US embassy cable - 05GENEVA1380

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001380 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, PRM 
USEU FOR MEZNAR, USUN FOR MALY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2010 
TAGS: PREF, UNHCR 
SUBJECT: UNHCR: NEW COMMISSIONER OFF TO A STRONG START, 
FOCUSED ON BURUNDI 
 
Classified By: DCM Lynn Cassel for reasons 1.4 B AND D 
 
(C) Summary:  Incoming High Commissioner Antonio Guterres is 
having a strong impact on the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), even though he does not 
officially start until June 15.  On June 2, Guterres held an 
"all staff" meeting in Geneva and sent a letter to 
field-based staff.  In both communications, he stressed his 
intention to focus on UNHCR's core mandate and expressed his 
respect for the challenges faced by field staff.  Although 
some voiced concern about "another politician" following the 
painful term of former HC Ruud Lubbers, UNHCR staff members 
said they were generally impressed by Guterres' energy, 
eloquence, and focus on the mandate.  Guterres' specific 
praise for Assistant High Commissioner Kamel Morjane (widely 
considered his chief competitor for the HC position) was 
greatly appreciated, as was his ability to switch back and 
forth from English to French.  On June 3, Guterres took 
decisions on some critical -- and long-pending -- 
administrative issues, then focused his attention on the 
situation in Burundi/Rwanda.  Guterres ordered staff to take 
four specific actions related to Burundi/Rwanda (described 
below.) On Guterres' instructions, acting High Commissioner 
Wendy Chamberlin spoke with Ambassador Moley seeking U.S. 
diplomatic interventions with the Governments of Burundi and 
Rwanda.  Chamberlin repeated this same plea to the UK 
Ambassador, while Guterres reportedly spoke directly with PRM 
A/S Dewey and EC Commissioner Louis Michel.  According to 
UNHCR staff, Guterres and Michel had three conversations over 
the weekend, interspersed by Michel's calls to the Presidents 
of Burundi and Rwanda.  As of June 6, Guterres has not yet 
taken a decision on whether to travel to Burundi/Rwanda June 
20.  End Summary. 
 
RWANDA/BURUNDI 
-- ----- ----- 
 
2. (C)  Guterres is thinking about traveling to 
Rwanda/Burundi during his first full week on the job, which 
coincides with World Refugee Day (June 20).  Some senior 
UNHCR officials believe the promise of this visit could 
motivate the Governments of Burundi and Rwanda to take 
necessary steps to cease refoulement and provide better 
protection and assistance to the refugees.  Guterres 
instructed UNHCR to take the following steps: 
 
- acting HC Wendy Chamberlin to contact Ambassador Moley and 
his UK counterpart officially seeking our diplomatic 
interventions with the two governments; 
 
- acting HC Chamberlin to consult with UN High Commissioner 
for Human Rights Louise Arbour to ensure collaboration of 
efforts; 
 
- UNHCR to deploy an emergency team to conduct Refugee Status 
Determinations (RSDs) and to register the refugee population. 
 This team is to include officers with a special focus on 
women and children; 
 
- UNHCR to make it clear to both sides that UNHCR wants to 
help find a solution but that this help is conditioned on no 
interference in its registration effort and on a cessation of 
pressure for the refugees to return immediately to Rwanda. 
The "carrot" to be offered along with this firm message is 
that new HC Guterres will travel to the region on his first 
trip and will highlight positive steps, if they are taken, by 
both sides.  In describing Guterres' thinking, acting HC 
Chamberlin stressed that Guterres has not yet decided to go 
and will only do so if it can be part of a solution. 
Guterres is likely to travel to Addis Ababa to consult with 
the Africa Union, if he cannot travel to Rwanda for World 
Refugee Day. 
 
3. (C)  In a separate conversation, the UNHCR Officer for 
Rwanda and Burundi told Mission Officer that, per field 
reports, the Rwandans are now trying to reduce the profile of 
the issue. The UNHCR officer commented that the Rwandans seem 
to want a Guterres visit, but not with refoulement at the top 
of his agenda.  They seem to be trying to defuse the 
situation.  The GOR reportedly has agreed to UNHCR 
participation in their next consultations with the GOB on the 
issue. 
 
Other Administrative Decisions 
------------------------------ 
4.  (SBU)  In his first days in Geneva, Guterres reportedly 
also decided: 
 
-- to accept donors' (including the U.S.'s) desire to 
increase the perceived independence of the Inspector-General 
by amending the I-G's terms of reference to include notation 
that the High Commissioner would not dismiss an I-G without 
prior consultation with the Executive Committee (ExCom). 
 
-- to continue to pursue a new position of Assistant High 
Commissioner for Protection. 
 
-- to move forward with the creation of a Results Based 
Management office, under the Deputy High Commissioner, and to 
look at the structure of budget and planning functions. 
 
5. (C)  Comment:  Guterres seems to have gotten off to a 
strong start with his senior Management Team.  Chamberlin 
speaks highly of him, while Assistant High Commissioner 
Morjane -- who was also in the running for the HC job -- 
reportedly greatly appreciated positive remarks during the 
all staff meeting.  Morjane seems to be re-thinking his 
desire to leave immediately, although he is still pursuing 
other possibilities within the UN or with the Tunisian 
government.  Lower-level UNHCR staff with whom Mission 
officers spoke also were extremely positive about their first 
impressions of Guterres.  Guterres has scheduled a courtesy 
call with Ambassador Moley June 14.  His June plans also 
include a week of June 27 trip to New York and Washington. 
In New York, he plans to meet the Secretary-General (SYG), 
Deputy SYG Frechette, Relief Coordinator Egeland, other UN 
agency heads, and key NY-based NGOs. In Washington, he hopes 
to meet the Secretary and A/S Dewey as well as 
Washington-based NGOs. 
Moley