US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1413

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO, IO/T, INL/C/CJ(BROWNE) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2014 
TAGS: PREL, SNAR, AORC, CE 
SUBJECT: COLOMBO PLAN: MISSION QUESTIONS ON PROPOSED 
ALTERNATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 180466 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires James F. Entwistle.  Reasons 1.4(b,d) 
. 
 
1.  (C) Mission has received reftel proposed constitutional 
amendment for the Colombo Plan and requests the Department to 
clarify language in the proposal: 
 
-- The organization's Consultative Committee, which meets 
biennially, is the highest decision making body.  In the 
approximately 24 months between meetings, decision making 
passes to the Council, which meets regularly in Colombo. 
Should the question arise or require clarification from 
member states, does the Department include both the 
Consultative Committee and the Council when defining a member 
state's loss of decision-making right? 
 
-- The Colombo Plan fiscal year runs from July 1 - June 30. 
The Colombo Plan Secretariat considers a country in arrears 
if twelve months have elapsed since the annual assessment 
request, i.e., July of the preceding calendar year.  Does the 
Department's proposed amendment intend for calendar year or 
fiscal year to be the reference time frame? 
 
-- Consistently throughout previously developed versions of a 
proposed amendment on arrears, the majority of member 
countries felt that four years of arrears was the benchmark 
for initiating sanctions on member states for non-payment. 
What are the arguments to support a two-year benchmark? 
Mission anticipates that this subject will arise during 
discussions within the Working Group. 
 
-- The proposal allows for a member state's reinstatement of 
decision-making rights upon agreement of an approved 
amortization plan.  Does the Department envision the Council 
as the approving body for such an amortization plan or may 
the Council convey authority to the Secretary-General to sign 
on the organization's behalf? 
 
2.  (SBU) The Colombo Plan President customarily chairs 
working groups in the organization.  At the August 4 Colombo 
Plan Council meeting, the presidency passed to Maldives. 
With recent events in Maldives, the High Commissioner has 
been otherwise engaged and her availability and schedule for 
a working group have not yet been determined. 
 
ENTWISTLE