Cablegate: Action Request: Moving Beyond Membership in The

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UNCLAS STATE 085758

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWT MARR PGOV PHSA PHUM PREL SO
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: MOVING BEYOND MEMBERSHIP IN THE
CONTACT GROUP FOR PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA

REF: STATE 66632

1. This is an action request. See paragraph 6.

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OBJECTIVE
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2. Post,s objective is to inform participants in the
Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) of
USG views and intentions articulated in paragraph 6 with
regard to expanding participation in the CGPCS.

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REPORTING
------------------

3. Posts are requested to report only unfavorable reactions
by host governments, and should address questions related to
the intent or scope of this formulation, to PM/PPA Donna
Hopkins (hopkinsdl@state.sgov.gov and David
Foran(forandm@state.sgov.gov ). The USG position articulated
in this demarche is informed by posts, responses to reftel,
which sought other CGPCS participant nations, views on
expanding participation in the CGPCS.

----------------------
BACKGROUND
----------------------

4. In New York City on January 14, 2009, representatives of
28 countries and six international organizations agreed to
form the Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
The inaugural communiqu stated that "The CGPCS offers
participation to any nation or international organization
making a tangible contribution to the counter-piracy effort,
or any country significantly affected by piracy off the coast
of Somalia." No process or mechanism was agreed upon by
which aspirant countries might seek to participate in CGPCS
plenary and working group meetings. The lack of an agreed
accession process has forestalled the subsequent inclusion of
several other countries that clearly meet the criteria for
participation. In addition, developments subsequent to the
January 14 plenary have clearly shown that tangible
contributions are not limited to the provision of military
forces to the counter-piracy effort, and the May 29 plenary
communique explicitly acknowledged that "the CGPCS is a group
of countries and organizations with a common interest in
eliminating the scourge of piracy from the Gulf of Aden and
Somali Basin. Different countries will choose to contribute
to efforts to eliminate piracy in different ways. Some might
be able to contribute naval assets to patrol in the region;
others might prosecute suspected pirates in their national
courts, while still others might choose to contribute to the
anti-piracy international trust fund or assist with capacity
building efforts in the region. Since all countries bear the
burden of piracy, the Contact Group encourages all countries
to participate through material contributions in any way that
they can."
5. The United States believes that participation by any
country or international organization desiring to participate
and able to contribute in any tangible way to the
international effort to combat piracy is a net gain for our
collective efforts, and that the CGPCS deliberations should
not be impeded by unrelated political issues. Unfortunately,
Turkey objected to membership for the Republic of Cyprus, and
Greece objected to the admission of any new member unless
Cyprus were allowed to participate. USG discussions with the
governments of Turkey and Greece indicate that the most
efficacious solution to this impasse is to open participation
in the Contact Group to any UN member nation.
---------------------
USG POSITION
----------------------

6. Posts are requested to deliver the following message to
host governments.

The United States explicitly desires to move from the concept
of "membership" in the CGPCS to one of "participation."
Therefore, the United States wishes to make known our intent
to open all CGPCS fora chaired by the United States to any UN
member state wishing to participate, with an important
caveat. It would be inappropriate to engage in CGPCS fora
with any nation subject to country-specific measures imposed
by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for
maritime-related misconduct (smuggling, trafficking, piracy
or related crimes) or subject to UNSC resolutions authorizing
inspection of maritime cargo related to proliferation
activities or other criminal activity. Iran, North Korea,
and Somalia are currently subject to such sanctions; however,
the United States will continue to encourage the
participation of Somalia, which is both the primary source
and a major victim of piracy in the region, and whose
inclusion in the CGPCS is critical to the efforts of the
CGPCS to combat piracy in the region. While the United
States recognizes that other chairs may not agree with this
approach, we will continue to advocate to other chairs for
participation by any country that meets the above criteria.
We anticipate that Japan, which will chair the fourth CGPCS
plenary in New York City on September 10, will apply the same
criteria.
CLINTON

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