US embassy cable - 05AMMAN646

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAL, PREF, PGOV, PREL, JO 
SUBJECT: RESULTS OF UNRWA ADCOM MEETING ON PA ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. STATE 12183 
 
     B. AMMAN 471 
 
1. (SBU)  SUMMARY: UNRWA rejected the PLO's request that it 
allow locally-recruited UNRWA staff in Gaza and the West 
Bank to simultaneously hold municipal council seats after 
consulting its UNGA-mandated Advisory Commission (AdCom) in 
Amman January 24.  In an unexpected move, the PLO 
delegation questioned the impending change in UNRWA 
leadership, proposing that the AdCom protest the SYG's 
"failure to consult host nations" in denying ComGen Peter 
Hansen a fourth term.  The U.S. and Jordan fended off this 
request -- with surprising support from members that had 
lobbied for Hansen's extension this fall.  Jordan, as AdCom 
Chair, used the meeting to renew its campaign to return the 
Advisory Commission to the policy formulating body it used 
to be in the 1950-1980s, signaling that it would ask the 
upcoming semi-annual Major Donors Meeting to define the 
AdCom's mandate.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNRWA REJECTS CALL TO ALLOW STAFF TO HOLD ELECTED OFFICE 
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2. (SBU)  UNRWA's UNGA-mandated Advisory Commission 
(Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, 
Turkey, U.K., U.S. and the PLO, as observer) met in a rare 
extraordinary session at the UN Agency's Amman Headquarters 
January 24.  All Commission members, with the exception of 
the UK, were in attendance.  The U.S. delegation was led by 
Embassy Amman A/DCM Christopher Henzel, and included 
Amman-based Refcoord Kaneshiro.  Acknowledging that this 
was the first time "in decades" that UNRWA's AdCom had been 
convened to discuss a governance issue, ComGen Peter Hansen 
explained that the recent intervention by the PLO Minister 
of Interior and Refugee Affairs Department Head  -- asking 
UNRWA to allow its locally-recruited staff in the West Bank 
and Gaza to simultaneously hold positions on PA municipal 
councils -- had, in his view, raised "difficult questions" 
about UNRWA's long-standing effort to enforce "clear UN 
neutrality rules."  Hansen acknowledged the PLO's argument 
that there are "special" circumstances regarding UNRWA 
staff, as well as the elections that are underway, 
highlighting the following points: 
 
-- The PLO argues the elections are in a territory that is 
not yet a state and are "one-time" nation-building 
exercises designed, at the municipal level, to identify 
skilled technocrats. 
 
--  UNRWA's 12,501 local staff in Gaza and the West Bank 
constitute an unusually high percentage of the population 
(UNRWA's Gaza Field Chief reported that 10-15% of the 
candidates in the January 27 round of municipal elections 
are UNRWA employees.  The West Bank declined to share 
figures, noting that they were "too preliminary" to be 
trusted.) 
 
--  UNRWA local staff are classified by the UN under a 
unique designation that does not entitle them to the 
benefits other locally-recruited UN staff enjoy, including 
hazard pay. 
 
3. (SBU) As anticipated, Hansen refrained from offering an 
UNRWA position, explaining that strong arguments could be 
made both for and against the PLO proposal.  He said he 
preferred to solicit "clear and unambiguous advice" from 
AdCom members before making a decision -- which he promised 
to reach quickly given that elections were already underway 
and that UNRWA had originally hoped Jordan would convene 
the AdCom before the deadline for candidates to withdraw 
from the January 27 round had passed.  (COMMENT: Several 
delegations commended Hansen for his effort to thoroughly 
frame the issues surrounding the PLO proposal, which 
included, in his list of counter-arguments, a frank 
acknowledgment that the speculation he had made about his 
staff's political sympathies in press interviews had placed 
UNRWA's neutrality under particular scrutiny this past 
year.  END COMMENT.) 
 
4. (SBU)  Donor countries (Japan, Belgium, France and the 
U.S.) uniformly opposed the PLO proposal, arguing that the 
principle of UN neutrality could not be modified to assist 
the PA to recruit skilled council members.  France and 
Egypt suggested that UNRWA offer technical assistance to 
the PA councils instead, and also urged UNRWA to refrain 
from firing the 12 or so Gaza staff members running in the 
January 27 round who had refused to tender their 
resignations.  Host nations were split, highlighting 
differences in their political systems.  While Jordan 
opposed the PLO request, arguing that Jordanian law 
governing municipal elections clearly required candidates 
to severe any affiliations they have to governmental or 
other international organizations, Syria argued in favor of 
the PLO proposal, noting that the SARG considered municipal 
councils apolitical technical advisory bodies and that 
UNRWA could fire any staff member holding municipal council 
office who appeared affiliated with a political party. 
Lebanon suggested that UNRWA require its staff to resign 
only if they won council seats, a proposal that was 
essentially negated by Japan which had argued in its 
statement that UNRWA affiliation would provide an unfair 
advantage to candidates. 
 
5. (SBU) Deputy ComGen Karen Abu Zayd confirmed for the 
U.S. delegation immediately following the meeting that 
Hansen had concluded that the members were "clearly in 
support" of UNRWA maintaining its current prohibitions. 
She indicated that UNRWA would also take up the French 
suggestion to offer to provide PA municipal councils with 
technical advice, which she noted was already the case in 
Gaza.  She also said that UNRWA would not penalize those 
Gaza staff members who had refused to tender their 
resignations, which she hoped would placate UNRWA union 
leaders. 
 
 
PLO RAISES ISSUE OF HANSEN'S TENURE 
----------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) In an unexpected move, the head of the PLO 
delegation, Refugee Affairs Department DG Saji Khalil, used 
the extraordinary meeting to question the impending change 
in UNRWA's leadership.  Arguing that the SYG had not 
consulted refugee hosting nations, which opposed changing 
the ComGen at a time when the political landscape is in 
"complete transition," Khalil requested that the AdCom 
deliver a letter to the SYG protesting his decision to deny 
Hansen a fourth term.  Hansen noted that he had not 
solicited the intervention and excused himself from the 
proceedings.  The U.S. and Jordan opposed the proposal with 
backing from Belgium, which effectively ended debate by 
reminding attendeees that it had lobbied for Hansen's 
extension during the fall.  At the suggestion of France, 
the AdCom Chair verbally acknowledged Hansen's service when 
he rejoined the meeting. 
 
 
JORDAN RENEWS ITS CAMPAIGN TO REVITALIZE THE ADCOM 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
7. (SBU)  Hansen left his final AdCom with a mixed message 
on the role stakeholders should play in UNRWA 
policymaking.  While noting that the UNRWA ComGen position 
had "more discretion and leeway" to take policy decisions 
than in any other UN organization, he praised the AdCom as 
a valuable "governance body."  New Jordanian Department of 
Palestinian Affairs DG Azazyeh used the opening to renew 
the GOJ's campaign to revitalize the AdCom under its 
chairmanship, informing members that he would raise the 
issue of defining the AdCom's mandate when UNRWA's key 
stakeholders met in Amman in May at the Agency's informal 
semi-annual Major Donors Meeting. 
HALE