ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001024 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, AND OES/PCI EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL/FIDLER AND MEDEARIS NAIROBI PLEASE PASS U.S. DEL TO UNEP GC SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL IS ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SUBJECT: ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS COMMITTEE RESURRECTED FOLLOWING FOUR-YEAR INTERRUPTION REF: A) 04 TEL AVIV 6442 (NOTAL),B) TEL AVIV 5567 (NOTAL) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. This message has been cleared with Consulate General Jerusalem. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Helsinki February 10 and agreed to reactivate the Joint Environmental Experts Committee (EEC) established under the 1995 Interim Agreement. The EEC will meet in Jerusalem May ¶2. The two sides also agreed to cooperate on disposition of hazardous waste and construction debris and related capacity building. The Helsinki meeting was convened by UNEP with the support of the Government of Finland. Israeli officials who attended the Helsinki meeting are optimistic that the UNEP Governing Council will support continuation of activities under the UNEP Desk Study, in the spirit of cooperation evidenced in Helsinki. The Israeli-Palestinian meeting followed a February 7-9 UNEP Capacity Building Seminar on Hazardous Waste in the Middle East attended by Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) GOI MFA and Environment Ministry officials reported to ESTH Officer that their meetings with Palestinian counterparts in Helsinki February 10 resulted in agreement to reactivate the Joint Environmental Experts Committee (EEC) under the 1995 Interim Agreement. According to an MFA participant, the EEC last met more than four years ago. The EEC will meet in Jerusalem May 2, but meetings and cooperation on specific issues will likely move forward before then. The Helsinki meeting took place under the aegis of the U.N. Environmental Program Desk Study on the Palestinian Territories. Among other recommendations, the Desk Study had sought reactivation of the experts meetings established by the Oslo accords. ¶3. (SBU) In Helsinki, the two sides also agreed to work jointly and with the support of UNEP on capacity building in solid and hazardous waste disposal. They will furthermore cooperate on disposal of used tires and construction debris. The bilateral meeting followed a Capacity Building Seminar on Hazardous Waste in the Middle East in Helsinki February 7- 9 organized by UNEP and the Government of Finland attended by delegations from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The revival of the EEC is much-needed good news in the Israeli-Palestinian environmental arena, where numerous pressing issues have been ignored in recent years. The MFA participant in Helsinki told ESTH Officer he is optimistic that the UNEP Governing Council, meeting in Nairobi February 21-25, will approve continuing activities under the UNEP Desk Study in the same harmonious spirit evidenced in Helsinki. KURTZER