MEXICO PASSES LEGISLATION TO CONTROL CHEMICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MEXICO 000680 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT AND PM E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2019 TAGS: PINR ETRD MARR PREL PTER SNAR PARM ECON KCRM MX SUBJECT: MEXICO PASSES LEGISLATION TO CONTROL CHEMICAL WEAPONS Classified By: MINISTER COUNSELOR CHARLES BARCLAY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Mexico's Lower House passed a bill February 24 to control chemical substances that could be used in chemical weapons, paving the way for signature by Mexican President Felipe Calderon and publication in the Diario Oficial. The law, which will be administered by Mexico's High-Level Coordinating Body for Disarmament, Counter-terrorism and Security (the National Authority), mandates creation of a list of controlled chemicals and will bring Mexico into conformity with the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention. Although there was opposition by the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) based on concerns over Mexico's intelligence service (CISEN) as the lead element implementing the new law, passage of this bill is generally viewed as a good step forward in Mexico's non-proliferation efforts. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The Mexican House of Deputies approved February 24 a Federal Law for the Control of Chemical Substances Susceptible to Diversion for the Production of Chemical Weapons. The bill was approved by the Senate last year and is expected to be signed into law in short order by President Calderon and published in the Diario Oficial. The law regulates activities in Mexico dealing with potential dual-use chemical substances. A national list of chemical substances subject to measures of control will be created. The National Authority, administered by Mexico's intelligence service (CISEN),will be the interagency coordinating body for inspections and sanctions. The law establishes sentences from two to forty years in prison and fines from 100 to 1200 days of minimum salary for violators. With this law, Mexico will conform to the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). ¶3. (SBU) The legislation is the first law that sets parameters for the National Authority, which heads the GOM's High Level Committee for Disarmament, Terrorism and International Security (created in 2007). Since its inception, the National Authority has been taking a methodical approach in developing best practices in dealing with non-proliferation and counter-terrorism issues. The law is viewed as the most concrete step to date towards monitoring chemical weapons in a coordinated fashion within the Mexican Government in compliance with the UN's CWC. ¶4. (C) The bill passed in the House of Deputies by a vote of 258 to 106. PRD Diputado Erick Lopez told Poloff that 82 members of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) voted against the bill to demonstrate concern over assigning CISEN the lead for coordinating implementation. (Comment: PRD repeatedly has criticized CISEN for being a partisan tool of the government. End Comment) ¶5. (C) Comment. Although its parent organization has been subject to partisan criticism in recent years, the National Authority has demonstrated to Emboffs a serious desire to better coordinate non-proliferation and counter-terrorism activities across the GOM. The new law is a positive step forward in that process, bringing Mexico into conformity with the CWC as part of a coordinated attempt to control the spread of chemical weapons. End Comment. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BASSETT