35. Telegram 303856 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, December 29, 1975, 2324Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
303856
R 292324 Z DEC 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS
STATE 303856
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: UN, PFOR,
APER
SUBJECT: ORGANIZING FOR MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY
FOR AMBASSADOR FROM THE SECRETARY
1. WITH THE INCREASING SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR FOREIGN POLICY, I ASKED THE REGIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARIES SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO CONSIDER WAYS TO PROMOTE OUR POLICY INTERESTS MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THESE MULTILATERAL FORUMS. THERE WAS A CONSENSUS THAT WE MUST GIVE GREATER ATTENTION TO MULTILATERAL RELATIONS AND DO MORE TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR OUR POSITIONS. THIS TELEGRAM IS TO INFORM YOU OF THE INCREASED IMPORTANCE THAT WE INTEND TO ATTACH TO OTHER COUNTRIES’ ACTIONS ON MULTILATERAL ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL INITIATIVES WE HAVE TAKEN IN THE DEPARTMENT TO INTENSIFY OUR MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY.
2. ONE OF THE FACTORS BY WHICH THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WILL MEASURE THE VALUE ANOTHER COUNTRY ATTACHES TO ITS RELATIONSHIP TO US WILL BE ITS STATEMENTS AND ITS VOTES ON MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE TO US IN INTERNATIONAL FORUMS. UNFRIENDLY ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS--INDISCRIMINATE OPPOSITION TO RESOLUTIONS OF SIGNIFICANCE TO US OR SPEECHES BROADLY ATTACKING THE UNITED STATES--MAY WELL HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT UPON OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. THE FACT THAT SMALL STATES HAVE AN EQUAL VOICE WITH THE GREAT POWERS IN MOST INTERNATIONAL FORUMS REQUIRES THAT THEY SHOULD BEHAVE WITH RESPONSIBILITY AND AN AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT THEIR POSITION CAN HAVE IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH US.
3. FOR THESE REASONS I AM REQUESTING YOU AND ALL OTHER AMBASSADORS, AS I HAVE ALREADY REQUESTED THE REGIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARIES, TO TAKE GREATER PERSONAL INTEREST IN MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY. TO PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR EFFORTS, I HAVE DIRECTED SAM LEWIS TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS WITH A DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND A SMALL SUPPORTING STAFF. THIS OFFICE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH THE OTHER BUREAUS TO PROVIDE OVERSEAS POSTS WITH THE NECESSARY BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS. IT WILL ALSO DRAW ON THE DEPARTMENT’S COMPUTER CAPABILITY TO COMPILE AND ANALYZE DATA ON VOTING TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. PERSONNEL IS NOW DEVELOPING A NEW CODE SYSTEM WHICH WILL MAKE POSSIBLE THE IDENTIFICATION OF VARIOUS SKILLS RELATED TO MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY. THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP THE DEPARTMENT IN MAKING ASSIGNMENTS TO KEY MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS POSITIONS AND IN DEVELOPING A SKILLED CORPS OF MULTILATERAL OFFICERS. I HAVE ALSO ASKED EACH ASSISTANT SECRETARY TO DESIGNATE ONE OF HIS DEPUTIES AND POSSIBLY A MEMBER OF THE BUREAU STAFF TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY IN THAT BUREAU.
4. IN THESE WAYS I BELIEVE THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FLOW OF TIMELY GUIDANCE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPORT OUR POSITION WITH YOUR HOST GOVERNMENT. SUCCESS WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR MISSION’S WORK WITH ITS HOST GOVERNMENT. TO PARALLEL OUR OWN ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATIONS, YOU MAY WISH TO DESIGNATE ONE OF YOUR SENIOR OFFICIALS TO TAKE DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE MATTERS AND IN SOME EMBASSIES WE MAY LATER ON DESIGNATE ONE POSITION FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS. WHATEVER INSTITUTIONAL STEPS YOU TAKE, I HOPE YOU WILL GIVE THESE MATTERS PERSONAL ATTENTION.
5. WORKING TOGETHER, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE OVERSEAS POSTS WILL, I BELIEVE, BE ABLE TO DEVELOP GREATER SUPPORT FOR OUR POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND IN THIS WAY STRENGTHEN THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHILE FURTHERING OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS. ROBINSON
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Drafted by Spotts; cleared by Eagleburger, Ortiz, Lewis, and Laise; and approved by Kissinger. The telegram encompasses many of the suggestions made by Eagleburger and Lord in their September 24 memorandum to Kissinger (Document 30).↩
- Kissinger informed Ambassadors about organizational changes designed to enhance the Department’s capability to address multilateral diplomacy and instructed them to give personal attention to the issue.↩