US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI4953

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 004953 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S, U/S BURNS, IO A/S SILVERBERG, USUN AMB BOLTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2010 
TAGS: PREL, UN, AE 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TAHIR-KHELI MEETINGS ON UN REFORM IN UAE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Senior Advisor to the Secretary on UN Reform 
Ambassador Tahir-Kheli visited the UAE December 4-5 for 
separate meetings on proposed UN reforms with Information 
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and with MFA U/S Abdullah 
Rashid Al Noaimi and MFA International Organizations Director 
Yacub Al Hosani.  The UAE indicated support for the USG 
positions on implementing management reform, establishing a 
Human Rights Council, and establishing a Peacebuilding 
Commission.  Tahir-Kheli stressed the urgency and benefit of 
even quiet diplomacy.  The UAE also expressed support for the 
Comprehensive Convention Against International Terrorism 
(CCIT). 
 
2. (U) Summary continued: Ambassador Tahir-Kheli, who was 
accompanied by Ambassador Sison throughout her stay, did a 
live interview on Al Arabiya television in Dubai as well as 
interviews with Arabic and English language local newspapers, 
met with students at the all-women's Zayed University, and 
discussed UN reform over lunch with UAE Ambassador-designate 
to the U.S. Saqr Ghobash and MFA Assistant U/S for Special 
Affairs Abdul Rahman Al Jarman.  Tahir-Kheli's deputy, Jane 
Cowley, and PolChief attended the discussions on UN reform. 
 
Meeting with Information Minister 
--------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met December 5 with UAE 
Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who headed 
the UAE delegation to UNGA.  She underscored the importance 
Secretary Rice attaches to UN reform, and outlined the key 
 
SIPDIS 
USG priorities before UNGA adopts the two-year UN budget on 
December 23: management reform and the establishment of a new 
Human Rights Council.  She said that the USG is focused on UN 
management reform and is seeking immediate action in five key 
areas: strengthening the audit and investigations function of 
the Office of Internal Oversight Services; creating an 
independent Oversight Advisory Committee; establishing an 
independent Ethics Office; reviewing obsolete mandates; and 
expanding and extending the UNSYG's authority to redeploy 
staff and resources.  The USG is trying to push for as many 
of these proposals before the two-week Christmas break, she 
said.  Most UN members want management reforms because they 
want their contributions to be used effectively and 
efficiently, she added.  Tahir-Kheli acknowledged that the 
review of mandates was complex, but the USG would try to act 
on those mandates that are obvious before the 2006-2007 
budget is adopted.  "It's time to stop talking and time to 
start implementing," she said. 
 
4. (C) The establishment of a Human Rights Council is also 
"very high priority" for the USG, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli told 
Sheikh Abdullah.  She said a working group has been 
negotiating all aspects of the new council, including its 
mandate, working methods, and election procedures.  "Let's 
agree to wrap up this issue.  We can get the agreed items 
implemented," she said.  Difficult issues can be tackled 
after, she added.  Tahir-Kheli also briefly mentioned the 
USG,s position on the establishment of a Peacebuilding 
Commission. 
 
5. (C) Sheikh Abdullah responded that the UAE viewed the UN 
as a very important body, and that reforms would relieve 
pressure on the U.S. and the role the West is playing with 
respect to terrorism, stabilizing Iraq, and achieving peace 
between Palestinians and Israelis.  Reforms would add more 
credibility and transparency to the organization, he added. 
 
6. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli again underscored the need for 
urgent action.  If the USG does not obtain some "initial 
results" to show Congress before the UN adopts its two-year 
budget on December 23, Congress has said it "will take away 
50 percent of U.S. funding" for the UN.  "That would mean an 
end to a lot of things,8 she warned.  &We don,t want to 
see that happen.8  Sheikh Abdullah replied, "It depends on 
how fast you want to reform the UN." 
 
7. (C) Sheikh Abdullah asked what the U.S. position was on 
the UN's bureaucracy.  Ambassador Tahir-Kheli replied that it 
was important to "retool" the UN staff and "rationalize" 
their work to respond to the current needs of the 
organization.  Sheikh Abdullah also asked which countries 
were the largest financial contributors to the UN and what 
their positions were on reform.  Tahir-Kheli said "almost 
everybody wants reform" regardless of their level of 
contribution.  What are the "clear disagreements" among 
member states? Sheikh Abdullah inquired.  The issue of 
obsolete mandates, such as the Decolonization Committee and 
the Trusteeship Council, Tahir-Kheli replied.  Any 
programmatic shift would affect jobs, and require 
"rationalization" or work for new, more important issues, 
such as peacekeeping, relief aid, and peacebuilding.  There 
is still a "head in the sand approach" among some UN members 
on this issue, with some insisting that UNGA is "paramount" 
and only UNGA has the prerogative to conduct a review of 
mandates. 
 
8. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli shared with Sheikh Abdullah an 
earlier conversation with Pakistan's President Musharraf, who 
agreed on the need for reform and was proposing reforms for 
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).  She said 
that Musharraf's view was, "If institutions are going to stay 
relevant, they have to reform themselves."  Sheikh Abdullah 
noted that he would be attending the OIC summit in Mecca 
December 7-8. 
 
9. (C) Ambassador Tahir-Kheli requested that the UAE speak 
out on these issues.  "At the UN, silence does not imply 
consent," she said.  The USG wants other countries to be more 
vocal so the issues are not perceived as being U.S. issues 
alone.  "It's a common agenda we want to share," she said. 
Sheikh Abdullah replied by saying that if the UAE can "do 
some convincing of others, we will do our very best," but he 
added that the USG should not expect the UAE to be vocal 
because "we are not known for being outspoken."  Tahir-Kheli 
thanked Sheikh Abdullah for his support, adding that "quiet 
diplomacy works fine if it supports the common agenda for 
reform." 
 
Meeting with Foreign Ministry Officials 
--------------------------------------- 
 
10. (C) Earlier in the day, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met at MFA 
with U/S Abdullah Rashid Al Noaimi and MFA Director for 
International Organizations Yacub Al Hosani, where she 
stressed the urgency of achieving some results before the UN 
budget vote.  Al Noaimi replied that the UAEG was in total 
agreement with the USG that the UN was "overdue" for reform. 
"Today's world is totally different and the agenda is totally 
different," he added.  Al Noaimi agreed that some issues 
could be resolved before the budget deadline and that "the 
devil was in the details."  Tahir-Kheli reviewed the need for 
management reform, and said it was time to eliminate obsolete 
mandates, such as the Trusteeship Council, which still has a 
staff, and produces reports in six languages that people 
don't read.  Such reports cost $2,000 per page, she said, 
although Al Hosani had heard a figure of $8,000.  The money 
would be better spent on eradicating malaria, Tahir-Kheli 
said.  "Everyone wants good management, efficiency, and 
transparency," Al Noaimi said.  Tahir-Kheli also said that 
the $85 million reform package proposed by SYG Annan could be 
reduced by jettisoning unneeded programs.  She said the UAE 
could play a positive role on the UN Fifth Committee.  Al 
Hosani noted that the UAEG had supported the USG in the past, 
only to see the USG withdraw its resolutions.  "We are not 
withdrawing it this time," Tahir-Kheli assured him. 
 
11. (C) With regard to the establishment of a Human Rights 
Council, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli said the work of the last UN 
Human Rights Commission was "a painful experience" for all 
parties involved, and that countries such as Zimbabwe, 
Belarus, Cuba, and Sudan had sought seats on the commission 
"to protect their bad record rather than to protect human 
rights."  She said the USG is seeking a smaller council 
membership drawn from the UNGA membership rather than the 
more limited ECOSOC membership.  The Human Rights Council 
also should have a "threshold to get better, modernizing 
countries to join."  Some countries would like to see the new 
Human Rights Council provide capacity-building assistance and 
technical support to them, she added.  Al Noaimi agreed that 
it was a problem when human rights became "politicized."  Al 
Hosani asked who the Human Rights Council would report to. 
Tahir-Kheli said the council should have the support of the 
UN Commissioner on Human Rights, and it would be a standing 
body reporting to the UNGA, not ECOSOC.  "The protection of 
people is going to be the responsibility of all countries," 
she said.  The Emiratis asked to see a copy of the "Options 
Paper" that lays out the positions of delegations.  Al Hosani 
opined that the membership selection process would be 
troublesome.   Tahir-Kheli agreed that some things would take 
time, but that it was important to work on the issues that 
could be resolved. 
 
Terrorism Convention 
-------------------- 
 
12. (C) In her meetings, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli also 
discussed the Comprehensive Convention Against International 
Terrorism (CCIT), and the USG's hope to have that signed by 
year's end.  She said that Secretary Rice wanted the text to 
make clear that the international community would not 
tolerate terrorist attacks on innocent civilians.  She noted 
that "some within the OIC, and Egypt in particular, have made 
adoption of the Convention more difficult."  At the MFA 
meeting, Al Noaimi said the definition of terrorism was an 
issue, but he was also interested in knowing how a country 
would deal with an act of terrorism, and what that country's 
responsibilities would be.  Tahir-Kheli said she would seek 
Washington's view on the legal aspects of the convention and 
respond to the UAE's queries.  Al Noaimi said the UAE 
supported SYG Annan on this issue, and it would let Egypt 
defend its position.  Sheikh Abdullah also raised the CCIT 
issue in his meeting.  "If we can all agree that attacking 
innocent civilians is a crime, at least let's start there," 
he said.  "We all have to work very hard on terrorism, at the 
UN and elsewhere. ... Terrorists are talking right now in a 
better way than we are."  Everyone agreed that attacks on 
civilians only harmed the cause of terrorists. 
 
Visit to Zayed University 
------------------------- 
 
13. (U) During a visit to Zayed University, an all-women's 
college in Abu Dhabi, Ambassador Tahir-Kheli met with first- 
through third-year students.  Some of the students were 
clearer than others about their future career and life goals, 
and almost all appeared confident, outspoken, and engaged. 
They were convinced of their ability to make a difference and 
to play important roles in the future.  The students asked 
Ambassadors Tahir-Kheli and Sison about the role of women in 
the U.S., and inquired about how American women juggle 
professional and family responsibilities.  The students also 
talked about the influence of their parents and the 
differences between their parents' and their own generations. 
 One student said she did not appreciate the USG's 
International Religious Freedom report's analysis of Muslim 
countries, and asked if the U.S. analyzed its domestic 
religious freedom issues.  Ambassador Tahir-Kheli responded 
on the important role such a review plays in ensuring the 
right to religious freedom. 
 
14. (U) This message was cleared by Ambassador Tahir-Kheli. 
SISON