WHO: JAPANESE CONCERNS ABOUT SINGAPORE IWG

UNCLAS TOKYO 003454 SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE DEPT FOR OES/IHA DEPT FOR EAP/J WEBSTER USDA PASS TO APHIS CLIFFORD HHS PASS TO CDC, NIH HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, HICKEY AND WADWHA SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU TBIO KSTH ECON PREL SOCI EAGR JA SUBJECT: WHO: JAPANESE CONCERNS ABOUT SINGAPORE IWG REF: STATE 103509 ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request - See para. 6. ¶2. (SBU) On July 27, EST Officer confirmed with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) that they received the U.S. Non-Paper in reftel through their participation in the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) core group conference call on July 26. ¶3. (SBU) MHLW Office of International Cooperation Director, Hajime Inoue expressed appreciation for U.S. preparations for the upcoming WHO Interdisciplinary Working Group (IWG) in Singapore, but asked for clarification on how the U.S. Non-Paper relates to a July 16 "Chair's Draft" that MHLW received from the WHO Secretariat. (A copy of the Chair's Draft has been forwarded to G/AIAG via unclassified email). Although he understood that the U.S. Non-Paper was meant to supplement the Chair's Draft, he expressed concern that the two documents have "a different set of structures" and asked for further U.S. views on the Chair's Draft. Inoue also mentioned that he expected Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien of Thailand would serve as Chairman of the Singapore IWG. ¶4. (SBU) MHLW's Inoue also raised what he felt was a common concern among IPAPI core countries that without an initial draft agreement text to work from, it would be difficult to produce a final product by the end of the Singapore IWG. He said he knew of no plans by any IPAPI core country or the WHO to prepare a draft text. Moreover, he expressed concern that virus sample source countries may prepare their own draft, and that Japan does not want to see a "one-sided text to serve as the basis for discussion". He asked whether the U.S. planned to prepare a text that other like-minded countries could endorse. ¶5. (SBU) According to MOFA Specialized Agencies Division Officer, Chie Nakajima, MOFA is still discussing the U.S. proposal and has no additional comments at this time. Nakajima and MHLW's Inoue plan to attend the Singapore IWG as part of Japan's delegation, which will be led by MHLW Blood and Blood Products Division Director, Dr. Eiichi Seki. MHLW Infectious Disease Control Division Director, Dr. Takuaki Shobayashi, will also attend. ¶6. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: In response to GOJ questions raised in paras 3 and 4, Post would be grateful for any views or guidance the Department can provide on the Chair's Draft document and the issue of a draft agreement text for the Singapore IWG. SCHIEFFER