UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING RWANDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000346 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018 TAGS: RW PREL UNSC PGOV ETTC SUBJECT: UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING RWANDA RECOMMENDED FOR TERMINATION REF: STATE 35385 Classified By: Minister Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: During informal consultations of the UNSC Committee established pursuant to resolution 918 (1994) concerning Rwanda, delegations agreed to the Indonesian Chair's proposal to recommend termination of the committee, which has been largely inactive for the past decade. The UK, China, and the U.S. spoke in favor of the recommendation, and the Belgian delegation expressed its readiness to support the committee's termination but said the timing should not be rushed. The Chair will prepare an oral report for the Security Council, the substance of which it will first circulate at the expert level. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Security Council's sanctions committee concerning Rwanda met informally April 11 and agreed to the Indonesian Chair's proposal to recommend to the Council the termination of the committee. The Chair justified the proposal by explaining that the committee has no monitoring mechanism and there have been no arms transfers violating its provisions, and by noting Rwanda's stability, the 2007 DRC - Rwanda agreement, and the DRC sanctions regime. ¶3. (C) The UK representative offered strong support for ending the committee, and said the issue of timing is a technical rather than a political issue. He recommended that the Council also consider whether obligations under UNSC 1011 (1995) should be continued. These obligations prohibit the sale and supply of arms and related material to non-governmental forces for use in Rwanda, as well as the transfer of arms or related material sold or supplied to the Government of Rwanda to neighboring States. ¶4. (C) The Belgian representative welcomed the Indonesian initiative and signaled readiness to support terminating the committee. He said the Council should not rush this, however, in order to avoid the timing being perceived as an unwanted political signal. He added that Belgium is not prepared at this stage to abolish UNSC 1011 measures but would be willing to take a closer look. ¶5. (C) The Chinese and our delegation also spoke in favor of terminating the committee. The Chair then offered to prepare an oral presentation for the Council drawing attention to the committee's views and recognizing Belgium's nuanced view regarding timing. Committee members agreed with this approach, and the Chair will circulate the substance of this report at the expert level before giving it to the Council for consideration. Khalilzad