NATO SEEKS COOPERATION WITH 1540 COMMITTEE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001170 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC UNSC PREL KPAO PTER KNNP SUBJECT: NATO SEEKS COOPERATION WITH 1540 COMMITTEE REF: KONZET/SANDAGE/WUCHTE EMAIL--12/13/07 ¶1. SUMMARY: NATO Assistant Secretary General Martin Erdmann (Germany) delivered the first NATO briefing to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 ("1540 Committee") on December 11. Erdmann said 1540 issues were a central part of NATO counter-proliferation efforts and underscored the UN's leadership in counter-terrorism and the prevention of WMD proliferation by non-State actors. Erdmann offered NATO's support to strengthen 1540 implementation and awareness and outlined practical steps for NATO cooperation with the 1540 Committee. In other matters, Committee experts said they aim to have a draft of the report pursuant to 1673 prepared for the Committee by March 1. The next Committee meeting will take place December 17. END SUMMARY. ¶2. On December 11, NATO Assistant Secretary General Martin Erdmann (Germany) briefed the 1540 Committee for the first time and offered his views on possible NATO - UN cooperation on 1540. Erdmann said NATO was fully committed to resolution 1540 and viewed it as the framework that should underpin all national efforts to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). NATO supported the UN's central role in countering terrorism and proliferation of WMD by non-State actors, Erdmann emphasized. ¶3. Erdmann highlighted two examples of successful NATO - UN cooperation on counter-terrorism: NATO's contribution to ISAF forces that support the UN mission in Afghanistan; and operation "Active Endeavor," a maritime surveillance mission in the Mediterranean Sea that aims to prevent terrorists' misuse of international waters. As to what assets NATO could make available to the 1540 Committee, Erdmann noted NATO's 67 partnership countries; experience in Afghanistan; individual partnership programs on border security, export control and security sector reform; NATO's WMD Center; and NATO conferences and direct assistance to organizations such as INTERPOL, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). ¶4. In terms of specific steps to support 1540 efforts, Erdmann said NATO could use its resources to: encourage partner States to prepare timely national reports to the Committee; include 1540 issues in non-proliferation discussions with all NATO partners; build bridges to the Committee by raising awareness of 1540 requirements in NATO conferences and workshops; establish close links between NATO's WMD Center and the UN; and explore the possibility of creating a trust fund for 1540 activities in NATO partner countries. ¶5. Responding to Erdmann's remarks, the Chairman said NATO could add value by helping to raise awareness on 1540 implementation. Russia said cooperation with NATO was useful and should be continued, adding that the Committee should consider outreach to similar pol-mil organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). USUN also welcomed Erdmann's comments and asked that a written copy of Erdmann's statement be circulated in the Committee to assist the Committee's follow up with NATO. ¶6. In other matters, Committee experts said that any information on national implementation reports received after January 31 would not be reflected in the report the Committee will submit to the Security Council in April 2008 pursuant to resolution 1673 (2006). (NOTE: Since the Committee's letter requesting states' input went out late in the fall, the Committee expects that many States will not submit responses by December 15. END NOTE.). The members of the panel of experts said they aim to provide a draft of the report to the Committee by March 1. The Chairman again asked the experts to provide a brief summary of their timeline for completing the report in writing. ¶7. The Committee meets again on December 17 to discuss biosecurity and biosafety (ref). Khalilzad