IRELAND NON-COMMITTAL ON UNFC AD HOC COMMITTEES

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001234 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 TAGS: AORC PARM PREL MUNC SUBJECT: IRELAND NON-COMMITTAL ON UNFC AD HOC COMMITTEES INITIATIVE REF: STATE 185313 Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary E. Daly; Reasons 1.4 ( B) and (D). (C) On October 6, Post delivered reftel demarche to Therese Healy, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First Secretary for Disarmament and Nonproliferation. Healy observed that Ireland would discuss the planned resolution on Ad Hoc Committees (AHCs) with proponent countries before taking a position on the initiative. She noted that proponents planned to brief country representatives on October 6 at 4:00 PM EST on the margins of the UN First (Disarmament) Committee (UNFC) meetings. Ireland also recognized the potential implications of the AHCs resolution for the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and likewise intended to discuss the initiative with CD members. Healy added that Adrian McDaid, DFA Counselor for Disarmament and Nonproliferation, was taking part in UNFC proceedings and would welcome the opportunity to discuss the resolution with the U.S. delegation. She commented that exchanges on the resolution "would, at least, be healthy," given the dearth of ideas for breaking the nine-year impasse in developing a program of work for the CD. She added that Ireland was looking to the UNFC for concrete measures on disarmament and nonproliferation, especially since there had been no outcome on these objectives at the NPT Review Conference and the UN High-Level Event. She also pointed out that the UK was currently demarching UNFC members in line with U.S. opposition to the AHCs initiative. KENNY