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