ITS: DUTCH RATIFY PROTOCOLS AND SUPPORT USG

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000766 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/OHI (ENAKIAN) STATE ALSO FOR EUR/UBI (RREITER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL GM NL SUBJECT: ITS: DUTCH RATIFY PROTOCOLS AND SUPPORT USG PROPOSAL ON ADVANCE DATA DISTRIBUTION REF: STATE 40845 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) In response to reftel points, Carl Peersman, Legal Counsel, Legal Affairs Department, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told EconCouns on April 23 that the GONL will support a USG motion to table at the May 14-15 annual meeting of the International Commission for the International Tracing Service (ICITS) a proposal on advance technical distribution of electronic data to national repository institutions, for technical purposes, of International Tracing Service (ITS) archival collections as they become available and ahead of final ratification by all ICITS members of the protocols amending the 1955 Bonn Accords. As the proposed transfer would not involve providing researchers or other members of the public with access to the records, Peersman said the GONL agreed that such a proposal was fully consistent with the original Bonn Accords and the recently concluded protocols providing for the opening of the ITS archives, located in Bad Arolsen, Germany, for the purpose of research and the provision of copies of archival material to ICITS member states. ¶2. (SBU) On March 5, the GONL ratified the protocols amending the Bonn Accords and notified Germany, as the depository, of its completion of its internal approval process. Peersman noted that he had shared this information and GONL support of the USG proposal with EUR/OHI Deputy Director Elizabeth Nakian. He said the GONL welcomed USG participation in the May ICITS meeting. EconCouns coordinated Post's approach to the GONL with Birgit Frie, Legal Advisor at the German Embassy in the Netherlands. ARNALL