US embassy cable - 05ROME2296

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IT, UNSC 
SUBJECT: G-4 UNSC RESOLUTION: ITALY AGREES ON IMPORTANCE OF 
DELAY, WILL CIRCULATE UFC ALTERNATIVE RESOLUTION TODAY 
 
REF: STATE 126870 
 
Classified By: DCM Emil Skodon, for reasons 1.4 (B)(D). 
 
1. (C)  DCM delivered reftel points to Giacomo Sanfelice de 
Monteforte, MFA Deputy Director General for Multilateral 
Affairs (DG Giulio Terzi is still at the G-8 Summit in 
Gleneagles) and Alessandro Busacca, Director of the MFA UN 
Office, emphasizing Secretary Rice's view that we consider it 
important to first address other UN reforms before tackling 
the Security Council issue.  In our view, the G-4 resolution 
is unhelpfully divisive and would lead ultimately to a UN 
Charter amendment that may not be approved by the U.S. 
Senate.  Our goal is to delay a vote on the resolution and 
first address the criteria for new UNSC membership.  This 
position does not reflect our support or opposition for 
membership of any particular state. 
 
2.  (C)  Sanfelice de Monteforte responded that Italy very 
much shares this position. He reiterated Italy's view that 
the G-4 resolution is not based on a sufficient consensus and 
will divide member states and regions.  However, Italy is 
working on the assumption there will be a vote.  UFC 
countries are reviewing a series of tactical actions to 
prevent or roll back support, especially among the African 
states. 
 
3.  (C)  Responding to G-4 claims that there is no 
alternative, Italy and the Uniting for Consensus (UFC) 
countries are about to circulate a draft resolution in New 
York; the text is embargoed until 1100 New York time July 8. 
Although the text was still being discussed, Sanfelice de 
Monteforte expected it would be the same as the UFC text 
distributed on May 27 (a proposal for 25 UNSC members, 
including 5 permanent members and 20 non-permanent members 
elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly based on 
their support for UN goals and operations and with an 
equitable geographic distribution).  Italy had considered a 
three-year mandate for these non-permanent members but has 
now agreed to two-year terms. 
 
4.  (C)  Italy was pleased that the G-4 resolution had 
attracted only 27 sponsors to date, far less than the G-4 had 
hoped.  Sanfelice de Monteforte noted that the key was to 
convince the African states, who often voted in a 53 member 
bloc, not to meld the African Union draft approved at the 
Libya summit with the G-4 draft.  The key difference was that 
the AU draft continued to insist on veto power for the new 
non-permanent members. 
 
5.  (C)  Sanfelice de Monteforte noted that Italy was 
surprised and disappointed that Afghanistan had sponsored the 
resolution and asked that the U.S. press hard to convince 
Kabul to withdraw its support.  This would send an important 
signal to states who have not yet made commitments.  Also, 
Italy would appreciate the U.S. approaching its allies in the 
Caribbean, Africa (especially 'gray' states of Kenya, Eritrea 
and Ethiopia) and the Middle East (Maghreb states concerned 
about the balance of power in Africa) to oppose the G-4 
resolution. 
 
 
SEMBLER 
 
 
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 2005ROME02296 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL