US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3808

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003808 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECIN, PREL, UNGA, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE:  DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AT UN HLE 
 
REF: STATE 160880 
 
1.  In September 4 call on Abdullah Rashid Al Noaimi, U/S for 
Foreign Affairs, Ambassador enumerated several concerns about 
the outcome paper on development issues which will be 
discussed at the upcoming UN high level event (HLE), and left 
reftel non-paper detailing these concerns.  Ambassador noted 
that the HLE is an important opportunity to make progress 
towards the goals of the Monterrey Consensus, but that the 
current outcome document draft crosses important redlines 
that would prevent USG from supporting it.  Ambassador 
observed that the US finds a lack of balance in the document 
and does not support arbitrary percentage targets.  Al Noaimi 
said he also had concerns regarding development practices and 
priorities at the UN. 
 
2.  Ambassador explained to Al Noaimi that USG views 
development as a long-term process, that the HLE outcome 
document should not fall prey to promises of quick fixes, and 
that the document should emphasize good governance, private 
sector assistance and openness to trade as key factors to 
development.  U/S agreed that trade is an important part of 
development and added that cash alone will not solve 
problems.  Citing the example of Palestine, Al Noaimi stated 
that UAEG at one time provided cash to the Palestinians, but 
noticing a lack of "trickle down," now prefers to assist 
through specific development projects such as the 100 million 
dollar Sheikh Khalifa residential city complex project. 
 
3.  U/S Noaimi reported that he had recently met with 
representatives from UNDP and noted to them that he had 
noticed that too large a percentage of donations went to 
overhead instead of towards actual development projects.  He 
suggested to them, and re-iterated to Ambassador, that 
people-to-people programs that link individual donors and 
specific development projects could be a significant vehicle 
for development. 
 
4.  Ambassador emphasized that the discussions in NY should 
not devolve into an argument assigning arbitrary targets, but 
should outline a set of policies that will generate and 
sustain growth over the long-term.  Al Naoimi nodded in 
agreement, repeating that openness to trade is a critical 
factor for sustainable development in the UAEG's view. 
Embassy has also provided the non-paper to U/S Economy and 
Commerce Abdullah Saleh. 
SISON