Seizing the Opportunity: UNODC Pakistan Country Program

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000062 C O R R E C T E D COPY MRN 000062 VICE 000055 KABUL FOR ANDREW QUINN STATE FOR S/SRAP MICHAEL STIGLITZ STATE FOR INL/AP MICHAEL OVERBY STATE FOR ISN/EXBS Dan Forbes STATE FOR S/CT ERIC ROSAND STATE FOR SCA/P TGRENCIK SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR AF UN JP PK PTER KCRM KNNP SUBJECT: Seizing the Opportunity: UNODC Pakistan Country Program REF: UNVIE 50 ¶1. Summary: The UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hopes that its soon to be released (late spring 2010) Pakistan Country Program will offer a comprehensive strategy to address drugs, crime, terrorism and governance issues in Pakistan. After a rocky few years, where the Government of Pakistan (GOP) viewed UNODC activities with suspicion and occasional out-right hostility, and where UNODC lost credibility due to a leadership crisis and an ineffective ad-hoc approach to programming, UNODC officials say they have hit the "restart" button and are on the way to delivering a high quality program worthy of donor attention. UNODC officials say the GOP is increasingly open to UNODC assistance in implementing conventions and delivering technical assistance. UNODC is pleased with the new UNODC representative in Pakistan and intends for him to become an effective interface between an invigorated donor community and a more constructive GOP. We should closely examine UNODC's new approach and country program in order to determine possible areas of closer engagement (and funding). We would in particular encourage an evaluation of the Pakistan Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) program with a view to possible funding, as well as continued support for UNODC's growing container control program. End Summary. -------------- UNODC Suffered From Ad-Hoc Projects, Lack of Credibility, and a Suspicious Pakistan -------------- 2.Mark Shaw, chief of UNODC's Integrated Planning Unit, and Smera Rehman, UNODC's Pakistan Country Desk Office, met with UNVIE officers February 9 to discuss the developing Pakistan Strategic Country Program. Shaw, who had just returned from an assessment visit to Pakistan, noted that UNODC currently is running a number of programs with a budget totaling approximately US $10 million (of which US $5 million is secured from donor contributions). However, as Shaw admitted, UNODC's work in Pakistan is very ad-hoc, and certainly neither comprehensive nor strategic. While Shaw noted that donors have been unable to prioritize their own assistance, UNODC and the GOP bear the most responsibility for the current state of its work in Pakistan. Until recently, the GOP has been suspicious of any UN assistance work, especially that of UNODC. Seen as internal interference, UNODC attempts to assist Pakistan in implementation of conventions and improving governmental systems was met by GOP with a deaf ear, and sometimes outright rejection. ¶3. Shaw also pointed the finger squarely at UNODC. Previous country representatives were ineffectual, Shaw posited, and the abrupt departure of country representative Christy McCampbell (former INL DAS) in winter 2008 after just a few months on the job, left UNODC with a total leadership deficit in country and a sense among donors and the GOP that UNODC was not a substantial partner. (Note. UNVIE largely agrees with this assessment of UNODC's track record in integrated program development for Pakistan. While some of UNODC's individual projects likely have had a positive impact, overall, UNODC has not been able to develop its Pakistan program in the same way as it has in Afghanistan (reftel). End note.) ¶3. Nevertheless, Shaw reports that UNODC pressed its own reset button some months ago and has reinvigorated its Pakistan program. This was possible, emphasized Shaw, because of an increased receptiveness among the Pakistani ministries to work with the UN on security, governance and criminal justice issues-albeit outside of the "One UN" system. Shaw explained that while Pakistan is a "One UN" country, which calls for full integration under the UN country representative, the GOP insisted early on that security-related issues (for example, assistance to criminal justice officials, border officials, prison rehabilitation) be handled separately from the overall UN framework. Shaw stressed that the UN agreed to this division, and that UNODC's close working relationship with the UN country team and the UN country representative has ensured this division is merely a technicality and that the UNODC is fully integrated in the overall UN system in-country. Shaw also noted that the GOP is now providing security support to the UN in-country, and is working with UNODC to re-locate its offices into a more secure location. ¶4. Desk Officer Rehman added,UNODC's perception that donors are becoming increasingly clear on their own priorities and ready to start implementing assistance in the field. Shaw credited much of UNODC's success in reinvigorating its Pakistan presence and program to the new UNODC country representative Jeremy Douglas (Canadian), whom Shaw believes has brought a strategic focus to program development. Working with Shaw's Integrated Planning Unit, Douglas has developed and released a series of assessment reports that have established UNODC's reputation as an organization that can deliver expert analysis and concrete results. Further, donors are now using these reports to determine where to direct funding assistance in the drugs, crime, and terrorism context. (Note. UNVIE worked with Douglas during his previous assignment in Vienna as program officer in charge of developing UNOC's Global Synthetic Drug Monitoring Analyses Report and Trends (SMART) program. UNVIE was very impressed with Douglas' programmatic approach, clear vision and managerial savvy. Although we were initially disappointed to see the Pakistan country representative position downgraded from a D1 to a P4 upon McCampbell's departure, we believe Douglas is a good choice for the position. UNVIE would welcome Embassy Islamabad's views of Douglas' work on the ground. End note.) -------------- UNODC Pitches Integrated Country Program -------------- ¶5. Shaw and Rehman noted that the GOP and UNODC are currently developing an integrated strategic country program, which will likely be budgeted at US $30 million over three years. The current draft framework contains a three-pillar structure of: Illicit Trafficking and Organized Crime; Criminal Justice Reform; and Health and Human Development. To this end, UNODC has already conducted three assessments: prison reform, crime-facilitating migration between Afghanistan and Pakistan (which focuses on organized crime's facilitation of irregular migration, kidnapping, human trafficking and illicit trade),and border management between China and Pakistan (which focuses on how to plan for the potential illicit trafficking risks that will come with a more open Pakistan-China border). In addition, UNODC plans to conduct a future assessment of public health threats posed by drugs. UNODC hopes to transform these assessments into concrete pieces of the three-pillar structure, but noted that it is the Pakistanis who must finalize the program in order to gain the necessary political support. The UNODC program will also incorporate ongoing counter-terrorism and border security projects, along with work on prison reform and drug treatment programs. Simultaneously, the GOP intends to roll out its vision for UNODC's Pakistan office during the March 2010 CND. Shaw indicated his belief that, given the marked improvement in cooperation with Pakistani authorities, the UNODC integrated country program should be able to complement the Pakistani vision. -------------- --- TPB in Pakistan: Good News but Needs Resources -------------- --- ¶6. With UNODC's push to better integrate all thematic elements into country programs, the TPB project to strengthen the legal regime against terrorism in Pakistan is slated to be folded into the new country program. This project focuses on strengthening the capacity of Pakistan to fight terrorism through the development and implementation of a comprehensive Pakistani counter terrorism legal framework and includes capacity building assistance for the criminal justice system. To date, the TPB has conducted two study tours for Pakistani criminal justice officials, an expert workshop on the ratification and implementation of the universal counter terrorism instruments, and, most recently, Pakistani criminal justice officials participated in the new TPB online training course. The TPB has also provided assistance to Pakistani officials through Organization of The Islamic Conference (OIC) regional workshops. In conjunction with UNODC's overall revitalization of its presence in Pakistan, the TPB now has a national consultant in country to work with the GOP to identify priority needs and pinpoint further activities. The two-year budget (2010-2012) for TPB activities in Pakistan is around US $2million, with nearly all outstanding. Without an injection of funding, it is unlikely the TPB can intensively implement its Pakistan program. Although the European Union recently agreed to provide counter terrorism capacity building assistance for Pakistan (approximately US $20 million),that will be implemented via European assistance agencies. However, EU officials are looking closely at ways to assist the TPB. -------------- An Eventual "Umbrella Program" To Encompass Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan? -------------- ¶7. Shaw and Rehman also spoke of the eventual need for a larger, "umbrella UNODC program" that would cover Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. While noting possible Pakistani resistance to being "subsumed" into a larger framework, Shaw and Rehman echoed U.S. priorities by saying that the problems afflicting the region need to be dealt with regionally, and that UNODC initiatives like Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center (CARICC),the Triangular Initiative, The Rainbow Strategy and Paris Pact-while all valuable in their own right-need to be once and for all articulated as a single and truly regional UNODC program. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶8. UNODC has laid considerable groundwork for the creation of a strategic country program that is aimed at effectively integrating UNODC's various mandates into a single unified vision for Pakistan. UNODC could become a serious international partner for the U.S. in Pakistan, but that will ultimately depend on UNODC being able to follow through on these recent positive developments. Specifically, Douglas and his team will need to prove to donors that they can be an effective interface between donors and the GOP, while at the same time demonstrating to the Pakistanis (and donors) that UNODC can actually deliver tangible and sustainable technical assistance. ¶9. To date, the U.S. has only provided modest in-kind technical assistance to UNODC's container program in Pakistan, but we hope further U.S. funding for this program will be imminent. We will continue to send Washington the current individual elements of UNODC's program in Pakistan in order for Washington to consider increased involvement with UNODC's Pakistan programs. We continue to encourage Washington to consider, at least on an interim basis util the integrated country program is issued, U.S.funding for the TPB legislative counter-terroris program and further support for the container cntrol program, both of which have already proven heir value-added. End Comment. DAVIES