DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE PROGRAM OF WORK

UNCLAS HANOI 000111 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR ISN/CPI (WUCHTE) EAP/MLS (BLACKSHAW) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL AORC KPAO PTER UNSC VM SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNSCR 1540 COMMITTEE PROGRAM OF WORK REF: STATE 10774 ¶1. (SBU) In a February 11 discussion with the MFA IO officer responsible for non-proliferation matters, Vu Tran Phong, Deputy PolCouns urged Vietnam to support efforts to develop a more robust Program of Work (POW) for the UNSCR 1540 Committee. Per reftel, he emphasized that the draft POW submitted January 14 was inadequate and encouraged Vietnam to back U.S. revisions to the text. Drawing Phong's attention to the non-paper and attached documents, DPolCouns stressed that in order to carry out its mandate, the 1540 Committee should have a more open, transparent process for gathering information and coordinating assistance efforts. DPolCouns assured Phong that the United States believes that the 1540 process is not about pointing fingers, but about building capacity and should provide a mechanism for individual states and regions to best meet their non-proliferation obligations. ¶2. (SBU) Phong promised to relay the substance of the demarche, as well as the non-paper, draft revisions, and additional material, to his superiors in the MFA and to Vietnam's UN Mission in New York, where he previously worked as the Mission's action officer on non-proliferation matters. He said that his colleagues in New York would work closely with their U.S. and other counterparts. Phong declined to comment on the substance of the revisions. He emphasized, however, that as a matter of general principle, Vietnam shares the 1540 Committee's basic objectives, but also believes that while individual states must fulfill their obligations, undue burden should not fall on developing nations. Michalak