CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): WRAP-UP FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 000424

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 CHUPA
WINPAC FOR LIEPMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL CWC
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): WRAP-UP FOR
WEEK ENDING 13 FEB 2004


This is CWC-22-04.

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National Implementation Measures
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1. (U) Del rep met on February 11 with Ralf Trapp, Special
Assistant to DDG Brian Hawtin, who reported that only nine
countries responded to the TS Note Verbale requesting States
Party respond with their requests for or offers of assistance
by February 1; one responded on February 2. Of the ten
responses, five were requests for assistance, five were
offers of assistance. Trapp noted his disappointment with
the poor response to the Note Verbale.


2. (U) On February 9, Del rep met with International
Cooperation and Assistance Division Director John Makhubalo
and the head of the Implementation Support Branch (ISB) Magda
Bauta Soles to discuss draft TS letters to AC/CB on the
actual costs of the Article VI and Legal Network meetings
funded from the U.S. voluntary contribution. Makhubalo
assessed that both meetings were successes, and came in under
estimated cost, and he thanked the U.S. for its support.
Bauta indicated that while the Legal Network meeting
introduced legal experts from all regions, the TS did not
have the resources to do the follow-up needed to oversee the
website, steer the efforts of the legal volunteers, comment
on draft legislation submitted to the Office of the Legal
Advisor (OLA),and assist in the preparation of
presentations. At the moment, Lisa Tabassi of OLA is
overwhelmed by her day-to-day responsibilities and is unable
to devote the time needed to oversee this effort. Bauta
noted that a cost-free expert similar to that provided by the
U.S. in Ron Nelson might provide the TS the stimulus needed
to make the organization of legal volunteers a force able to
make progress on the difficult issues of implementation
facing many States Parties.


3. (U) Separately, Del reps met with Magda Bauta Soles and
Sergey Kisselev and solicited their views regarding the
National Implementation Measures Action Plan. They reported
that the internal TS task force has been meeting regularly,
preparing the report required for EC-36. They also discussed
their work on implementation, stating that their strategy is
to first hold a general meeting for National Authorities
followed by focused meetings on relevant issues for
attendees' implementation. Bauta reported that while this
has been well received, she believes that the majority of
States Parties who have yet to fully implement of the CWC
will not have completed their implementation by the CSP-10
deadline. Issues preventing full implementation vary, but
are primarily political and affected by competing priorities
in countries whose resources are stretched thin. When asked
whether the CSP would be able to distinguish among those who
have made a good faith effort from those who have not, Bauta
replied that yes, that should not be a problem for delegates.


4. (U) Bauta praised the U.S. provision of experts who have
attended ISB's regional meetings, seminars, and workshops on
national implementation. She believes it is critical for the
eventual success of the implementation effort for States
Parties to send participants such as Edna Sidler and Kevin
Farmer consistently to the regional meetings. Development of
personal ties is crucial to this effort. Bauta also
recommended that the TS consider devoting a staff person for
a defined period of time to New York or capitols that have
large contingents of diplomats. By building personal
relationships and selling the importance of the CWC, such
individuals could significantly advance both the TS' national
implementation and universality efforts.

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Data Automation
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5. (U) Del rep spoke with Greg Linden, chief of the
Information Support Branch, regarding TS progress on data
automation issues. The demonstration of the initial
CFTS/RDBMS integration occurred January 20-21, first to
senior TS officials and then to TS personnel in the
Verification and Declarations Branches. Linden advised that
the TS decided to first demonstrate the fledging Verification
Information System (VIS) to TS users, to determine whether it
meets future TS data receipt, manipulation and analysis
requirements. The demonstration was judged a success and
follow-up user requirements have been given to the
contractor. Demonstrations for interested delegations are
being considered for the April 2004 timeframe.


6. (U) When asked about the TS paper announcing the VIS,
Linden responded that it had been approved by senior TS
officials, had been cleared by the TS editors, and was
awaiting the DDG's signature. Linden predicted that it would
be available to delegations in late February and would
include predicted milestones on availability to delegations.
Linden said that the press of business would prohibit TS
development of the CTFS until late 2004. Instead, Linden has
suggested to his senior TS managers that the CTFS be posted
on the OPCW website circa March 2004 with accompanying
fanfare, announcing its availability to interested
delegations for submitting their October industry data
declarations and requesting delegations' feedback on what
works well and what needs adjusting. Linden has yet to
receive feedback on this idea from his management.

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Article X
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7. (U) In a February 10 lunch meeting requested by Hassan
Mashhadi, TS Assistance and Protection Branch Director
(Iran),discussion was centered on Article X related
conferences and meetings. Mashhadi provided a brief overview
of TS coordination with NATO in light of TS participation in
the recently concluded NATO PFP conference in Norway on
January 29. He also provided the report from that meeting
(faxed to AC/CB). TS plans for an ASSISTEX II exercise in
late 2005 were discussed. The Ukraine has offered to host
the event, which Mashhadi hopes to make an OPCW/NATO PFP
joint sponsored exercise. Mashhadi also provided a copy of
the WHO efforts in developing health-related information in
the event of threat of use or actual use of chemical,
biological, or radio-nuclear devices (faxed to AC/CB). He
highlighted that the WHO is devoting 6.2 million Euros over
the next two years specifically to this project.


8. (U) Request for Medical Experts: Mashhadi discussed the
recent call for Member States to nominate medical experts.
He is setting up a working group to help increase the base of
knowledge in the event of a request for assistance by a State
Party under Article X. He sees this working group as a way
to facilitate interaction between relevant medical experts in
Member States, familiarize medical personnel to the CWC, and
create a pool of knowledge, which can be drawn on in need,
similar to the Protection Network or Legal Experts working
groups. The group would meet roughly once or twice a year
depending on what the group deemed most helpful.


9. (U) Annual Protection Network Meeting in Vienna: The
Protection Network is meeting in Vienna on March 18-19. This
is an expert group comprised mainly of technical, hands-on
related personnel from Member States. Mashhadi stressed the
desire to have a U.S. expert nominated for the network. Del
rep will attend the March meeting as an observer and report
back to Washington on whether it would be useful to nominate
a U.S. expert.

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EC Efficiency
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10. (U) EC Chairman Kubernat called a February 10 meeting
to discuss an extensive list of proposals to increase the
efficiency of the Executive Council sessions. Delegations
noted a number of steps that had already been taken by the
TS, such as very early distribution of an annotated agenda

SIPDIS
for the March EC. The Peruvian Ambassador suggested that the
proposals that had a clear consensus be quickly approved and
separated out so that delegations could focus discussion on
the more contentious issues. The German Ambassador commented
that a number of the proposals fell within the authority of
the Chairman, and could be instituted without further
discussion. The U.S. delegation emphasized that increased EC
efficiency is a priority item for Washington for the first
half of the year, and supported the suggestions of the
Peruvian and German Ambassadors.


11. (U) Virtually all delegations expressed support for the
goal of the Chairman's paper and the meeting. However, the
meeting bogged down as the Chairman sought to proceed with
item-by-item discussion. Kubernat ended the session by
informing participants that he would call another meeting for
further deliberations. While that may indeed occur before
the next EC, WEOG delegations were subsequently informed that
the Chairman intends to simply implement as many of the
changes as possible that fall within his authority.

12. (U) Javits sends.
SOBEL