UNGA: UNSC REFORM: THIRD ROUND OF

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000828 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR USUN/W AND IO/UNP; NSC FOR POWER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KUNR UNGA UNSC GE JA BR IN SUBJECT: UNGA: UNSC REFORM: THIRD ROUND OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS - INTERMEDIATE MODEL REF: A. USUN NEW YORK 827 ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 634 ¶C. USUN NE YORK 609 ¶D. USUN NEW YORK 553 ¶E. USUN NEW YORK 432 ¶F. USUN NEW YORK 388 ¶G. USUN NEW YORK 345 ¶H. USUN NEW YORK 289 ¶I. USUN NEW YORK 230 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The informal plenary of the General Assembly met on September 3 for the third meeting of the third round of intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform. 43 delegations, including all of the P-5, spoke on the intermediate model. The UK and France did not offer many details but did emphasize their version of the model as a stepping stone to permanent seats after a review. Other delegations offered variations on the intermediate model - from two-year seats with the possibility of re-election to three to 15-year seats with or without the possibility of re-election. Some suggested that longer-term seats could be assigned to regional groups and rotated amongst regional members. Germany was the only Group of Four (G4) member to speak in favor of the intermediate model, albeit a variation which would lead to permanent seats after a review. Other G4 and African Group members remained unwilling to give up on the expansion in both categories model, arguing that it enjoyed broader support, was more responsive to the membership's core demands for reform, and vigorous negotiations have not yet started so there is no need yet for a compromise model (like the intermediate model). G4 members called on the Chair to provide a workplan/roadmap for negotiations during the next session, including a clear timetable. The Chair announced that the President of the General Assembly (PGA) will hold a meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on September 9 to present his report on the subject during the 63rd session and that the Chair would also circulate another letter on the IGN to the membership before the end of the 63rd session. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) During the third scheduled meeting of the third round of IGN on September 3, 43 delegations, including all of the P-5, spoke on the second of two potential reform models -- the intermediate option. The French Perm Rep said that while the UK and France had proposed the intermediate model, France preferred a permanent solution in the end. However, if a permanent solution is not possible, he argued that the intermediate model should be the focus of the membership's work during the 64th session. Neither he nor the UK Deputy Perm Rep offered any specifics on their version of the intermediate option. The Russian Perm Rep said that the intermediate model could be a platform upon which the membership succeeds in reaching agreement. He called for a maximum five-year term which would allow larger and more influential states to participate more actively in the Council. If there is to be a review mechanism, he called for the removal from its agenda of the question of the veto and Security Council working methods since, he said, both should be handled only by the Council itself. He said that no one should bank on rapid progress, and a final formula on expansion should not lead to a split of the membership but should meet with the approval of significantly more than two-thirds of the membership. U.S. remarks -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In the U.S. statement, Ambassador Wolff called on those states which have been the greatest proponents for the intermediate option to offer more details, including how, by whom, and on what basis intermediate members would be chosen, for how long would they serve, and whether they would be eligible for re-election. He also questioned how the intermediate model differed in practice from an expansion of non-permanent members. He reminded the membership that the U.S. has voiced support to date only for a limited expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members with any expansion of permanent members being country-specific in nature and new non-permanent members being subject to election by a two-thirds majority of the entire membership as stipulated in the UN Charter. He underscored that whatever formula that emerges for an expansion must factor in Charter requirements for ratification. As Charter amendments are not easily achieved, he said that the U.S. believes it is unlikely that we will have more than one opportunity to amend the Charter on the issue of Security Council composition in the foreseeable future, therefore, the strong preference of the United States is to focus on a set of reforms that do not depend on recourse to a future review. He stressed that depending on a future review could raise unrealistic expectations which could prove highly divisive if those expectations were not met. Proponents offer details on intermediate option -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Netherlands Perm Rep sought to elaborate on the intermediate option. He defined an expanded Council as in the low 20s with additional elected seats and longer-term seats of 3-15 years with a review after approximately two terms of the longer-term seats. He said the central questions for the review would be: (1) whether to continue on with the longer-term seats or revert back to the original arrangement and start the reform process anew; (2) whether to extend the veto; and (3) should any of the Council seats become regional seats. (Comment: USUN judges it difficult to foresee a review process that reverts back to a previous state. The reform that will precipitate the review will involve a Charter amendment. A second Charter amendment will be required to institute the results of the review. Achieving two Charter amendments, fully ratified, in the space of a 15-30 years is likely overly ambitious, given the length of the reform debate to date. End comment.) ¶5. (SBU) The Swiss delegate suggested that the length of the longer-term seats should be negotiated and there should be objective criteria for longer-term candidates based on size and contributions. The Pakistan Perm Rep suggested two-year seats with the possibility of re-election or three to five-year terms without the possibility of re-election. The Indonesian Perm Rep said any future review should focus on how the system is operating, not on a particular member state's performance as a longer-term member. The Canadian Perm Rep said that any addition of longer-term seats should be great enough to allow for increased representation but not too large as to jeopardize efficiency. The Turkish Perm Rep suggested that longer-term seats be assigned to specific regional groups so that the seats can be rotated amongst the members of the group. The Liechtenstein delegate said Liechtenstein envisages the creation of six new long-term renewable seats with a strong review clause after the expiration of two terms. He underlined that the intermediate model offers the possibility of states serving as de facto permanent members if (1) they so choose and (2) they are elected for consecutive terms, which provides for an element of accountability lacking in the expansion in both categories model, or the possibility of regional rotation, if a region so agrees. Germany supports intermediate model as bridge to new permanent seats -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The German Deputy Perm Rep voiced support for the day's discussion which he hoped would "concretize" the intermediate model. (Note: Germany is the only Group of Four (G4) member that has voiced interest in discussing the intermediate model. End note.) He said the while the intermediate model will not make all delegations happy, it would reform the Security Council until a future review when it could be judged whether to make the intermediate model a permanent solution. He argued against the re-election of longer-term members, saying it would cause them to start campaigning for re-election on day one of the term, instead of focusing on the actual difficult challenges. He said that longer-term members should serve continuously and only be removed by a vote of the same magnitude that elected that to the Council (i.e., two-thirds of the membership). The Costa Rican delegate argued against an "interim solution" that is just a postponement of the permanent seat expansion (the UK/France/Germany proposal) but voiced support for longer-terms seats with a single re-election and then a mandatory sitting-out period of twice the length of time served on the Council. Other G4 members advocate against intermediate model -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Brazilian Vice Minister of External Relations for Political Affairs underscored that the intermediate model is not Brazil's preferred option and questioned how true reform would come about if the core membership (P-5) remains the same. The Indian Special Secretary for International Organizations and Political Issues in the Ministry of External Affairs questioned what the intermediate option was "intermediate to" and said that the intermediate model does not address the core demands of member states because it limits expansion to the non-permanent category. He argued for the membership to focus on an expansion in both categories since India views that proposal as enjoying broader support. African states say it is premature to negotiate intermediate model; call for negotiations on expansion in both categories -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The South African Legal Advisor said that the intermediate model does not address Africa's non-representation in the permanent member category. The Kenyan delegate said that the intermediate model presumes there are areas on which the membership cannot reach an agreement regarding permanent seats. African delegations argued that comprehensive reform should still be the objective and since vigorous negotiations have not yet begun, they stressed the need to first focus on expansion in both categories and then see if there is deadlock. The delegate from Swaziland noted that if African states accept the intermediate option then they will be adding 50 more years to Africa's wait for a permanent seat. The Zambian delegate said that there would be no guarantee that the inadequacies of the intermediate option would be rectified at a review conference. The Egyptian Perm Rep called the intermediate model an attempt to avoid a decision on a veto for Africa. Next steps -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Germany and India called on the Chair (the Afghan Perm Rep) to draft a workplan/roadmap for negotiations during the next session, including a clear timetable. South Africa called on the Chair to draft a comprehensive document containing the proposals before the membership and the levels of support expressed for each of them. The Czech Republic called for the Chair to prepare a document reflecting on the negotiations and the way forward in the 64th session. Malta called for a smooth transition to the 64th session with all of the options on the table, including all of the five key issues. The San Marino Perm Rep also called for a smooth transition to the 64th session and said he hoped the PGA-elect would ask the Chair to continue as Chair during the next session. ¶10. (SBU) At the end of the meeting, the Chair briefly summarized the three rounds of intergovernmental negotiations held during the 63rd session (reftels),commenting that the procedural hurdles were avoided on day one. He noted the surge of interest from the membership on the subject with two-thirds of the membership actively engaged in the IGN. He said that the ground work has been set for "real give and take" in the 64th session. He announced that he would brief the President of the General Assembly (PGA) on the results of the IGN. Then, after Labor Day, the Chair said the PGA would circulate his report to the Open-ended Working Group, per decision 62/557, and there will be a final meeting in the 63rd session of the OEWG on September 9. The Chair said he would also send out another letter to the membership, as outlined in his July 16 letter: "After these three exchanges, Member states can expect to receive another letter from the Chair outlining the Membership-driven remainder of the third round, during which our lodestar 62/557 will continue to shine brightly." RICE