CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): SCENE-SETTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 THE HAGUE 001509 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S BERLIN FOR ITO SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC NSC FOR CHURBA WINPAC FOR FOLEY COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL RS CWC SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): SCENE-SETTER FOR 33RD SESSION OF THE OPCW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, 24-28 JUNE REF: A. STATE 69419 ¶B. THE HAGUE 01451 (U) This is CWC-64-03. (U) GUIDANCE REQUESTS/RECOMMENDATIONS -- PARAS 4, 20, 25. -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The First Chemical Weapons Convention Review Conference, April 28 - May 9, consumed a great deal of Technical Secretariat and national delegation energy, and the last month has been frankly rather quiet. While the annotated EC-33 agenda (faxed to Washington) is long at this point, many of the reports to be considered either have not yet been issued (Report of the Organization for 2002, Report of the Office of Internal Oversight),or have just come out (Audited Financial Statements of the Organization, EC-33/DG.5, C-8/DG.3 dated 10 June). The pace of consultations so far not been intensive, except for those regarding the 2004 Program of Work and Budget, a document on which EC-33 in fact will not have to make a call. Review Conference follow-up is not explicitly on the agenda. This may in part reflect a widespread view that the RevCon was first and foremost an obstacle to be overcome without excessive conflict, rather than a major reorientation or rethinking of OPCW priorities. The new EC Chairman, Czech Ambassador Kubernat, has scheduled consultations for Monday, 16 June on preparations for EC-33. Del will seek to slim down the agenda, removing those items where documents have not been circulated in time and/or necessary consultations have not taken place. End Summary. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Three: Statement by the Director General -------------- ¶2. (U) Del expects the DG's statement to be along the lines of his opening statement at the RevCon focusing on priorities. It is likely he will discuss the RevCon results and follow-up, even though these matters are not explicitly on the EC agenda. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Four: Status of Implementation of the Convention and Related Issues -------------- -------------- National Implementation Measures -------------- ¶3. (U) The Council is requested to consider inter alia a second addendum to the Director General's report on this issue of 13 March. The second addendum/update was distributed on 12 June (EC-32/DG.17/Add.2, dated 5 June, faxed to AC/CB). Del believes that noting the new document is appropriate, while reserving the right for further U.S. comment after study. The TS effort to develop information on national implementation measures is positive, and it is appropriate to complement the Legal Office for what it has done so far, while questioning whether the TS -- given the priority placed on the effort at the RevCon -- is currently backing the effort with sufficient resources. -------------- Optimization of the verification activities -------------- ¶4. (U) The Council is requested to "further consider" the DG report on the optimization and efficiency of verification activities (EC-32/DG.12, dated 6 March 2003),which in fact received no consideration at EC-32. It is also asked to consider two more papers which are yet to be published. Guidance along the lines in paras 7-9 reftel (EC-32 guidance cable) should be sufficient. -------------- Status of implementation of Articles X and XI -------------- ¶5. (U) Under this item, the EC is to consider a report published for EC-32 on the status of implementation of Articles X and XI,and a yet-to-be published corrigendum. Del does not expect the report to elicit serious discussion. -------------- Article VI related obligations -------------- ¶6. (U) If it gets printed in time, the Council will have an opportunity to comment on an update of the TS project to assist member states to meet their declaration-related obligations under Article VI. If it is published, Del recommends that we strongly endorse the project, noting that this type of effort was strongly endorsed by the Review Conference. If the document is not published -- Del understands it awaits the DG's approval for publication -- Del recommends that we stress the importance of having such an update and regret that for two Council sessions -- it was supposed to be published in time for EC-32 -- the TS has delayed in providing this important data to the Council. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Five: Report by the Director-General on the Universality of the Convention -------------- ¶7. (U) The report on universality has yet to be published. Del will forward to Washington when available. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Six: Draft Report of the Organization for 2002 -------------- ¶8. (U) This report is not yet available. Del will forward to Washington when received. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Seven: Deadlines for Destruction of Category 1 Chemical Weapons Stockpiles -------------- ¶9. (U) The Council is requested to note a DG report on the completion of destruction of one percent of the Russian stockpile. Likewise, Russia will present an update on the overall status of destruction of their CW stockpiles. The documents are not yet available to delegations. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Eight: Detailed Plans for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons -------------- ¶10. (U) Delegation has passed on the U.S. responses to a series of Russian Federation questions regarding the Umatilla and Aberdeen Combined Plans, but has received no reaction from Russian representatives. No other substantive issues have been raised regarding these documents. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Nine: Combined Plans for the Destruction or Conversion and Verification of Chemical Weapons Production Facilities -------------- -------------- Bosnia and Herzegovina Combined Plan -------------- ¶11. (U) The TS has received, and delegation is working with the local BH representative to obtain a copy, of the most recent BH draft of its Combined Plan. In a previous draft of the document the TS discovered some (undisclosed) problem with page three, which the BH delegation has now apparently resolved. Del will forward the document to Washington immediately upon receipt. -------------- Russian Combined Plans -------------- ¶12. (U) The second of two TS teams inspecting Russian conversion sites is due back from the Russian Federation 12 or 13 June. The first team has returned and is compiling its report. Upon the second team's return, the TS will generate its report to the EC on the status of Russia's conversion efforts. Informal TS reports indicate that the VX production facility at Novocheboksarsk is contaminated, has not been completely converted and, in all likelihood, neither its conversion nor that of the QL, chloroether, or munitions filling facilities, all at Novocheboksarsk, will be completed anytime soon. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Ten: Facility Agreements -------------- -------------- Belgian Facility Agreement -------------- ¶13. (SBU) In a meeting with the lead Belgian MOD representative and Belgian Ambassador Nieuwenhuys, the MOD representative had a copy of our questions. Along the margins next to virtually every question he had written in French "non." It was apparent he had taken offense at the extent of our questions and viewed them as meddling in Belgian MOD business. ¶14. (SBU) Ambassador Nieuwenhuys, however, appears to be taking a more considered approach. For instance, with regard to our question about the application of Belgium's safety standards and regulations, vice use of TS/OPCW regulations, he asked the MOD rep if he really intended to assert that Belgian safety statutes should be subordinated to OPCW regulations. The MOD person thought about the question and responded that this was clearly not the intent. The Ambassador then suggested that they had probably better do some more thinking about the U.S. questions and the issues we raised. ¶15. (SBU) Subsequently, Ambassador Nieuwenhuys asked Delegation if the U.S. would/could turn our questionss into recommendations for textual changes (i.e. edit the FA for them). Delegation demurred, but agreed to sit down and go over the document again with the MOD on 18 June, just before the EC session. ¶16. (SBU) Ambassador Nieuwenhuys has made it clear that Belgium is not in a major hurry to complete this document. He has actually said "this is not a matter of priority for us." Delegation believes we should expect a more considered and substantive response to our questions at the 18 June meeting and proceed from there. -------------- Aberdeen and Umatilla Facility Agreements -------------- ¶17. (SBU) The Umatilla and the ABCDF Facility Agreements were submitted to the EC prior to the last session. Delegation is unaware of any objections to these FAs, though the Russian Federation indicated during the last session that it wanted an opportunity to study them. It is not certain that Russia will make joining consensus on these documents contingent on adoption of some or all of its Combined Plans for conversion, but past experience suggests that will be the case. -------------- ROK Facility Agreement -------------- ¶18. (U) The Council is requested to consider an ROK Schedule 1 Facility Agreement. Delegation recently delivered text of U.S. non-paper to ROK delegation, but has not yet received a response. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Eleven: Chemical Industry Issues -------------- ¶19. (U) Industry intersessionals are scheduled for 17-19 June. Del does not expect any decisions to emerge from these consultations. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Twelve: List of Validated Data for Inclusion in the OPCW Central Analytical Database -------------- ¶20. (U) Del requests guidance on the new list of validated data. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Thirteen: Report on the Office of Internal Oversight for 2002 -------------- ¶21. (U) This report is not yet available. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Fourteen: Report of the External Auditor on the Financial Statements of the Organization for 2002 -------------- ¶22. (U) This report is not yet available. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Fifteen: Implementation of the Recommendations of the External Auditor and of the Office of Internal Oversight -------------- ¶23. (U) The document relating to recommendations of the External Auditor has not yet been published. Del expects consultations to be held on both of these documents as well as the previous two agenda items after the EC. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Sixteen: Financial Issues -------------- ¶24. (U) The Director General has not had to use any of the cash surplus from 2001, although only days back, before the Japanese assessment of approximately 20 million euros was deposited in the OPCW account, the organization had only eight million euros cash in the bank including/including that surplus (but excluding the Working Capital Fund). Germany on 10 June signed its authorization for payment of the second trance of its assessment (approximately 5 million euros). This receipt of 20 million euros additional in contributions means that the organization now has sufficient cash on hand for about five months. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Seventeen: Draft OPCW Programme and Budget for 2004 -------------- ¶25. (U) Consultations on the 2004 budget are scheduled in July. Please advise if points arise from the Advisory Body on Administrative and Financial Matters (ABAF) meeting that should be raised at EC-33. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Eighteen: Provisional Agenda for the Eighth Session of the Conference of the States Parties -------------- ¶26. (U) The provisional CSP agenda is not yet available. Del will forward to Washington when received. -------------- Draft Annotated Agenda Item Nineteen: Any Other Business -------------- ¶27. (U) Del is not aware of anything under this agenda item. ¶28. (U) Terzuolo sends. SOBEL