Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10UNVIEVIENNA54
2010-02-17 12:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
UNVIE
Cable title:  

UNIDO to Host April 2010 UN Chief Executive Board Meeting

Tags:  KUNR ETRD EIND EAID UNIDO UNDP UNEP AORC KGHG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171204Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0583
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1522
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1847
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0088
RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0228
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0779
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1321
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0019
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1196
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0173
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UNVIE VIENNA 000054 

DEPT FOR IO/T, EB/IFT/ODF AND L/PIL
EMBASSIES FOR ECON/POL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KUNR ETRD EIND EAID UNIDO UNDP UNEP AORC KGHG
SUBJECT: UNIDO to Host April 2010 UN Chief Executive Board Meeting

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UNVIE VIENNA 000054

DEPT FOR IO/T, EB/IFT/ODF AND L/PIL
EMBASSIES FOR ECON/POL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KUNR ETRD EIND EAID UNIDO UNDP UNEP AORC KGHG
SUBJECT: UNIDO to Host April 2010 UN Chief Executive Board Meeting


1. Summary. Secretary General Ban ki Moon (UNSYG) has chosen UN
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to host the upcoming UN
Chief Executives Board (CEB) meeting, scheduled for April 9-10,

2010. While the agenda is still being formulated, it is likely
discussion will focus on Copenhagen Climate Change Summit outcomes,
the future of the UN family with regard to climate change issues,
and the UN's role in ensuring future multilateral cooperation
initiatives. How the UN should best address the devastation in
Haiti will also likely be discussed. UNIDO officials are
understandably proud of hosting the CEB, stating that despite
UNIDO's small stature, it has gained an international reputation as
an innovative and well-run organization. UNVIE will continue to
keep Washington updated as the CEB agenda is finalized and
preparations intensify here in Vienna. End summary.

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CEB: UNIDO's Turn
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2. In a meeting with Agerico Lacanlale, Director of UNIDO's
Strategic Planning and Coordination Group on February 10, Lacanlale
told poloff that the two-day CEB meeting (held by the UN twice a
year) usually alternates between New York in the fall and Europe in
the spring. For the first time, UNIDO has been chosen to host the
CEB; Lancanlale emphasized that this demonstrates the UNSYG's
recognition of the innovative work UNIDO is doing on economic,
energy, and climate change issues, as well as the growing confidence
the UNSYG has in UNIDO as a well-managed and transparent UN
organization. Lacanlale noted that the UNSYG, his deputies and
undersecretaries, as well as the heads of all UN programs and
specialized agencies, along with the chiefs of the World Bank, IMF
and WTO, will likely attend the April CEB.

--------------
Agenda Proposals
--------------


3. UNIDO DG Yumkella has proposed an agenda that focuses largely on
the outcomes of the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Summit,
held December 7-18, 2009. Lacanlale reported a feeling shared among
many of his UN colleagues throughout the system and in UNIDO as well
that the UN's reputation was tarnished by the manner in which the
summit was managed and the outcomes it produced. As a result,
Yumkella would like to focus the CEB summit on "unpacking"
Copenhagen and discussing the proper role of the UN family in future
climate change initiatives. More broadly, the proposed agenda would
highlight global governance issues and how to improve the UN's
consultative role in promoting multilateral cooperation. Lacanlale
expressed the concern that the UN risks being increasingly
marginalized on climate change and even other global issues, and
needs to improve its image after Copenhagen. (Note. In a separate
conversation Morgan Bazilian (Amcit) told poloff that Copenhagen's
failure was equally a result of weak and undirected Danish
leadership. End Note.)

--------------
CEB and Haiti
--------------


4. Lacanlale also reported that the CEB will likely discuss Haiti
and the UN's role in future assistance there. A comprehensive
needs-assessment is currently underway, Lacanlale noted, and would
soon be presented to the Government of Haiti and potential donors.
For its part, UNIDO is refraining from trying to "have a seat at
every UN meeting about Haiti" and instead is finding where it can
most effectively fit in. Lacanlale stated that UNIDO's comparative
advantage in Haiti does not lay in immediate assistance or even
medium- term recovery efforts. Instead, UNIDO can help build
long-term solutions to energy, poverty and trade capacity. In this
regard, Lacanlale argued, UNIDO will seek to be part of the One UN
solution to Haiti, but is not going to push to be involved in every
stage of the process.


5. Comment. UNIDO is continuing its internal management reform
process and will certainly highlight its own accomplishments at the
April CEB. UNVIE will continue to monitor development of the CEB
agenda and format. Meanwhile, UNVIE is gathering further
information on UNIDO's three thematic pillars -- energy and the
environment, poverty reduction, and building trade capacity -- in

UNVIE VIEN 00000054 002 OF 002


order to better analyze the current state of play in the
organization. END COMMENT

DAVIES