AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH AUSTRALIAN PERMREP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000082

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2019
TAGS: PREL UNDP KGHG PARM PHUM KDEM AS XV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S MEETING WITH AUSTRALIAN PERMREP
HILL

Classified By: U.S. PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE, FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. In a February 2 introductory call on
Australian PermRep Hill, Ambassador Rice reviewed her top
priorities and solicited close partnership with the
Australian Mission. Ambassador Hill shared views on
candidates to replace the UNDP Administrator, worried that
the ultimate decision could influence an Australian candidacy
for another senior UN vacancy. He sees the U.S. and China as
being key to a successful outcome of climate change
negotiations in Copenhagen in December. While Australia is
taking a higher development assistance profile in Africa and
international role in nuclear nonproliferation, they are keen
to find ways to limit Fiji's role in future UN peacekeeping
operations until that Pacific nation restores democratic
governance. End summary.


2. (C) UNDP SUCCESSION. Warmly welcoming Ambassador Rice
during a February 2 meeting at his mission, Australian
PermRep Ambassador Robert Hill said a retiring senior
Australian army officer, formerly head of Special Forces, is
a short-list candidate for the vacant position of UN Under
Secretary-General for Safety and Security. But Hill worried
that the likelihood of an Australian winning the job could be
greatly compromised if former New Zealand Prime Minister
Helen Clark gets selected to fill another top vacancy as
Administrator of the UN Development Program (UNDP).
Ambassador Rice acknowledged Helen Clark's qualifications,
but noted that the USG had recently provided the
Secretary-General (SYG) with a strong short-list of potential
AmCit candidates. Amb. Rice also noted that there were a
number of well-qualified developing country potential
candidates who could merit serious consideration.
Speculating about other possible UNDP candidates, Ambassador
Hill opined that UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde
Johnson (Norway) has been in her current position for too
short a period to get strong consideration. Hill noted that
Australia highly values the UNDP and credits the agency with
improving its coordination both with other UN entities as
well as with other major donors and international financial
institutions. He foresees UNDP possibly playing a greater
role in coming years pending anticipated reform of the global
financial architecture.


3. (SBU) AFRICA/FOOD SECURITY. Ambassador Hill gave high
marks to Australian-U.S. cooperation at the UN, which Amb.
Rice pledged to build upon. He singled out successes in
reforming the UN's human resources system as well as the UN's
administration of justice as big achievements in bilateral
efforts. Ambassador Rice reviewed some of her top priorities
concerning peacekeeping operations, climate change,
nonproliferation, and development/poverty reduction.
Ambassador Hill noted that Australia was branching beyond its
traditional focus on the Pacific region by recent development
initiatives in Africa, driven in part by Australia's business
and agricultural sectors. In the aftermath of the recent
food crisis, the underlying causes of which remain
unaddressed, Hill foresees the need to substantially rebuild
Africa's agricultural economy. In Zimbabwe, Australia is
poised to act quickly to aid the agricultural sector once
conditions permit it.


4. (SBU) CLIMATE CHANGE, NONPROLIFERATION. Ambassador Hill
observed that the U.S. and China will be the key determinants
of a "worthwhile" outcome of the Copenhagen climate change
conference of parties meeting in December. He sees big
opportunities for the U.S. right now, and noted that
Australia's top climate negotiator Penny Wong will be in
Washington and then New York in late-March. Time is short
between now and December, and it remains to be seen what role
the SYG, the Major Economies Meeting and other processes
might play in this span. Ambassador Rice noted that getting
key climate legislation through Congress in such a short span
is a tall order. Amb. Hill said Australia shares the
Administration's priority on nuclear nonproliferation, noting
that the International Commission on Nuclear
Non-Proliferation co-chaired by Japan and Australia will have
a meeting in Washington, DC, in March, followed by a visit by
the co-chairs to New York in order to energize other PermReps
on Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) activities.


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5. (C) UN PEACEKEEPING. Amb. Hill sees the UN's peacekeeping
(PK) capabilities as "exhausted" at present, but sees few
viable alternatives. He believes the UN needs to further
develop partnership arrangements with national and regional
organizations. He noted strong opposition within the UN to
Australia's taking the lead in peacekeeping for Timor-Leste
several years ago, but said the UN is now grateful not to
have that added burden itself. Amb. Rice praised Australia's
long record of valuable contributions to UN peace operations.


6. (C) FIJI CONCERNS. Hill said Australia is deeply
concerned that coup-prone Fiji seems to be settling in to an
unprecedentedly extended period of military dictatorship.
Acknowledging USG concerns about preserving Fijian military
presence in Iraq, Hill wondered whether it is not possible to
effectively block Fiji from acquiring any new PK duties from
the UN until it is restored to democratic governance. The
Australian acknowledged that there is no precedence for this,
and that both SYG Ban and Department of Political Affairs
U/SYG Pascoe are leery of creating such new conditionality.
But Hill noted that few states' militaries are as dependent
upon UN PK roles for revenue and prestige as are Fiji's (and
Pakistan's),and therefore thinks a public commitment by SYG
Ban would be wholly appropriate. Ambassador Rice opined that
the UN might have better political coverage for such a
decision were it invited to do so by a regional organization,
such as the Pacific Island Forum. Ambassador Hill welcomed
the idea and agreed to look into it.
Rice