US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO301

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO/T, INL/C/CJ 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  02-24-14 
TAGS: SNAR, AORC, PREL, CE, IR 
SUBJECT:  Colombo Plan Update: Meeting in Tehran, Future 
of proposed amendment; Drug program director's tenure 
 
Refs:  (A) State 11950; (B) State 11719 
 
-      (C) 03 Colombo 2016; (D) 03 Colombo 1991 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) In this message, Mission provides an update to 
ongoing Colombo Plan issues: 
 
-- The 39th Consultative Committee, now scheduled for 
May 2004 in Tehran, Iran; 
 
-- An Eminent Persons Group to review and recommend on 
Colombo Plan activities, prior to the May 2004 meeting; 
 
-- Next steps for the proposed amendment to the Colombo 
Plan constitution; 
 
-- Search for next Drug Advisory Program Director. 
 
2. (SBU) CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING:  Following 
final agreement by the Iranian government, the biennial 
Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM) that was initially 
to have been held in April 2003, has now been 
rescheduled for May 10-11, 2004.  (The Colombo Plan 
Council postponed the April 2003 meeting due to the Iraq 
conflict.)  The Iranian government, as originally 
planned, will host the meeting in Tehran.  As has been 
previously instructed by the Department and communicated 
to the Colombo Plan, the United States will not 
participate in this 39th CCM.  The USG did participate, 
however, in a November 2003 Special Session in Colombo 
held by the Colombo Plan Council to address many of the 
issues on the April 2003 CCM agenda (see Ref D). 
 
3.  (C) EMINENT PERSONS GROUP:  In preparation for the 
upcoming May 2004 CCM, the Council agreed to support an 
Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to appraise the 
organization's efforts over the past ten years and 
provide strategic recommendations for the future.  The 
Secretary-General suggested the formation and tasking of 
 
SIPDIS 
such a group so that there would be a topic of 
discussion at the CCM, in light of the fact that much of 
the intended business for the meeting had already been 
addressed during the November 2003 Special Session. 
According to Yasmin Raheem, the executive assistant to 
the Secretary-General, the EPG will include individuals 
from Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, 
Thailand, and a secretary from New Zealand.  The members 
are expected to participate as independent experts, 
however, and not as representatives of their respective 
countries.  At present, the group is scheduled to meet 
in Colombo March 15-19, with plans for the EPG secretary 
to present its review and recommendations at the April 7 
Colombo Plan Council meeting.  Member states will then 
have an opportunity to discuss the group's findings at 
the CCM in Tehran. 
 
4.  (C) PROPOSED AMENDMENT FOR STATES IN ARREARS:  At 
the last Colombo Plan Council meeting on January 20, per 
Ref A, the United States formally communicated its 
inability to support a proposed amendment to the Colombo 
Plan constitution that would deny training opportunities 
to member states that were more than four years in 
arrears.  (According to the proposed amendment, access 
to training would immediately resume upon partial 
payment of any arrears.)  In a council where votes are 
by consensus and with the United States the sole 
dissenter on the issue, other member states asked the 
Colombo Plan Secretary-General and President about the 
next steps to take in addressing the need to require 
that member states pay their annual dues (14,500 USD). 
The Colombo Plan President responded that he would write 
a letter to the United States government, through the 
U.S. Ambassador in Colombo, explaining the 
organization's history and decision-making on the 
subject (see Ref C for more background).  In a 
February 24 conversation with poloff, Raheem said the 
letter was being drafted and thought it could be 
delivered to Ambassador Lunstead next week. 
 
5.  (C) DIRECTOR OF THE DRUG ADVISORY PROGRAM:  Per Ref 
B, Mission has conveyed to the Colombo Plan that the USG 
supports an extension for the current director of the 
Drug Advisory Program (DAP).  While the Council has not 
yet officially considered an extension to the tenure of 
the DAP director, the Secretary-General has communicated 
to poloff his approval of such an extension.  (The 
current DAP director's tenure expires in June 2004 and 
the Secretary-General favors a six-month extension, 
through December 2004.)  An extension is likely because, 
to date, a suitable replacement has not been found.  On 
February 17, the Colombo Plan extended the application 
deadline, by two months, to April 30, 2004.  At the same 
time, the DAP Director told poloff recently that only 
one application, from an Iranian national (NFI), had 
been received. 
6.  (U) Minimize considered. 
LUNSTEAD