VZCZCXRO4803
PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #4151 3521154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181154Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1992
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4320
UNCLAS KABUL 004151
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A
DEPT PASS AID/ANE
NSC FOR JWOOD
OSD FOR SHIVERS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: PREL AF
SUBJECT: UNAMA Proposal for Regular Quarterly Meetings of G-8
Political Directors in JCMB Format on Afghanistan
1. This is an action request. Please see paragraph 6.
2. United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Tom Koenigs
convened a meeting of the "informal donors group" (also known as
"tea club") to hear his proposal that the G-8 Political Directors in
JCMB format discuss Afghanistan on a quarterly basis. Koenigs noted
that the first such G-8 Political Directors meeting in Berlin in
February 2007 had been a great success, and another G-8 political
directors meeting on Afghanistan has been scheduled in Tokyo on
February 5 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (The phrase "in the JCMB
format" refers to the JCMB co-chairs, the UNAMA SRSG and the senior
Afghan JCMB senior Economic Advisor to President Karzai, joining the
G-8 group for the discussion on Afghanistan.)
3. Koenigs said that he thinks quarterly meetings would be
especially effective in facilitating and improving the coordination
between missions in the field in Afghanistan and the views of
headquarters in the capitals. He added parenthetically that he
knows of issues where the Kabul field missions have achieved
consensus, only to see the capitals go off in divergent directions.
He feels that if the G-8 Political Directors can focus on the Afghan
situation on a quarterly basis for two or three hours immediately
following their regular G-8 meetings, then they will become better
informed about the rapidly evolving Afghan situation. They will
bring this information with them back to capitals, while improving
integration with their Kabul missions.
4. In turn, the political directors can facilitate an integrated
international approach to the three main JCMB pillars of security,
good governance, and economic and social development.
5. Koenigs asked Tea Club members for a response to his proposal to
establish quarterly G-8 Political Directors meetings on Afghanistan
by Monday, December 24. Koenigs also announced that he will be
leaving Kabul at the end of December, and that the UN has yet to
announce his successor.
6. Action Requested: The Department is requested to provide
guidance on how to respond to Koenig's proposal.
WOOD