US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1792

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001792 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
IO FOR LAGON, IO/UNP - WEINBERG; DRL FOR KOZAK; USUN FOR 
SIV, TAMLYN, SPIRNAK, KENNEDY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, PHUM, AORC, NL, UNGA, UN 
SUBJECT: UNGA 59: SHUNNING SOUNDBITES, EU TARGETS PRACTICAL 
PRIORITIES 
 
REF: TRAUB FAX TO USUN AND IO/UNP OF 7/16/04 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY: The EU's priorities paper for the UN (ref a) contains 
practical ideas to fix the UN system.  Written in UN jargon, it is not 
intending to appeal to the general public, Karel van Kesteren, Director 
UN affairs at the MFA, told Poloff on July 14.  Five of the seven point 
(faxed to IO/UNP and USUN on July 16) cover UN reform:  prep for the "2 
Major Plenary"; "UNGA Revitalization"; "Triennial Comprehensive Policy 
Review of UN Development Activities"; "Capital Master Plan"; and, Refor 
of the Budgetary Process."  Of the other two, Disarmament and 
Non-proliferation" is focuses on practical steps to enhance security. 
Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Van Kesteren said the EU discarded their traditional catchall 
paper this year since in the past it had always turned out to be an 
over-long product of consensus drafting.  The goals for this year's pap 
were succinctness and focus, following the U.S. and Chinese models, he 
said.  He compared the EU's effort to list practical actions to the USG 
promotion of legitimate, albeit more political, goals with catchy title 
(ref b discusses his reaction to our UNGA priorities paper). 
 
EU PRIORITIES 
 
3.  (SBU) 2005 Major Event - Staging a "Quantum Leap" 
 
The UN needs to make a "quantum leap" to remain viable and relevant, va 
Kesteren asserted.  The EU wants to lead efforts this year to prepare f 
next year's high level plenary to review the SYG's reform paper.  Centr 
to EU plans for UNGA 59 is a review of the progress made toward the 
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 
 
4.  (SBU) General Assembly Revitalization: "Cut all the junk" and Engag 
Ministers in Developing World Capitals 
 
Van Kesteren used colorful language to describe the UN agenda and the E 
determination to purge "relics from the '60's" with "no relevance today 
even in the most strident of developing countries."  Next year's plenar 
creates a good opening. 
 
5.  (SBU) Van Kesteren insisted that interested developed countries and 
groups must work harder in the capitals of developing countries, at the 
highest level, to bring about successful UNGA reform.  He named Egypt, 
Nigeria, India, and Pakistan as countries in which appreciation for mod 
economic and governance policies by governments at home had not transla 
into more productive positions in New York.  The various reasons -- 
communications, coordination, focus, incentive --  should be 
surmountable.  He said the USG would have to help with the effort since 
"have the diplomatic resources in the field" compared to the EU, which 
still depends on individual member states. 
 
6. (SBU) Disarmament and non-proliferation 
 
The EU aims to make the work of the First Committee more relevant.  The 
will also look for opportunities to promote resolutions on WMD, althoug 
van Kesteren did not suggest the EU had a draft ready to share on any 
particular subject. 
 
7.  (SBU) Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of UN Development 
Activities and Operations 
 
Van Kesteren pointed to this mouthful as "proof the EU is not trying to 
catch the eye" of the man or woman on the street with its paper.  The g 
of this item is to advance coordination, simplification and harmonizati 
of the arcane range of UN development activities both in headquarters a 
especially in the field, to make donors' monies go further. 
 
8.  (SBU) Capital Master Plan - Special Terms through a Repayment Facil 
 
The EU still hopes the USG will sweeten the financing of the CMP, 
acknowledging that the interest-free loan idea had foundered on legitim 
USG budgetary rules.  Van Kesteren pitched an idea he said he had alrea 
shared with USUN, involving setting up a special repayment facility for 
the CMP loan. 
 
9.  (SBU) Member States would pay into the fund of the repayment facili 
according to the old UN scale of assessment without taking any special 
adjustments.  Under this scheme, he figured the USG would pay about 31 
percent, not too high considering the special responsibilities of the h 
country.  He suggested the economic benefit of building in New York wou 
offset this higher amount.  He asked for the USG reaction to this idea. 
 
10.  (SBU) Reform of the Budgetary Process 
 
The EU seeks to "build on Resolution 58/271, which aims to equip the UN 
better to meet the MDGs."  A special focus would be on staff recruitmen 
and deployment of posts. 
 
11.  (SBU) Security and Safety of the UN 
 
The UN has learned that it is "not above the law of the jungle" as far 
terrorism is concerned.  Citing the attacks in Iraq, Van Kesteren said 
is imperative that the UN Member States provide the means and foster th 
will inside the UN to protect UN personnel, both at Headquarters and in 
the field. 
 
COMMENT 
 
12.  (SBU) The EU's short list of UNGA goals represents the nexus of EU 
consensus and realism as to what the Members believe they can reasonabl 
achieve at UNGA 59.  This represents the start of a two year process 
culminating in the UNGA 60 plenary dedicated to reform.  The EU's new 
mantra, "Effective Multilateralism," is missing here, perhaps because t 
drafters to wanted to avoid "sound bite drafting." It may still represe 
the unspoken aim of their chosen tasks for UNGA 59, even if their 
immediate concerns appear fairly down in the weeds. 
RUSSEL