NAMIBIA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON UN ECONOMIC CRISIS

UNCLAS WINDHOEK 000182 SENSITIVE SIPDIS IO/EDA/DBALLARD AND EEB/IFD/ODF/KEMONAHAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN UNGA WA SUBJECT: NAMIBIA: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON UN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONFERENCE REF: STATE 50892 ¶1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel demarche regarding the upcoming United Nations Conference on the "World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development" to the Deputy Director of Multilateral Affairs, Julius Zaya Shiweva, at the Namibian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 20. Post also delivered reftel demarche to Dr. Asoka Seneviratne, Special Advisor to the Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC). The NPC is the lead government agency that coordinates development projects and foreign assistance in Namibia. ¶2. (SBU) Namibia plans to send a delegation to the conference. Dr. Peter Katjavivi, the Director General of the NPC, is currently slated to lead the delegation. However, according to Seneviratne, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has not ruled out attending the conference himself or sending Prime Minister Nahas Angula in his stead to lead the delegation. Whether or not he is the lead, Katjavivi will be a member of the Namibian delegation, Seneviratne explained. Susan Lewis, the NPC's Director for Development Cooperation, will also likely serve on the delegation. Seneviratne promised emboff that his staff would notify Embassy Windhoek as soon as the composition of the Namibian delegation is finalized. ¶3. (SBU) Neither Shiweva nor Seneviratne was familiar with the draft outcome document released by the President of the General Assembly (PGA) Miguel D'Escoto Brockman on May 8. Emboff provided both with a copy of the draft document and the non-paper contained in reftel. Seneviratne explained that the Namibian government was still crafting its position for the conference. He noted that Namibia is keen to see the conference yield "concrete deliverables" and not just "macro-level promises of assistance to developing countries. Emboff responded that the USG and other nations are concerned that the draft outcome document could hinder UN member states from reaching consensus, thus preventing the opportunity for the conference to result in the kind of substantive document the GRN seeks. MATHIEU