EFTA00926070.pdf

From: Terje Rod-Larsen To: wieevacation(kgmail.core <[email protected]> Subject: Fw: IPI Vienna as an IO - meeting with Ambassadors Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:37:34 +0000 Attachments: 111030 _IO _founding_agreement_(2).pdf; 111212 memo descriptionjb.pdf; 111212 transmission letter to FM Finland.pdf From: Andrea Pfanzelter To: Cc: Terje Rod-Larsen Sent: Mon Dec 19 08:58:29 2011 Subject: IPI Vienna as an 1O - meeting with Ambassadors Dear Rita, I hope this email finds you well. It was a pleasure to see you in New York. I am glad that, thanks to your leadership, the Board is in favor of developing the Vienna Office into an international organization. I would like to thank you for all the support that you have given to the Vienna Office and to me. I therefore very much hope that you can visit the Vienna Office in 2012! Last Friday, when Terje was in Vienna, we convened a meeting of ambassadors from countries that may be interested in becoming founding members of the 1O. Ambassadors from Liechtenstein, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland and Sweden took part. Each of them was given a letter to their Foreign Minister (see attachment) Terje explained the situation, and the benefits that this would provide to IPI and member states, particularly those that have been long-time supporters of IPI. In the Q and A, ambassadors were interested in why this would be beneficial, and what the added value would be for them. It was stressed that this process is not designed to create a new organization, rather it is transforming and building on an existing and long-standing entity and strengthening its role and profile in Europe and Central Asia. In response to queries about the financial advantages, it was explained that this would give states better value for money (by cutting overhead) and it would give IPI access to new sources of funding that are currently not accessible to NGOs in Europe. It was stressed that funding from donors for the 1O would be voluntary, and would not be based on assessed contributions. That was very well received. In the course of the discussion as Terje answered the various questions, it was clear that the ambassadors appreciated the merits of the transformation from NGO to 1O and, by the end, were widely supportive of the proposal. They will now report back to capitals. Early in the new year, the Austrian legal advisor will convene a meeting among representatives of interested states in order to discuss the legal aspects of the draft agreement for the establishment of the 1O. I have attached the letter the FM, the draft of the founding agreement and the memo. Dear Rita, I wish you happy holidays and all the best for the New Year. EFTA00926070 Yours Andrea Andrea Pfanzelter Director International Peace Institute (IPI) www.ipinst.org http://www.ipinst.org/aboutivienna-office.html EFTA00926071