KENYA: COPENHAGEN ACCORD DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000226 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/EGC DREW NELSON AND KATE LARSEN AND OES/ENV RACHEL KASTENBERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGHG ENRG KE SUBJECT: KENYA: COPENHAGEN ACCORD DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 3080 ¶1. In a January 28 meeting, Undersecretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Otero and Ambassador Ranneberger delivered reftel talking points to Minister of Environment and Natural Resources John Michuki urging the Government of Kenya (GOK) to associate with the Copenhagen Accord. U/S Otero pressed Michuki to sign the accord as a matter of urgency. Michuki said the GOK is not prepared to associate with the Accord at this time. Instead, the GOK plans to raise the issue of association at the current AU Summit in Addis Ababa. Minister Michuki argued Kenya could not sign the accord because there was not a final consensus reached on the document. He reminded everyone that at Copenhagen there was a call for the Ministers to convene to resolve differences, but that meeting did not happen. He added that a few countries who objected to the Accord were able to block the issuance of a universally agreed upon document and, until there is a consensus document, Kenya is unable to sign. ¶2. Embassy officers have continued to reach out to GOK contacts to urge Kenya to associate with the Accord. The Permanent Secretary of Environment Lenayapa would not comment on the Copenhagen Accord when asked. Other GOK contacts, including one of the negotiators at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP),have confirmed the position that the GOK is not prepared to associate at this time. ¶3. Comment: It seems the GOK does not have major issues with the substance of the Copenhagen Accord. Rather, the reluctance to associate at this time appears to be, in part, a result of the GOK's disappointment with the process of negotiations at Copenhagen. We will continue to press. End comment. RANNEBERGER