Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1407
2006-07-25 20:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

PACIFIC ISLAND STATES APPEAL FOR COUNTERTERRORISM

Tags:  PREL PTER UNSC 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0019
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1407/01 2062016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 252016Z JUL 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9670
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001407 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO IO/PSC:BFITZGERALD, S/CT:SSCHLEGEL/GNOVIS
AND INL/C:ERINDLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC
SUBJECT: PACIFIC ISLAND STATES APPEAL FOR COUNTERTERRORISM
ASSISTANCE

REF: STATE 119417

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001407

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO IO/PSC:BFITZGERALD, S/CT:SSCHLEGEL/GNOVIS
AND INL/C:ERINDLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC
SUBJECT: PACIFIC ISLAND STATES APPEAL FOR COUNTERTERRORISM
ASSISTANCE

REF: STATE 119417


1. Summary: The Security Council's Counter-Terrorism
Committee (CTC) and its Executive Directorate (CTED) hosted a
meeting on July 21 between representatives of Pacific Island
States, potential donor nations, and select international
organizations to discuss the Pacific Island States' technical
assistance needs for implementing UNSCR 1373 (2001). Primary
areas of requested assistance included manpower,
infrastructure, training, and equipment. Mission has emailed
or sent documents provided at the meeting to IO/PSC. End
Summary.

--------------
Counter-Terrorism Technical Assistance Needs
--------------


2. On July 21 the CTC/CTED hosted a meeting between Pacific
Island states Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon
Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, Samoa, Palau, Tonga, and Papua New
Guinea and potential donors Australia, Japan, New Zealand,
and the U.S., to discuss technical assistance needs for
compliance with UNSCR 1373. Representatives from Interpol,
the International Monetary Fund, the International
Organization for Migration, and the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) also attended. Many Pacific Island delegations
presented detailed lists of assistance needs while others
stated their intention to submit lists to the CTC. USUN
described current U.S. assistance to the region per reftel.


3. CTED's preliminary report on the Pacific Island States
identified several areas of need, including legal assistance
to facilitate counterterrorism treaty ratification,
suppression of terrorist financing, border security,
prevention of abuse of refugee processes, surveillance and
early warning systems, and equipment/resources.


4. All Pacific Island States expressed the need for enhanced
regional infrastructure, including the establishment of a
communications network. Many reported that communication by
phone or Internet is limited and often unreliable, since
atolls in the region are spread across thousands of miles. A
regional network would facilitate tracking international
movement, combine intelligence efforts, and pool together
equipment and manpower.


5. Many states, including Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the
Solomon Islands, and Palau, indicated the need for manpower

assistance to staff institutions tasked with
counterterrorism. Tuvalu stated that with a national police
force of fifty officers, extending surveillance was extremely
difficult. In addition to law enforcement, Palau indicated
that it did not have the human resources to staff a Financial
Intelligence Unit, and the Solomon Islands stated the need
for administrative assistance in preparing to ratify and
implement the international counterterrorism conventions and
protocols since it currently staffs only one person to deal
with UN affairs. Tuvalu also indicated that a greater UN
presence in the island region would be helpful, and said "the
absence of the UN is hindering island nation participation"
in countering terrorism.


6. Fiji, Micronesia, Samoa, Tuvalu, and others cited needs
for equipment and training. All lauded the Australian Patrol
Boat Project as an example of effective assistance in
extending surveillance across the widespread but sparsely
populated atolls of the South Pacific. (Comment: The Patrol
Boat Project was originally created to combat piracy but is
an example of ways assistance provided for one purpose can
also serve to counter terrorism. End Comment.) Ocean patrol
capabilities also greatly enhanced border control, since a
canoe trip from Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands takes
only 15 minutes.


7. Potential donor states promised to review requests and
contact the Pacific Island States with plans for assistance.
CTED stressed the importance of coordinating assistance
efforts. The IMF stated that it is drafting a risk-based
money-laundering model that would be made available through
its Technical Assistance Center. Interpol described its
abilities to improve communication through real-time, secure
information exchanges; because Interpol databases are only
accessible to member states Interpol's representative urged
the Pacific Island States to seek membership. UNODC noted
its plan to run regional workshops on counterterrorism treaty
ratification and declared its hope to work in partnership
with the Pacific Island Secretariat.


--------------
Follow-Up
--------------


8. Comment: The July 21 meeting was the first CTC/CTED
meeting bringing together potential donors with states that
have the will, but not the capacity, to meet their 1373
obligations. The discussion was comprehensive and frank, and
the meeting offers a good example of how the CTC and CTED can
become more proactive in working to achieve concrete results
in promoting implementation of UNSCR 1373. For this meeting
to succeed, however, follow up is imperative. Potential
recipients will need to work with CTED to reach agreement on
priority needs, and donors will need to respond. If the CTC
and CTED succeed in facilitating assistance to the Pacific
Island States, that effort will enhance the credibility of
the CTC in other regions of the world, showing that the CTC
is more than a paper mill that merely requests and reviews
reports and that the Security Council is a proactive and
constructive part of the UN's counterterrorism efforts.


9. Mission recommends that Department authorize appropriate
assistance to respond to the Pacific Island States' requests.
Many of these states, such as Palau and the Marshall
Islands, are the strongest supporters of the United States at
the UN, often standing alone with the United States on key
votes in the General Assembly. Although the region's needs
are great, they do not require significant investments to
address. Providing even modest counterterrorism assistance
to this region will help cement our positive relationship
with these states and demonstrate our commitment to enhancing
the UN's counterterrorism efforts. End Comment.
BOLTON