HAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT AGAINST BALLISTIC MISSILE

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 084719 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2033 TAGS: PARM MTCRE PREL MNUC KSCA ETTC KNNP TSPA SUBJECT: HAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT AGAINST BALLISTIC MISSILE PROLIFERATION (HCOC) - PROPOSED FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) (SBU) REF: STATE 063666 Classified By: ISN/MTR DIRECTOR PAM DURHAM FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (C) AND (D). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph ¶3. ¶2. (C) Per Reftel, at the 7th annual Regular Meeting of the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC) held in Vienna on May 29-30, 2008, the UK and the U.S. both strongly endorsed the idea of creating a helpful and informative HCOC website, with the U.S. suggesting that website include frequently asked questions (FAQs). As a result of this intervention and related discussions during the heads of delegation luncheon, HCOC Chair Ambassador Gyorgyi Martin Zanathy of Hungary and Austrian MFA/HCOC Immediate Central Contact representative Andreas Launer asked the U.S. to take responsibility for drafting a set of proposed HCOC FAQs for review by all Subscribing States. The U.S. agreed to do so, and has developed the interagency-cleared FAQs listed in paragraph 4. We now want to provide these proposed FAQs to the HCOC ICC and the HCOC Chair. ¶3. (C) Action Request: Department requests that post provide copies of the proposed FAQs in paragraph 4 to the Austrian MFA, including Mr. Andreas Launer and his staff, and the HCOC Chair, Ambassador Gyorgyi Martin Zanathy, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, IAEA, CTBTO, and UNIDO in Vienna. ¶4. BEGIN TEXT OF FAQs: (C//REL HCOC) On the margins of the May 29-30 HCOC Regular Meeting, the HCOC Chair, Ambassador Gyorgyi Martin Zanathy, and HCOC ICC Mr. Andreas Launer asked the U.S. delegation to draft a proposed set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for use on the HCOC website. Accordingly, we have prepared the following FAQs, which we hope will provide a helpful starting point for your further work on the HCOC website. HCOC FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) What is the HCOC? The HCOC is an acronym for the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC). It is a widely subscribed multilateral instrument that aims to delegitimize missile proliferation. The HCOC consists of a set of general principles, modest commitments, and limited confidence building measures. When was the HCOC founded? The HCOC was formally brought into effect on November 25, 2002, at a launching conference hosted by the Netherlands in The Hague. What are its main objectives? The HCOC aims to contribute to the process of strengthening existing national and international security arrangements and disarmament and non- proliferation objectives and mechanisms. Participants recognize a need to prevent and curb the proliferation of ballistic missile systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, as well as the importance of strengthening, and gaining wider adherence to, multilateral disarmament and nonproliferation mechanisms. To meet these objectives, participants try to exercise maximum possible restraint in the development, testing, and deployment of ballistic missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. Is the HCOC endorsed by the United Nations (UN)? The UN General Assembly adopted on December 3, 2004, a resolution (A/Res/59/91) welcoming the adoption of the HCOC and calling on states that have not adhered to it to do so. On December 8, 2005, 158 nations in the UN General Assembly voted in favor of General Assembly Resolution 60/62 supporting the HCOC. What is the relevance of the HCOC to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)? The HCOC complements the important, ongoing work of the MTCR. How many countries belong to the HCOC? As of May 30, 2008, 130 countries have subscribed to the HCOC. What countries can subscribe to the HCOC? How does a country subscribe? Participation in the HCOC is voluntary and open to all states. A country may subscribe to the HCOC by sending a diplomatic note stating that it wishes to become an HCOC Subscribing State to the Austrian Foreign Ministry, which serves as the Immediate Central Contact (ICC) for the HCOC. What are the members' obligations to the HCOC, financial or otherwise? The HCOC is a political commitment that is open to all countries, voluntary subscription. By subscribing to the HCOC, members voluntarily commit themselves politically to provide pre-launch notifications (PLNs) on ballistic missile and space-launch vehicle launches (SLVs) and test flights. Subscribing states also commit to submit an annual declaration (AD) of their country's policies on ballistic missiles and space- launch vehicles, including annual information on the number and generic class of ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles launched during the preceding year. The HCOC does not require a financial commitment: there are no assessed contributions or other monetary costs of subscribing. Where and when do HCOC meetings take place? The HCOC's decision-making body, the Regular Meeting, normally convenes annually for two days in May in Vienna, Austria. Who leads the HCOC? Is there a Chairman or Permanent Point of Contact? The annual Regular Meeting is chaired on a rotational basis. The Chair of this meeting becomes the HCOC Chair for the period extending to the next Regular Meeting of Subscribing States. Hungary is serving as HCOC Chair from May 2008 - May 2009. Costa Rica has been elected to serve as HCOC Chair beginning in May ¶2009. The HCOC has no secretariat. Distribution of the HCOC's documents and working papers is carried out by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, which serves as the HCOC's point of contact (known as the Immediate Central Contact or ICC). The ICC also receives and distributes notices of subscription. Who has chaired the HCOC in the past? Six countries have served as HCOC Chair: 2002-2003 The Netherlands 2003-2004 Chile 2004-2005 Chile 2005-2006 The Philippines 2006-2007 Morocco 2007-2008 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2008-2009 Hungary End text of FAQs ¶5. (U) Please contact ISN/MTR's John Paul Herrmann with any questions or follow-up issues related to this case (202-647-1430 - herrmannjp@state.sgov.gov or herrmannjp2@state.gov) and slug reporting on this issue for ISN/MTR. ¶6. A word version of this document will be posted at www.state.sgov.gov/demarche. RICE