Cablegate: Un - Ga Begins Consideration of Budget For

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DE RUCNDT #1098/01 3341930
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301930Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3228

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001098

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SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PREL SU UNGA
SUBJECT: UN - GA BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF BUDGET FOR
PEACEKEEPING OPERATION IN DARFUR - DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS
EXPECTED

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

1. (SBU) Summary. The Fifth Committee, in formal sessions
on November 19 and 20, began its consideration of the
proposed budget of $1.478 billion for the AU-UN Hybrid
Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for the period July 07/June 08.
The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary
Questions (ACABQ) asserted that the proposal may be
over-budgeted and recommended a reduction of $150 million.
The agenda item garnered unusually high Member State
interest, with a total of 21 delegations delivering formal
statements over two days of general debate. In a preview of
what is expected to be difficult and time-consuming
deliberations, many delegations criticized the SYG,s use of
"extraordinary measures" including in awarding a $250 million
single-source, non-competitive, procurement contract to
PAE/Lockheed and signaled their intention to ask detailed
questions on this and other aspects of the proposed budget.
The Japanese delegation submitted 10 pages of questions on
almost all components of the proposed budget. Mission will
continue to work with the Secretariat and delegations in an
effort to expedite an early agreement on the budget. End
Summary.

2. (U) The Fifth Committee met in formal session on
November 19 and 20 to begin its consideration of the
financing of the AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
The Committee had before it a proposed budget of $1.48
billion for the period from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008
(A/62/380), as presented by Bock Yeo, Officer-in-Charge of
the Peacekeeping Financing Division, on behalf of the UN
Controller. The budget would provide for the deployment of
240 military observers, a 19,315 military contingent, 3,772
UN police, 2,660 personnel serving in formed police units,
1,542 international staff, 3,452 national staff, 548 UN
volunteers, and 6 government-provided personnel. In
addition, the proposed budget includes 55 international and
30 national staff under general temporary assistance. In
paragraph 23 of the proposed budget, the SYG indicated that
in order to ensure full compliance with the timeline mandated
by the Security Council for the deployment of military
contingents to Darfur, the immediate engagement of a
contractor capable of providing the logistical support
services required would be necessary, as an extraordinary and
exceptional measure, through issuance of a 6 month short-term
sole-source contract. The SYG stressed that the
international competitive procurement process for the
selection of providers of such services on a long-term basis
following the expiration of the short term contract has
already been initiated.

3. (U) ACABQ Chairman Rajat Saha, in presenting the
Advisory Committee's report (A/62/540), said the Advisory
Committee believed that the level of the proposed budget
exceeded requirements and recommended that the budget should
be reduced to $1.33 billion - a reduction of $150 million.
Saha expressed doubts about the proposed budgeted pace of
deployment of military and police personnel and the proposed
operational costs of the mission and emphasized the
importance of maximizing synergies between UNAMID and the UN
Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS). With regard to proposed
civilian posts, the ACABQ recommended that deployment of
staff be phased, in order to conform to the operational needs
of the mission as it evolves. Commenting on the SYG,s
authorization of a number of extraordinary measures to
expedite the construction of camps and other procurement
needs (A/62/379), which included entering into a
non-competitive, single-source contract with PAE/Lockheed at
$250 million for a six-month period, the ACABQ recommended
that immediate action be taken to supply goods and services
using the appropriate methods. The ACABQ, without
specifically criticizing the 6 month PAE contract, stressed
the importance of ensuring effective international
competition from all qualified vendors on a wide geographical
basis.

4. (SBU) 21 delegations intervened. (Full texts of
statements, where available, sent to IO/PSC via email. See
also UN press releases
www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/gaab3828.doc. htm and
www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/gaab3829.doc. htm.) While
Member States acknowledged the important work to be
undertaken by UNAMID and affirmed their commitment to
providing the Operation with the necessary resources to
fulfill its mandate, several delegations indicated they
wanted more detailed information from the Secretariat and
further examination of the proposed budget. Japan and
Canada, also on behalf of Australia and New Zealand,
expressed support for the ACABQ,s recommendations on the
UNAMID budget. Japan submitted 10 pages of questions on
almost all components of the proposed budget. USDel
supported deployment of a fully operational, robust

peacekeeping force in Darfur as soon as possible, while
advocating for effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability
in the management of UNAMID (see paragraph 8 below).

5. (U) The majority of Member States intervening expressed
concern regarding the SYG,s awarding of a $250 million
single-source, non-competitive procurement contract to
PAE/Lockheed. Angola (speaking on behalf of the African
Group), Bangladesh, and Brazil said the contract award
process should have been open to competitive bidding on a
wide geographical basis. Canada, Egypt, India, Nicaragua,
and China expressed dismay that the Secretariat deemed such
measures necessary, and chided the Secretariat on the
importance of advance planning in order to avoid recourse to
those exceptional measures. Singapore devoted the bulk of
its intervention to the issue of the PAE/Lockheed contract,
stating the Secretariat did not follow proper procurement
procedures and calling into question the Secretariat,s
accountability in preparing for UNAMID's deployment. Russia
doubted the validity of the extraordinary measures and stated
that urgent deployment of UNAMID should not serve as a
pretext for violation of resolutions, calling the
PAE/Lockheed contract "an extreme case requiring serious
investigation."

6. (U) Sudan expressed the greatest opposition to the
PAE/Lockheed contract, calling upon the SYG to distribute
information to all Member States pertaining to the
negotiations for the contract. The Sudanese delegation asked
why the Secretariat went forward in completing the contract
with PAE/Lockheed even though the company did not own the
relevant equipment, stating that the equipment was owned by
the U.S. government and that it was not clear the equipment
would be available to the UN. Sudan charged the SYG with
selective treatment of GA resolutions. As several other
African delegations did, Sudan also called for the "African
character" of UNAMID to be sufficiently represented, and
asked for a list of proposed leadership posts, showing those
provided by the AU and the UN, respectively. Sudan also
alluded to the "ethical breaches of UNMIS" in Juba, hoping
they "will not be repeated" by UNAMID.

7. (U) Pakistan, on behalf of the G-77 and China, Portugal,
on behalf of the EU, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia,
the Philippines, and Kenya also spoke.

8. (U) U.S. Statement -

I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Bock Yeo, the
Officer-in-Charge of the Peacekeeping Financing Division, for
his introduction of the report of the Secretary-General on
Financing of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid
Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for the period from 1 July 2007
to 30 June 2008 (A/62/380), as well as the Chairman of the
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,
Mr. Rajat Saha, for his introduction of the related report of
the ACABQ (A/62/540).

The situation in Sudan has been and will continue to be a top
priority for the United States. The large, robust
peacekeeping force for Darfur that we have worked on over the
last few years to protect civilians and humanitarian workers
and ensure peace and security in Sudan is finally on the
verge of deployment. The transition to this essential
operation is due to take place by December 31st. All actors
must take all possible measures to ensure that UNAMID will
become fully operational as soon as possible so that the
Operation can carry out its vital mandate.

My delegation commends those in the Secretariat involved in
the preparation of the proposed budget and in the measures
they are taking to ensure an orderly and timely transition
from AMIS (the African Union Mission in the Sudan) to UNAMID.
We also welcome the analysis and recommendations provided by
the ACABQ to facilitate our consideration of this matter. As
my delegation has stated in this committee on other
occasions, at a time of rapidly escalating expenses
associated with the multiple and varied activities of this
Organization, it is imperative that we make every effort to
maximize the effective use of available resources through
strong leadership and management, more efficient
implementation of mandates and greater accountability for
action.

My delegation hopes that we will proceed without delay to
complete our examination of the proposed budget and adopt the
budget to ensure that UNAMID will have the funds it needs to
implement its vital mandate.

Khalilzad

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