UNSC IRAN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE FIRST MEETING

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000066

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC EFIN UNSC PREL MNUC PARM IR
SUBJECT: UNSC IRAN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE FIRST MEETING

REF: BRUSSELS 0176


1. (SBU) Iran Sanctions Committee Chairman, Belgian PermRep
Johan Verbeke, convened the group's first meeting on January

23. Verbeke said the Committee's role is to facilitate and
monitor effective implementation of resolution 1737 (2006).
The Committee should be faithful to the letter and spirit of
1737, and the unanimous adoption of the resolution by the
Council gives the Committee a "solid foundation" on which to
work.


2. (SBU) Verbeke said that adoption of Committee guidelines
would be the first order of business, but he emphasized that
guidelines work should not prevent the Committee from taking
decisions on substantive matters. For example, the Committee
may need to decide on issues related to exemptions,
deletions, additions, and violations. "Guidelines are
helpful, but not necessary," said Verbeke.


3. (SBU) In addition to guidelines, Verbeke highlighted other
immediate and upcoming tasks on which he intends the
Committee to focus. National reports are due to the
Committee on February 21 and Verbeke plans to write a letter
to all UN Member States, prior to that date, reminding them
of their obligation to report on Iran sanctions
implementation. In addition, the Committee chairman must
report to the Security Council by March 23. Verbeke also
plans to seek from the IAEA information regarding action
taken by that organization pursuant to the new resolution,
specifically with regard to technical assistance.


4. (SBU) Verbeke concluded the meeting by stressing that much
time was lost between the adoption of the resolution and the
convening of the sanctions committee, and now "we need to
work with intensity in the coming weeks." The committee will
meet "at least once a week."


5. (SBU) COMMENT: Our tentative appraisal after the first
meeting of the Committee suggests that Verbeke will be an
effective chair and a helpful partner to the U.S. REFTEL
informed us that Belgium's MFA wants Belgium to be "exemplary
in carrying out the terms of the resolution" because it is
chairing the Iran Committee. Verbeke today showed good
initiative and said the right things. Verbeke will circulate
guidelines that USUN helped to draft later this week, and the
Committee will discuss them on January 30. As in the North
Korea Sanctions Committee, we expect extensive and
unconstructive edits from Russia and China to constrain the
Committee's substantive work.
WOLFF