Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USOSCE164
2008-06-19 10:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission USOSCE
Cable title:  

FSC JUNE 18: AMMUNITION BEST PRACTICES GUIDES TO

Tags:  PARM PREL OSCE KCFE XG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191019Z JUN 08
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5794
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0542
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1096
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1041
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//POLAD/XPXC//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ5-T/ECPLAD/ECCS//
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RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC//OSAE
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-DDPMA-E/DDPMA-IN/CAC//
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000164 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC,
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA
JCS FOR J5
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI)
NSC FOR DOWLEY
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL
CENTCOM FOR CCJ5-C, POLAD
UNVIE FOR AC
GENEVA FOR CD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE KCFE XG
SUBJECT: FSC JUNE 18: AMMUNITION BEST PRACTICES GUIDES TO
BE PUBLISHED

REF: STATE 65190

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000164

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC,
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA
JCS FOR J5
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI)
NSC FOR DOWLEY
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL
CENTCOM FOR CCJ5-C, POLAD
UNVIE FOR AC
GENEVA FOR CD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE KCFE XG
SUBJECT: FSC JUNE 18: AMMUNITION BEST PRACTICES GUIDES TO
BE PUBLISHED

REF: STATE 65190


1. (SBU) Summary: The June 18 Forum for Security Cooperation
Plenary adopted the decision to begin work on publishing a
handbook of Best Practices Guides on conventional ammunition.
A chair's statement, based on a revised Russian text,
underlined the importance of complying "strictly" with the
timelines for requesting Vienna Document inspections. The
U.S. announced the results of the fifth anniversary meeting
of the Proliferation Security Initiative and called for
continuing efforts to prevent the proliferation of WMD,
including full implementation of UNSCR 1540. The draft
decision on updating the OSCE conventional arms transfer
categories to accord with the UN Register of Conventional
Arms is still under negotiation in the working group, which
did approve the draft decision on the two remaining
conventional ammunition Best Practices Guides on physical
security and destruction. The paper will go to the Plenary
for decision on June 25. Washington, see paras 6, 7, 8, and

11. End summary.

Best Practices Guides Handbook to Be Published
-------------- -


2. (SBU) The Plenary adopted without discussion the decision
to begin work on publication of a handbook of Best Practices
Guides on conventional ammunition (FSC.DEC/6/08). Two guides
for this handbook, on physical security and destruction
practices, are pending FSC endorsement, expected on June 25
(FSC.DD/8/08). The draft decision endorsing these guides was
approved without change in the working group despite
last-minute proposals for new language from Belarus and
Switzerland.

Chair's Statement on Vienna Document Inspection Requests
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Estonia (Parts) read the chair's statement, endorsed
by the working group on June 11 and based on a Russian
proposal, underlining the importance of complying "strictly"
with the timelines for requesting inspections under the
Vienna Document (FSC.DEL/75/08/Rev.3). There was no
discussion of the statement.


PSI Fifth Anniversary
--------------


4. (SBU) The U.S. (Neighbour) announced the fifth anniversary
meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) in
Washington on May 28. Neighbour said PSI was a multinational
activity directed at preventing the trafficking of weapons of
mass destruction (WMD),their means of delivery, and related
materials among states and non-sates actors of proliferation
concern. Neighbour noted PSI states adopted the "Washington
Declaration" at their May meeting, which encourages
participation in PSI by all states that seek to prevent
proliferation of WMD, and notes that PSI states are also
committed to full implementation of UNSCR 1540, itself under
discussion in the FSC (FSC.JOUR/556). The U.S. also
distributed the full text of the Washington Declaration, a
statement by President Bush on the PSI anniversary, and a PSI
fact sheet (SEC.DEL/89/08).

CAT Update Decision
--------------

USOSCE 00000164 002 OF 003




5. (SBU) Canada (Linteau) announced it supported operative
paragraphs (OP) 4 and 5 of the draft decision to update the
OSCE conventional arms transfer reporting categories to
accord with the UN Register of Conventional Arms
(FSC.DD/7/08); Canada already provides information to the UN
on its arms transfers, both within and without the OSCE, as
suggested by OP 4 and 5. However, Canada would prefer that
any future updates to the OSCE categories not be made
automatically, as required by OP 3, but be considered as
needed by the FSC. Germany (Schweizer),the author of the
draft decision, apparently agreed with Canada by proposing
deletion of the word "automatically" from OP 3 and explained
that additional language from UN General Assembly Resolution
61/77 was being considered for OP 4 to clarify that
participating States (pS) were not required to release the
entirety of their OSCE submission to the UN.


6. (SBU) Separately, Russia (Geyvandov) informed the U.S.
(Silberberg) that it expected Germany to add language to OP 4
and 5 to reflect that the permission of arms trade partners
could be required to release data to the UN. The U.S.
(Silberberg),per reftel guidance, requested Germany insert
the parenthetical phrase, "which are in a position to do so,"
in OP 5. Schweizer resists this addition, complaining that
OP 5 presently only "encourages" the provision of "background
information" on arms transfers outside the OSCE: the U.S.
language would dilute the proposal "to the point of
absurdity." The chair, in consultation with delegations, will
issue a revised version of the paper shortly.

End-User Certificates
--------------


7. (SBU) Belarus separately asked for confirmation of U.S.
comments made at the June 11 working group on the draft
decision for an information exchange on end-user certificates
and Conflict Prevention Center (CPC) overview of replies
(FSC.DEL/108/08). Pavlov noted that a related 2004 decision
(FSC.DEC/5/04) only suggested pS could file sample
certificates on the OSCE website, while his proposal would
require pS to submit these exemplars. Has the U.S., Pavlov
asked, any specific language for the draft decision that
would reflect its concerns? Sweden announced general support
for the paper, and prefers the later date, September 30,
2008, for the submission of information.

Code of Conduct
--------------


8. (SBU) The FSC Code of Conduct coordinator, Anton Eischer
(Austria),reported the circulation of a revised draft update
of the Code of Conduct Questionnaire (FSC.DEL/98/08/Rev.2).
Eischer held informal meetings on June 5 and 13 to discuss
the Questionnaire only, leaving aside for the moment the text
of the draft decision and compilation form, attached to an
earlier version of the Questionnaire update (FSC.DEL/98/08).
Bracketed passages are new and/or lack consensus in the
informal groups. These include implementation of UNSCR 1325
on the participation of women in conflict resolution and
peace-making; use of armed forces to limit human and civil
rights; and information on arms control and CSBMs.
Discussion will resume in the working group on June 25.

Finnish Plans for Autumn Round

USOSCE 00000164 003 OF 003


--------------


9. (SBU) The Finnish delegation (Kangaste and Riihimaki) told
U.S. rep (Silberberg) they plan Security Dialogue
presentations under their FSC chairmanship in the autumn 2008
round on human rights in the armed forces, the Biennial
Meeting of States on the UN Program of Action on Small Arms
and Light Weapons, naval CSBMs, and UNSCR 1540. Kangaste
invited additional proposals from the U.S., mentioning an
earlier mission suggestion to discuss pandemic illnesses as a
regional security issue. He also proposed a U.S.
presentation on the Proliferation Security Initiative in
early December. Finland so far has not scheduled any
Security Dialogue presentations in November to allow
delegations time to prepare for the Helsinki Ministerial.

UK Colonel Hartnell New SALW Coordinator
--------------


10. (SBU) Colonel Claes Nilsson (Sweden) announced his
departure from Vienna and welcomed Colonel Steven Hartnell
(UK) as the new FSC coordinator for small arms and light
weapons (SALW). Belarus and Tajikistan, the sites of much
current OSCE SALW work, thanked Nilsson for his efforts as
SALW coordinator on their behalf.

Next Meeting
--------------


11. (SBU) The next meeting of the FSC will be on June 25 and
will feature a discussion in the Security Dialogue of private
military and security contractors by Brigadier General Walter
Feichtinger of the Austrian National Defense Academy.
Mission will need to engage on this topic as the recent U.S.
experience with security contractors will inevitably feature
in any discussion of the subject.
LAEUCHLI