Cablegate: Demarche to Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs

VZCZCXRO6238
PP RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKA #1303 3501053
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151053Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7953
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 8757
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2497
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 9995
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0977
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 1603
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0148
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS DHAKA 001303

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/PB, SCA/FO, US/UN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT AORC APER BG PGOV PREL UNGA UNGA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO BANGLADESH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ON UNITED NATIONS HAROMNIZATION OF CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

REF: STATE 129988

1. (U) On December 15, PolOff met with the Senior Assistant
Secretary from the Americas, Pacific and Counterterrorism
wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage support
for the U.S. proposal regarding harmonized conditions of
service and streamlined contractual agreements at the United
Nations. PolOff urged the GOB to support the U.S. proposal
instead of either UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's proposal
based on the Special Operations Approach (SOA) or the
proposal made to the UN'S Fifth Committee in March.

2. (U) The Senior Assistant Secretary responded that the
Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be sure to fully
consider the U.S. proposal. She acknowledged that the United
States' concerns regarding recruitment and retention of staff
in the field were valid. She also agreed that it was
important to consider factors such as career advancement and
training opportunities, not merely financial compensation,
when looking at low retention rates in the field.

Comment
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3. (U) The Senior Assistant Secretary was unwilling to commit
Bangladesh's support to the U.S. proposal at this time. With
only two weeks left in power, Bangladesh's Caretaker
Government is a lame duck administration and will unlikely
make any decisions in the next few weeks. Bangladesh is
scheduled to hold Parliamentary elections on December 29, and
a new government is expected to take office in mid-January.
MORIARTY

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