ITALY SUPPORTS UNDC "IMPROVEMENT SESSION"

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000758 SIPDIS GENEVA FOR CD DEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2014 TAGS: AORC PARM PREL IT UNDC CDG SUBJECT: ITALY SUPPORTS UNDC "IMPROVEMENT SESSION" REF: SECSTATE 39091 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) POLMILOFF MET WITH MFA DISARMAMENT AND NONPROLIFERATION OFFICE DIRECTOR FILIPPO FORMICA AND COUNSELOR PIERO SARDI ON FEBRUARY 28 TO DISCUSS REFTEL DEMARCHE (CONVEYED ON FEBRUARY 24). FORMICA OPENED BY EXPRESSING HIS FRUSTRATION THAT ITALY, WHICH CHAIRED THE UN DISARMAMENT COMMISSION LAST YEAR, WAS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE ANY CONCRETE RESULTS. HE SAID ITALY LOOKED FAVORABLY ON OUR PROPOSAL FOR A UNDC IMPROVEMENT SESSION TO ALIGN THE BODY WITH INTERNATIONAL SECURITY REALITIES, WHICH WAS "VERY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH THE EU'S SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE THE UN FIRST COMMITTEE." ITALY IS SUPPORTIVE, AND AGREES THAT THE UNDC SESSION SHOULD BE SHORTENED TO TWO WEEKS, BUT CANNOT GET OUT IN FRONT OF ITS EU PARTNERS. SARDI NOTED THAT OUR INITIATIVE FIT WELL WITH KEY ELEMENTS OF THE EU'S NONPROLIFERATION STRATEGY. ¶2. (C) FORMICA, CONTINUING, PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION HE THOUGHT COULD BE HELPFUL AS THE USG MOVED FORWARD TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR ITS PROPOSAL. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE EU IN JANUARY HAD DEVELOPED AN AGENDA PROPOSAL FOR THIS YEAR'S UNDC SESSION, WHICH IT HAD SUBSEQUENTLY FLOATED UNSUCCESSFULLY WITH THE NAM. ITALY HAD ARGUED WITHIN THE EU FOR COORDINATION WITH THE U.S. ON A JOINT PROPOSAL, BUT IRELAND AND OTHER STATES INSISTED ON MOVING AHEAD INDEPENDENTLY. THE EU'S PROPOSAL, WHICH FORMICA SAID WAS IN "FREEZE MODE", COVERS BOTH NONCONVENTIONAL AND CONVENTIONAL ARMS: ENHANCING VERIFICATION MECHANISMS TO IMPEDE WMD PROLIFERATION AND SHARING BEST PRACTICES, INCLUDING REGIONAL APPROACHES, TO IMPEDE THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF SMALL ARMS. ¶3. (C) SARDI CONFIRMED THAT AT THE FEBRUARY 25 CODUN (UN DISARMAMENT) MEETING IN BRUSSELS, THE EU AGREED THERE WAS MERIT IN THE USG PROPOSAL. THE EU WAS FAVORABLY DISPOSED TO SUPPORTING OUR PLAN FOR AN IMPROVEMENT SESSION, BUT WANTED TO EVALUATE WHETHER WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD BROAD SUPPORT FOR IT. FORMICA CAUTIONED THAT, IF OUR EFFORTS MET WITH OPPOSITION FROM THE NAM OR ELSEWHERE, THE EU WITHHELD THE RIGHT TO "PULL ITS PROPOSAL OUT OF THE FREEZER" AND MAKE ANOTHER RUN AT HAVING IT ADOPTED AS THE AGENDA FOR THIS YEAR'S UNDC SESSION. SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME00758 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL