FUNDING THE UNGA'S TASK FORCE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000983 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREF PREL CT SUBJECT: FUNDING THE UNGA'S TASK FORCE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM REF: A. USUN 573 ¶B. USUN 724 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 8 below. ¶2. (U) The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (Strategy),GA resolution 60/288, welcomed the intention of the Secretary-General to institutionalize, within existing resources, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Task Force) within the Secretariat in order to ensure overall coordination and coherence in the counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system. The General Assembly reviewed the Strategy in 2008 and the resulting resolution, 62/272, urged the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to carry out the institutionalization of the Task Force, in accordance with resolution 60/288. ¶3. (U) Since 2005, the UN's Department of Political Affairs (DPA) has used its own people to support the work of the Task Force and since July, has funded the salary of the Task Force's new head, Jean Paul Laborde (France). Both DPA and Laborde are lobbying member states to support institutionalizing the Task Force from extra budgetary sources. (reftels) ¶4. (U) At a meeting on October 18 with LegOffs and the Legal Adviser from the Austrian Mission, Konrad Buhler, Laborde explained that, as part of this effort, he has organized representatives from each regional group (Argentina, Austria, Burkina Faso, Croatia, and Pakistan) to draft a GA resolution that will be tabled within the next few weeks for action in the plenary of the General Assembly. Laborde said that the text is intended to generate a Program Budget Implication (PBI) and thus the issue will have to be resolved by the General Assembly's fifth committee. The text of the draft resolution follows; ¶5. (U) "Recalling the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, contained in General Assembly resolution 60/288 of 8 September 2006, and the first review of the Strategy, contained in General Assembly resolution 62/272 of 5 September 2008, ¶1. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the necessary resources to finalize the institutionalization of the Task Force without delay in order to ensure overall coordination and coherence in the counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system". ¶6. (U) A Japanese Mission to the UN representative approached USUN LegOFF on 19 October and conveyed that although Japan feels strongly that the institutionalization of the Task Force should be accomplished from within existing resources, it does not want to be isolated on such a politically sensitive issue. Laborde also told LegOffs that Amb. Sumi of the Japanese mission had told him that Japan was still looking into whether it could support the resolution, but it was Laborde's sense that Japan would. Laborde asked for U.S. support for the draft resolution. He noted that the CTITF could be funded within existing resources from the Secretary-General's $20 million discretionary fund, if the GA so decided, but that he would not want to see such a limitation in the resolution as it is essential that the CTITF have reliable and predictable funding. ¶7. (U) USUN recommends that the USG support the draft resolution. Institutionalization of the Task Force with dedicated funding will ensure coordination and coherence of the UN system-wide effort to implement the Strategy. Additionally, the cost, at $2.56 million over two years, is reasonable given the alternative of U.S. isolation on a worthwhile counter-terrorism program and U.S. priority. ¶8. (U) USUN requests the Department's position on the draft resolution contained in paragraph four above by the first week in November. The Austrians indicated that they and the other sponsors plan to introduce the resolution as soon as possible and likely will do so by the end of the first week in November. Rice