Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK983
2009-11-03 19:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

FUNDING THE UNGA'S TASK FORCE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM

Tags:  PARM PREF PREL CT 
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VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0983 3071946
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031946Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7505
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

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