US embassy cable - 04ROME1964

UNCLAS  ROME 001964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
L/PIL FOR HAL BURMAN 
IO/S FOR LISA JACOBSON AND IO/EDA FOR SHARON KOTOK 
DRL FOR ROBERT JACKSON 
NEA/RA 
USAID FOR AA/ANE KUNDER, AA/DCHA WINTER, D/OTI TAYLOR 
DAA/DCHA ROGERS, DCHA/GG/ROL GARZON AND GC/GARDNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: AORC, EAID, KJUS, KISL, UN 
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION: 
POTENTIAL ROLE IN ISLAMIC JUDICIAL REFORM 
 
1. Summary: Post would like to bring to Department's 
attention the International Development Law Organization 
(IDLO), a Rome-based intergovernmental organization 
founded twenty years ago by former USAID employees. 
Through training and technical assistance to the judicial 
sector of developing nations, the organization promotes 
the rule of law and good governance and has particular 
expertise in Islamic jurisprudence.  Long on the radar 
and funding screen of USAID, we believe the organization 
offers much potential for assistance of USG efforts to 
bring modern judicial practices to high priority U.S. 
efforts such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.  End 
summary. 
 
2. The International Development Law Organization is an 
intergovernmental organization comprised of 17 member 
states and of which the United States is a founding 
member.  IDLO provides legal training and technical 
assistance to developing countries.  Begun 20 years ago 
by former USAID employees and funded entirely through 
voluntary contributions, IDLO through its varied programs 
focuses on the promotion of the rule of law and good 
governance.  Importantly, it possesses particular 
expertise in Islamic legal traditions.  Its International 
Advisory Council includes Dr. Abdel Latif Al Hamad, 
chairman and CEO of the Arab Fund and founder of the 
Kuwait Development Fund. 
 
3. When the Organization was established in 1983, the 
development community had not really focused on the 
critical role of law in the development process.  Now the 
rule of law and good governance has become central to the 
international development agenda.  The IDLO mandate 
provides for close cooperation with other international 
organizations, especially those in the United Nations 
system (leading most recently to a partnership agreement 
with the UNDP).  The mandate also provides the basis for 
IDLO to target its work in pursuance of the UN Millennium 
Development Goals. 
 
4. Effective, sustainable development cannot take place 
without improvements to maintain the legal and judicial 
systems of developing nations.  This has proved a 
difficult task for development and USAID organizations, 
particularly in Islamic countries.  That is where IDLO 
comes in.  In Afghanstan, for instance, the key to IDLO's 
success there is the acceptability of legal experts from 
moderate Muslim countries like Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt 
to help the Afghans see how Islam and international 
standards can co-exist.  Also critical is the comfort 
that IDLO can engender by showing a funding base that 
includes the Kuwait Fund, Arab and OPEC Funds. 
 
5. Embassy Muscat is sponsoring an IDLO Rule of Law 
Project in Oman that takes advantage of this unique 
combination.  If successful, IDLO could provide similar 
assistance in Iraq and other countries in the region. 
Further, IDLO's Director-General, William T. Loris, an 
AmCit and former USAID lawyer, has described to post 
their plans to establish a regional office in Cairo to 
spearhead and expand its work in the Arabic language 
throughout the region. 
 
6. USAID's Rule of Law division has maintained an ongoing 
PIO grant with IDLO since 1997.  USAID missions (and 
Embassies) around the world have obligated $6.7 million 
to IDLO since that time and the grant is active through 
FY 2007.  Often, USAID uses IDLO to work in non-presence 
countries such as Oman, Mongolia, Lesotho and Swaziland. 
USAID decided not to fund IDLO in Afghanistan, while the 
Italian government (responsible for rebuilding the Afghan 
judicial sector) gave IDLO $1.2 million for its 
Afghanistan project.  Thus far, IDLO has been 
unsuccessful in securing voluntary contributions for its 
core funding from State's foreign operations account, 
managed in IO/S. 
 
 
7. Considering the long-term stakes of our current near 
east initiatives, the resources we have spent and 
expertise IDLO brings to the table, the organization 
deserves the attention of the Department in our ongoing 
efforts to promote rule of law and good governance.  It 
is certainly a worthy candidate for voluntary 
contributions through the foreign ops account (perhaps 
beginning through a request from L, IO/EDA or DRL). 
 
8. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
CLEVERLEY 
 
 
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 2004ROME01964 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED