VZCZCXRO9679
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0909/01 2871149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141149Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7345
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2528
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0303
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000909
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO AF
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING BY SRSG KAI EIDE AND
DEBATE
1. (U) Summary: On September 29, the Security Council held a
quarterly debate on UNAMA. SRSG Kai Eide briefed the Council
on behalf of UNAMA concentrating on elections, new government
formation, reconciliation, security and international
coordination. Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta's remarks
focused on elections and the need for long-term and
comprehensive stabilization and humanitarian, reconstruction
and developmental assistance. All Security Council members
spoke at the debate, most calling for continued patience as
the Independent Election Commission and Electoral Complaints
Commission continue to investigate and adjudicate incidents
of fraud and certify final election results, and the need for
the new Afghan government to form quickly. Many welcomed
UNAMA's development of benchmarks and indicators of progress
as a useful metric for the Security Council to measure
progress in Afghanistan. End summary.
INTERVENTIONS BY UNAMA & AFGHANISTAN
2. (U) In the September 29 quarterly Security Council debate
on the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) SRSG for
UNAMA Kai Eide's briefing focused on the near-term
presidential election certifications which are expected to be
announced in early October, the need for rapid formation of a
new government and agenda, reconciliation, security, and
continued coordination of the priorities and allocation of
international development assistance. Eide emphasized that
the election campaign included public engagement and a real
debate between political alternatives that was entirely new
for Afghanistan. He stressed that while fraud and
irregularities have been committed by election officials,
candidates, supporters and government officials, the
Electoral Complaint Commission and Independent Election
Commission are on track, working together, to certify the
final election results. Eide called on the future Afghan
president to appoint a government which can inspire
confidence in its citizenry and the international community
and to formulate an agenda which corresponds to the concerns
of the people - a government that intensifies the struggle
against corruption, strengthens respect for the rule of law,
ends the culture of impunity and promotes social and economic
justice. He underscored that training, mentoring and
equipping of the Afghan army and police cannot be a U.S.
effort alone, and called for wider engagement from other
countries in both manpower and financial resources. The SRSG
also referenced calls for a new international conference on
Afghanistan, and suggested it take place in Kabul, at the
ministerial level and in the established JCMB format to
provide a strong political signal that would underscore the
Afghan government's assumption of greater responsibilities
for the country's future with the international community
gradually taking on a more supporting role.
3. (U) Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta took the floor next and
began by thanking the international community for the strong
support shown to Afghanistan after decades of instability.
He called the recent election an "important milestone" in his
country's ongoing democratic transformation, while also
acknowledging the voting fraud and irregularities which took
place. He urged Council members to focus on the big picture,
which was that elections had been held, and stated that the
international community's respect and support for Afghanistan
and its final electoral decisions were necessary for the
success of the new government. Minister Spanta also
discussed the need to hold an international conference in
Kabul, in the near future, to discuss good governance,
reintegration of insurgents into civilian life, and regional
cooperation. Minister Spanta called Afghanistan's
relationship with Pakistan of the "utmost importance" and
noted there has been a cooperative atmosphere between
Afghanistan and the new civilian government in Pakistan in
recent months. In closing, the Minister stated that UNAMA
must play a leading role in shaping Afghanistan's future, and
that they are currently well-positioned for this important
role.
INTERVENTIONS BY SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
4. (U) Most delegations welcomed the news of the recent
elections in Afghanistan, despite the reports of
irregularities, and called for patience as the Independent
Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission
continue to investigate and adjudicate incidents of fraud and
certify the final elections results. Representatives from
Japan, Croatia, Austria, Burkina Faso, and Mexico conveyed
full confidence in the Electoral Complaints Commission to
quickly and successfully handle all fraud allegations. Costa
USUN NEW Y 00000909 002 OF 002
Rica added that the number of complaints is alarming, and
that the prolonged wait for election results is jeopardizing
the success of the election. Likewise, the Russian
representative expressed his country's hopes for a rapid
conclusion of the elections process, and its expectation that
the new government be rapidly formed. The delegations of
Vietnam and Costa Rica expressed the desire that the lessons
learned during this election be remembered in 2010, when
parliamentary elections will take
place in Afghanistan.
5. (U) Civilian casualties and targeting of humanitarian
workers were condemned by the governments of Vietnam,
Croatia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Libya, Mexico, Costa
Rica, Uganda, and Russia. Most Council members welcomed
General McChrystal's approach of prioritizing the protection
of the civilian population. Russia recognized ISAF's renewed
efforts to minimize civilian casualties but said such efforts
were not sufficient, and concluded that civilian casualties
remain too high and called for in-depth investigations in
each situation where such casualties have occurred. Libya's
statement was most critical of civilian casualties, in
keeping with its past statements, and equated civilian
casualties caused by ISAF to those killed at the hands of the
Taliban. The Libyan deputy PermRep expressed his alarm at
ISAF's failure to suppress insurgency forces, alleging that
many Afghans join the insurgency not only as a result of
social and political marginalization, but also as a direct
reaction to the atrocities committed by international forces.
He declared that stability will require reintegration, and
that a cease-fire with the Taliban is the first step towards
this stability. He reiterated his feeling that ISAF's main
objective should be to provide a stable setting for democracy
to take root, and that the international community should
concentrate on withdrawing forces as soon as possible.
(Comment: In the U.S. speech Ambassador DiCarlo responded by
saying she wanted to register her objections to some of the
Libyan comments, which she characterized as "unhelpful.")
6. (U) A number of Council members welcomed President
Karzai's recent signing of the law prohibiting violence
against women. Austria, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, and the
United Kingdom expressed ongoing concern regarding the Shia
Personal Status law which was noted as running counter to
Afghan's constitution and to international agreements to
which Afghanistan is signatory.
7. (U) Members welcomed the benchmarks included in the
recently released UNAMA report as a more concrete way to
measure progress in Afghanistan and the region as a whole.
Representatives from Vietnam, Croatia, Austria, the United
Kingdom, and Uganda specifically noted the utility of these
benchmarks and their expectation that these benchmarks would
be subject to further review and modification by the Afghan
government and the international community through their
representatives in Kabul.
RICE