US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN1097

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 001097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, ECIN, UNGA 
SUBJECT: GOI VIEWS ON HLE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES 
 
REF: A. STATE 160880 
 
     B. STATE 162146 
     C. STATE 162169 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan S. Benton; Reasons 1.4 
(B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Ireland shares a number of USG concerns 
about the development chapter of the UN High-Level Event 
(HLE) outcome document, but advocates flexibility to reach 
agreement on the document's interlocking elements, GOI 
officials told DCM on September 2.  The Office of the 
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) said that the GOI would prefer a 
shorter development chapter with stronger references to the 
Monterrey Consensus and without commitments on global 
development taxes and an International Financing Facility. 
Ireland, however, was prepared to announce targets/timetables 
for official development assistance (ODA) that were scaled to 
national GDP.  Foreign Affairs officials highlighted the 
outcome document's cross-cutting links on development, 
security, and human rights, and they cautioned that 
"line-by-line" negotiations would play into the hands of 
those who opposed strengthening the UN through reform. 
Foreign Affairs officials also sought USG support for UNSYG 
Annan's proposal to have the Peacebuilding Commission report 
principally to the UN Security Council, with ECOSOC's 
follow-up involvement in the development issues underpinning 
conflict situations.  End summary. 
 
The Taoiseach's Office: Mostly Sympathetic to U.S. Views 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
2.  (C) Ireland is largely sympathetic to U.S. positions 
regarding development issues at the UN High-Level Event 
(HLE), Michael Collins, Secretary General in the Office of 
the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), and Tom Haney, Principal 
Officer for Europe and Development in the same office, told 
DCM during a September 2 discussion on reftels' demarche 
points.  Haney said that the GOI, like the USG, would prefer 
a shorter, more politically focused chapter on development in 
the HLE outcome document, as compared to the longer, 
jargon-filled current version.  He observed that Ireland also 
favored the U.S. preference for clearer references in the 
draft to the Monterrey Consensus, the role of the private 
sector, and the responsibilities of aid recipients. 
Similarly, the GOI shared USG concerns about proposals for an 
International Financing Facility (IFF) and for global 
development taxes.  Haney said that, unlike the United 
States, however, Ireland was comfortable with specific 
targets/timetables for official development assistance (ODA), 
with front-loading ODA, and with references to the Millennium 
Development Goals in the HLE outcome document.  He added that 
the GOI regretted increased wrangling over the document, 
particularly at a moment that UNSYG Annan had described as a 
crossroads for the UN. 
 
3.  (C) For the Irish public, HLE development issues boiled 
down to tangible commitments on the amount of, and timetable 
for, GOI contributions to ODA, commented Collins.  He noted 
that the GOI would announce these commitments most likely the 
week of September 5, but certainly before Taoiseach Bertie 
Ahern's HLE speech on September 14.  He added that Ahern 
would focus his speech on the centrality of HIV funding to 
Ireland's ODA commitments.  Collins commented that Ireland's 
aim to fund ODA at a percentage target level of GDP was 
increasingly a challenge, given continued robust economic 
growth.  (In 2000, Prime Minister Ahern committed Ireland to 
reach 0.7 percent of GDP for ODA by 2007; Irish ODA is 
currently 0.4 percent of GDP.)  Collins pointed out that 
Ireland "was in good shape" to reach 0.5 percent of GDP for 
ODA by 2007, which, with current prices, would require a 
total allocation of euro 700 million.  To reach the 0.7 
percent level would currently entail an ODA allocation 
topping euro 1 billion. 
 
Foreign Affairs Officials: The Need for a Political Deal 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
4.  (C) The GOI shares several USG concerns about the 
development chapter of the HLE outcome document, but 
advocates flexibility by all sides to reach agreement on the 
document's interlocking elements, said Rory Montgomery, 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Political Director, and 
John Deady, DFA Counsellor for UN Affairs, in September 2 
follow-up discussions with the DCM on reftels' points. 
According to Montgomery, Ireland agrees with U.S. views that 
the development chapter is too long and should highlight the 
role of the private sector and good governance.  Deady, 
however, noted cross-cutting ties among the development, 
security, and human rights sections of the outcome document 
and cited the need to strike a political deal that would 
"include all elements important to everyone."  He observed 
that a "close, line-by-line negotiation" would yield a 
document with "a low level of ambition" -- an approach that 
would comfort parties that did not want to make the UN a more 
effective body.  Deady added that Ireland had a special 
interest in a successful HLE, having drafted the EU's input 
to the UN High Level Panel Report during its EU presidency in 
2004.  In response, DCM made clear that an outcome document 
worded imprecisely to maximize the number of signatories 
would not help to strengthen the UN. 
 
5.  (C) Deady explained that the GOI attached special 
interest to the Peacebuilding Commission, since Ireland was 
one of the first countries to propose such a body in a 
February 2004 report preceding its input to the High Level 
Panel Report.  He noted that Ireland originally envisioned 
the Commission as a subcommittee of the UN Security Council, 
similar to the current U.S. view.  Other EU Member States, 
however, had advocated a significant role for ECOSOC in the 
Commission, a position that Ireland initially resisted. 
Deady said that the GOI now favored UNSYG's Annan 
recommendation that, in the initial phase of conflict 
situations, the Commission report first to the UNSC, which 
would over time refer the matter to ECOSOC.  This approach 
reflected the "natural continuum" between the urgency of a 
conflict and the developmental issues underpinning a 
conflict.  Deady requested that the USG add its support to 
Annan's proposal, which involved ECOSOC to the degree 
necessary to win widespread support for the Commission. 
KENNY