ITALY AGREES IN PRINCIPLE ON UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001789 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017 TAGS: PREL AORC KPAO PTER UNSC KNNP ID SF IT SUBJECT: ITALY AGREES IN PRINCIPLE ON UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE DEMARCHE REF: SECSTATE 116085 Classified By: Acting Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Acting PolMinCouns delivered reftel demarche to MFA Arms Control and Nonproliferation Office Director Filippo Formica and Acting UN Office Director Leonardo Bencini August ¶22. A/PolMinCouns explained that South African and Indonesian efforts to prevent the internet posting of country matrices by the UNSCR 1540 Committee would undermine the Committee's efforts and reduce the transparency of its work. ¶2. (C) Formica said he had been unaware of the South African and Indonesian objections, took note of our concern and would inform the Italian mission in New York. While Formica said he agreed in principle with our position on posting the country matrices to the UN web site and that Italy had no reservations about its information being posted, he said it was important that the matter be resolved quickly and that the Committee send the letters, as many states have not yet submitted any information to the Committee. He expressed his hope that this conflict not distract from the goal of obtaining complete reports from all states. ¶3. (C) Formica said he would discuss within the Ministry the possibility of Italy approaching the Indonesians and South Africans and inform us of any decision reached. SPOGLI