FSC JUNE 18: AMMUNITION BEST PRACTICES GUIDES TO

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