Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04THEHAGUE2606
2004-10-12 14:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): WEEKLY WRAP-UP

Tags:  PARM PREL CWC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002606 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP
JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN)
NSC FOR JOECK
WINPAC FOR LIEPMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL CWC
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): WEEKLY WRAP-UP
FOR 8 OCTOBER 2004


This is CWC-118-04.

-----------
Article VII
-----------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002606

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP
JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN)
NSC FOR JOECK
WINPAC FOR LIEPMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL CWC
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): WEEKLY WRAP-UP
FOR 8 OCTOBER 2004


This is CWC-118-04.

--------------
Article VII
--------------


1. (U) Facilitator Mark Matthews/UK held a 6 October
consultation on the recommendations contained in the Second
progress Report on the OPCW Plan of Action Regarding the
Implementation of Article VII (EC-38/DG.16, 15 September
2004). Delegations welcomed the limited progress made since
the last report, but expressed deep concern that States Party
(SP) which have yet to meet their obligations will have done
so by the CSP-10 deadline. Delegations noted that 20
countries have provided no feedback whatsoever on their
status to either the Technical Secretariat (TS) or other SPs.
The U.S. suggested that one way forward would be for the TS
to host a brainstorming session to consider how best to
approach these states to at least get a sense of their status.


2. (U) Delegations requested more TS/SP coordination,
viewing the current lack of communication a key issue. Yemen
noted that it had asked for TS implementation support last
year, but has yet to have any response to its request. The
Czech Republic worried that the network of Legal Experts is
not being used; Germany also noted that its two legal experts
have yet to receive a question. Iran and China noted that
they both offered to provide assistance but were excluded
from the list of those SPs who offered implementation
assistance.


3. (U) Delegations were not ready to move forward on the EC
recommendations to the Conference. A number of suggestions
were made, and the facilitator plans to hold bilateral
discussion before drafting a decision document. The
Netherlands noted the TS encouragement for SPs to send
cost-free experts to relevant regional organizations for
implementation support and announced that it will be
providing such an expert to the African Group. On the
margins, Canada told del rep said it was considering doing
the same, perhaps targeting the OECS.

--------------
Universality
--------------


4. (U) Facilitator Hela Lahmar/Tunisia held a 7 October
session during which General Chong, the DG's Consultant
working on Universality for the Korean Peninsula, presented a
general overview of his work the past year, using as his
basis for analysis open source material. Delegations
welcomed the presentation and asked for paper copies, but
were advised that without DG approval, nothing would be
provided. Delegations noted the open source nature of the
material and vigorously protested.


5. (U) In response to delegations' questions, General Chong
noted that neither he nor other TS officials have had direct
contacts with North Korea since 2001. In advance of the
Asian National Authority meeting in Beijing, the DG sent a
letter of invitation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but
no response was received. Huang Yu, director of the External
Relations Division, summarized past TS efforts to engage
North Korea. Early on, the TS established a dialog with the
North Korean mission in Geneva, but this ended in 1999. Chef
de Cabinet Rafael Grossi spoke briefly with a North Korean
representative on the margins of the UN First Committee
meeting last year, but North Korea has refused to any accept
OPCW materials or meet with OPCW on the margins of other
regional meetings. A number of SPs with bilateral relations
have included accession to the CWC on their agendas for
meetings with senior officials, but no progress has been made.


6. (U) Huang updated delegations on ERD's efforts in support
of Universality. Much to everyone's surprise, Syria sent a
local representative to the Beijing meeting. A joint
TS/UK/Japan visit to Cambodia was judged very successful,

SIPDIS
with possible accession by late 2004. A UN-sponsored mission
to Myanmar also created momentum, with accession possible in

2005. Bhutan asked for copies of the CWC translated into its
native language, a requirement for Assembly consideration of
accession. The TS is looking for a translator, and estimates
the translation cost will be 7,000 to 11,000 euros. Once
this is done, accession will be straightforward, possibly in

2005. Vanuatu indicated that accession may be possible by
mid-2005, and Iraq plans to accede as soon as it has an
elected government.


7. (U) Finally, the DROC will receive a second TS mission
supported by France and Mauritius. The team will brief the
DROC Parliament in late 2004. The TS/OECS is jointly
sponsoring an implementation workshop and has included
invitations to four States not Party from the region. The TS
also is participating in UN-sponsored bilateral meetings with
the Dominican Republic and Honduras.


8. (U) Javits sends.
SOBEL