VATICAN MAINTAINS MULTILATERAL FOCUS ON

UNCLAS VATICAN 003958 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN); IO/UNP; PM E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: AORC KNNP MNUC PARM PREL VT CDG UNDC UNGA SUBJECT: VATICAN MAINTAINS MULTILATERAL FOCUS ON DISARMAMENT ISSUES REF: A) STATE 217408; B) VATICAN 3809 ¶1. (SBU) CHARGE AND POLOFF REVIEWED THE USG APPROACH TO DISARMAMENT FOR THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA) (REF A) WITH HOLY SEE OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR DISARMAMENT PAOLO CONVERSI AUGUST 28, FOLLOWING UP OUR DISCUSSION WITH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER PAROLIN (REF B). CONVERSI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ROTE ADOPTION OF OUTMODED RESOLUTIONS YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THE CONTINUATION OF RESOLUTIONS WITH ORIGINS IN THE COLD WAR HAD HINDERED THE FIRST COMMITTEE'S EFFECTIVENESS. NEVERTHELESS, CONVERSI DID NOT FULLY ACCEPT THAT A MAJOR CHANGE OF APPROACH ON DISARMAMENT WAS NEEDED THIS FALL. ¶2. (SBU) CONVERSI EMPHASIZED THE HOLY SEE'S COMMITMENT TO A MULTILATERAL APPROACH ON DISARMAMENT, AND ITS BELIEF THAT THE VARIOUS MULTILATERAL ARMS CONTROL FORA STILL HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY, DESPITE THEIR WEAKNESSES. CHARGE NOTED THE USG'S OWN COMMITMENT TO MULTILATERALISM IN DISARMAMENT ISSUES, BUT NOTED THAT THIS HAD TO BE MATCHED BY A MULTILATERAL FOCUS THAT WAS BETTER GEARED TO TODAY'S THREATS. HE THEREFORE ENCOURAGED THE HOLY SEE TO BE OPEN TO EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A NEW, MORE EFFECTIVE MULTILATERALISM WITHIN THE FIRST COMMITTEE THIS FALL. HARDT NNNN 2003VATICA03958 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED