edmund Mulet told Deputy Permreps from the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Croatia on August 31 that the UN would continue to support the Geneva talks and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) for Georgia/Abkhazia for an initial period of six months, at which time continuation of the UN role would be reassessed. The UN would have no role in the South Ossetia IPRM. A 6-person UN team would be based in Geneva or Vienna, and would be led by former Georgia SRSG Johan Verbeke until the end of 2009, after which a "senior-level" UN official, possibly based in New York, would replace Verbeke. The UN team would have no monitoring or political responsibility, and would report through Verbeke to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York (DPKO). The Russian Federation, Georgia and Abkhaz authorities support the arrangement, but Russia had insisted that UN activities be coordinated by DPKO instead of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in order to avoid the appearance of a political or mediation role for the UN. The SYG planned to inform the Security Council president of the arrangement via letter, but would not expect formal Council action. The Secretariat would not report to the Security Council on the team's activities unless requested to do so by the Council. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) A/SYG Edmund Mulet informed Deputy Permreps of the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and Croatia on August 31 that the Secretary-General had decided that the UN would continue to facilitate the Geneva talks on security and stability/return of IDPs and refugees in Georgia, as well as the bi-weekly meetings of the Joint Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (JIPRM) for Abkhazia. Mulet made clear that the UN would have no continuing role in the South Ossetia JIPRM, which would be co-facilitated by the EUMM and the OSCE. Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, would stay on as UN Envoy through December 2009, at which time he would take on new responsibilities in the Belgian MFA. Verbeke would be replaced by a "senior-level" UN official, possibly to be based in New York, who would be chosen at a later date. Though Verbeke and his successor would not be based in Georgia, they would travel frequently to Georgia to facilitate the bi-weekly JIPRM meetings and to coordinate activities related to the Geneva process. Verbeke would be supported by 5 UN staff (3 civilian staff, 1 military expert and 1 police expert) who would be based either in Geneva or Vienna , but like Verbeke, would spend most of their time in Georgia. UNDP and UNHCR would provide logistical support to the team. ¶3. (SBU) Mulet said that the SYG had decided to put this arrangement in place for an initial period of six months, and would then reassess whether it should continue, based on progress in the Geneva talks and the status of the JIPRM. The Russian Federation, Georgia, and the Abkhaz de facto authorities all supported the arrangements, according to Mulet. Russia had made clear, however, that it would not support a political or monitoring role for the UN team. According to Mulet, Russia had also insisted that Verbeke (and his successor) report to DPKO in New YOrk, rather than to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA),in order to avoid sending a signal that the UN was playing a political or mediation role. The SYG planned to send a letter to the President of the Security Council outlining the arrangement, but he did not expect formal response from the Council. The SYG would look only for a "low key" informal acknowledgment that the Council had taken note of the letter. Mulet emphasized that DPKO was attempting to "see what the market would bear" with the continuing UN role in Georgia-- the UN would continue to seek practical arrangements on the ground, but absent Security Council action, UN activities would continue to be determined by what all parties would accept. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo asked about UN plans to report on the activities of the UN team in Georgia. Mulet said that the UN did not contemplate sending reports to the Security Council unless requested, but that DPKO would be willing to informally report to the Group of Friends. He also said that Verbeke's contract as Head of Mission for UNOMIG would end at the end of September, at which time he would submit his end-of-mission report for the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). RICE